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Once the sun finally came out Sunday afternoon, the luck ran out for Tennessee's baseball team.

At least that's the way it looked to UT coach Todd Raleigh after the Vols' 7-2 loss to Florida in the third game of their SEC series before 2,775 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

UT (19-11, 7-5 SEC) had 11 hits in the third game, stranded seven, and hit into a triple-play with the bases loaded and trailing 6-2 in the fifth.

"It's a tough (loss) there," Raleigh said. "I've been around a long time. We just couldn't catch a break. I don't want to not give Florida credit because I've got to give them credit, but that game, it looks 7-2, and people probably look at it and say that game wasn't that close, but I don't think I've ever seen that many plays go against us."

The Vols beat Florida 12-6 in a game that started Saturday, was postponed due to rain in the sixth with the Vols leading 10-5, and was completed Sunday. The third game was shortened to seven innings.

Florida (21-10, 8-4 SEC) lost its fifth-consecutive series against the Vols.

"We fought really hard," UT sophomore Jeff Lockwood said. "Everybody left it out there. We fought hard the first two games. We won the series. That's the most important thing but this is a tough loss. You always want a sweep when you have a chance."

Lockwood, former Halls High School standout, went 2-for-3 with an RBI but hit into the triple play in the fifth.

Yan Gomes started the Vols' fifth with a single and Gators starter Patrick Keating (5-0) was relieved by Tony Davis. Davis gave up a single to Shawn Griffin and was relieved by Stephen Locke, who walked Josh Liles to load the bases.

Locke ran the count to 3-0 on the sixth-hitting Lockwood before throwing a fastball that Lockwood took for a strike. Lockwood swung at the next pitch to load the count.

On the next pitch, Locke threw a pitch down and away. Lockwood hit a line drive to second baseman Josh Adams, who turned it into a 4-6-3 triple play.

"That was the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me in my life," Lockwood said. "I've never hit into a triple play." Lockwood said he thought the full-count pitch would have been ball four.

Lockwood also hit an RBI single up the middle in the first inning that hit Keating's leg and stayed in the infield, perhaps preventing a second UT run from scoring.

The Vols' Cody Brown hit a line drive in the third that Adams caught and turned into a double play to end the inning.

UT starter Steve Crnkovich (4-3) took the loss, giving up five hits and four earned runs in 2.1 innings.

Former Loudon High standout Aaron Everett, who relieved Crnkovich, left the game with an apparent elbow injury while facing his third batter.

"I don't want to speculate," Raleigh said. "I think he's supposed to see a doctor sometime (Sunday). We can't afford to lose Aaron, but I don't know."

Notebook: UT hit four homers in the rain-delayed game, the first time the Vols have hit four homers in an SEC game since an 11-7 victory at Florida on May 19 last season. . . . Griffin hit .667 in the Florida series with eight hits, three homers and five RBIs.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.