Bat Cats Bounce Back with Win Over Texas State in Round Rock
Kentucky’s offense came back to life on Saturday, as they scored 11 runs to take down Texas State 11-5 in their second Karbach Round Rock Classic matchup.
The Cats notched just two hits and four runs in their 6-4 loss to Washington State on Friday night. By the end of the second inning on Saturday however, Kentucky had outdone that performance with six hits and eight runs.
Although things went well for Kentucky, head coach Nick Mingione was ejected in the bottom of the seventh inning for arguing a strike three call. Due to the ejection, he will be suspended for Sunday’s game against Kansas. Pitching coach Dan Roszel will serve as acting head coach for Sunday’s finale.
Grad transfer 3B Mitchell Daly was fantastic for the Cats, going 3/4 at the plate with a grand slam and a career-high six RBI.
LHP Dominic Niman made his second start of the season for Kentucky, but it didn’t quite go as well as his first. Niman went 5.0 innings, allowing six hits and four earned runs. The lefty however improved to 2-0 on the year.
With the win, Kentucky improved to 5-1 on the season.
Cats Start Fast
Kentucky notched just two hits in their 6-4 loss to Washington State in the Round Rock Classic opener Friday night.
By the end of the first inning of Saturday’s game however, they had tied that hit total and scored three runs.
Ryan Waldschmidt (who made his first start of the season against the Bobcats) and Patrick Herrera led off the game with back-to-back walks. This set up Devin Burkes nicely, giving the Cats an early run-scoring opportunity. Burkes delivered with a single up the middle, scoring Waldschmidt from second. Kentucky had scored before they had recorded an out.
The early offense doesn’t stop there, as redshirt freshman Lukas Schramm was up to bat next. Schramm, who entered Saturday’s game with just one career hit, roped a two-run double to right center, putting Kentucky ahead 3-0 in the first.
Mitchell Daly’s Big Day
Niman gave up his first earned run in a Wildcat uniform in the top of the second, as Texas State DH August Ramirez went deep to center field for his second home run of the season. The Bobcats pulled within two, but the Cats would respond with a force in the latter half of the inning.
The Wildcat offense remained red hot as Nolan McCarthy led off with a single up the middle. He was followed by Grant Smith, who doubled to left field for his seventh RBI on the season. Smith, who bats last in the lineup, leads the Cats in RBI.
Texas State LHP Jack Stroud got himself in a conundrum, loading the bases with Mitchell Daly up to bat. Daly delivered with his biggest hit as a Wildcat, blasting a grand slam over the right field wall to give Kentucky their fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth runs of the game in just the second inning. The Wildcat offense looked refreshed on Saturday.
Mitch Daly continued his big day in the sixth inning, hitting a two-run single to left field to score both Ryan Waldschmidt and Devin Burkes. Daly drove in more runs by himself on Saturday than Texas State scored all game. Daly’s previous career-high for RBIs in a game came on April 25, 2023 at Texas. Daly doubled that in the win.
RHP Ryan Hagenow, LHP Evan Byers, and RHP Colby Frieda took control of the final four innings, allowing just two hits and one run to cement a Wildcat victory.
The Bat Cats close out the 2024 Karbach Round Round Classic in a matchup with Kansas on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EST.
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