Chase Estep leads Kentucky Baseball to series victory during doubleheader split

In the end, you got what you wanted, right? Kentucky Baseball split a doubleheader on Saturday against TCU but still secured a series victory over a top-10 team, something they haven’t done since 2019. Sitting at 10-2 on the year after the defeat in game two, this weekend only bolstered reason to believe that Kentucky can be a special ball club this season.

Kentucky cruises to series victory in game one

The Wildcats wasted no time to get what they wanted. Kentucky won the first of two games by a score of 5-1 in a seven-inning matinee. Tyler Bosma dazzled in his best start as a Wildcat.

The grad transfer from Miami (OH) has been used as the Sunday starter over the first few weeks of the season. His start was moved up though due to Sunday’s contest being canceled. The change in day seemed to have little impact on Bosma, who kept the Horned Frogs to one run over five innings in an exceptional performance.

“He went on the attack,” Mingione said postgame about Bosma. “He gave us the jolt from the very beginning.”

The righty finished with six strikeouts while allowing six hits, five of those being singles. He ends the day with a 3.60 ERA through three starts as a Wildcat. He might have to buy some dinner though after being saved like this today.

Holy cannon! @NolanMcCarthy9 cuts down a runner at the plate! 🔫 pic.twitter.com/OpdGseUlGr

— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) March 5, 2022

Once again, Kentucky struck gold offensively in the first inning. This time though, it took a little luck. Chase Estep reached first by way of a walk. That brought up Adam Fogel, one of the heroes from Friday. The Hawaii transfer fought off a two-strike pitch, looping it into short right field. A TCU fielder misplayed the ball, allowing it to bounce by him in the outfield. Estep scored all the way from first on what ended up being ruled as an RBI double for Fogel.

Transfers led again when trying to create some breathing room. Following a Fogel double to the right-center wall in the fourth, Hunter Jump brought him home with an RBI double that one-hopped the left-field wall.

Kentucky put this game out of reach in the fifth. Chase Estep followed up his 4-6 performance on Friday with maybe the highlight of his Kentucky career so far. He absolutely demolished a ball to deep center for a three-run shot, making it 5-1. It was his fifth of the year, which leads the team.

606, BY GAWD!!!!@chasestep12 with a three-run Big Blue Bomb to CF!! pic.twitter.com/qLnNIRJwOV

— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) March 5, 2022

“We knew we had a special team in the fall when everybody got here and easy we meshed,” Estep said after the game about the red-hot ‘Cats. “Just to have a good team like TCU come to town and everybody showing up to see what we really have, we appreciate everyone sitting there for two games… this place really fills up good and it gets loud.”

UK did not cruise to victory in game two

Kentucky needed a more experienced and trusted pitcher to go in game one. They were in a spot where they absolutely had to secure the series victory. So, with that in mind, Magdiel Cotto’s start was delayed until the series finale. Looking back in hindsight, Mingione made the right decision.

The sophomore could only last seven outs in the 12-8 loss to the Horned Frogs. He didn’t receive much help from the offense, but it’s difficult when you’re down three runs before you ever grab a bat. After lasting under three innings for the second straight start — and control issues still evidently present — it’s reasonable to start worrying about Cotto in the rotation.

In the short span, he allowed five hits, four runs and walked a couple of batters. The South Carolina transfer allowed three runs in the first inning. The first came by way of a wild pitch that allowed Luke Boyers to scamper home from third. A few pitches later, Tommy Sacco doubled in two more to give TCU a 3-0 lead after one.

TCU added one more in four straight innings, starting with a couple off of Tyler Guilfoil, both coming on sac flies to left field. Zack Lee and Austin Strickland each let up one apiece as well.

Down seven, Kentucky almost mounted an entire comeback in a single frame. In the seventh inning, Jake Plastiak launched a grand slam over the left-field wall. Two batters later, Hunter Jump ripped a two-run shot to right field to make it a 7-6 game at the time.

Kentucky tied the game up at seven when the TCU third basemen misfielded a grounder from Estep, allowing Emilien Pitre to score from second.

Alas though, it was all for naught. TCU put up five runs in the top of the ninth and put this game out of reach before Kentucky was sent down in the ninth.

“This team is uber-competitive and they want to win,” Mingione said. “Obviously we wished we would’ve pulled the second game out but I’m really proud of our team’s fight.”

Kentucky next sees Murray State come into Lexington for a midweek contest this Tuesday. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. EST and is set to be broadcasted on the SEC Network+.