Kennesaw State Dominates Kentucky 13-1 in Game One of Series

Kennesaw State jumped out to an early lead and dominated Kentucky 13-1 in just eight innings on Friday, handing the Bat Cats their first home loss of the season.

Kentucky would have set a new mark for its best start to a season under Nick Mingione with a win, but just like in 2018, the Cats dropped game number 14.

Kennesaw State sophomore right-handed pitcher Braden Osbolt dominated the Kentucky lineup, allowing just six hits and one run with eight strikeouts in 7.0 innings pitched.

The Owls’ victory *technically* is not an upset, as Kennesaw (23) is ranked higher than Kentucky (26) in the latest RPI Rankings. However, a loss to an ASUN team a week before SEC play begins is less than ideal.

Kennesaw State jumps out to strong lead

After two straight three-up, three-down innings for both teams to open the game, the Owls broke through in the top of the third.

Travis Smith coasted through the first two innings, but ran into a few bumps in the third. He gave up his first hit of the game to junior Hudson Mimbs with one out in the inning, a double to left center field. Smith struck out the next batter, but Burkes was unable to squeeze strike three. Freshman Shamaar McDuffie reached first, putting runners on the corners with just one out.

Kennesaw then pulled a “Mingione” on the Cats, laying down a bunt with runners on the corners. Travis Smith fielded the ball and flipped it home to Devin Burkes, but Burkes was unable to hold onto it. Mimbs slid in safely, putting the first run of the game on the board.

The Owls continued to pour it on, as senior Nick Hassan ripped a single to left field driving in another two runs. Sophomore Jackson Chirello followed up Hassan’s RBI-single with one of his own, extending the Kennesaw lead to four through three.

Kyuss Gargett hits first career long ball

Freshman Kyuss Gargett finally put a dent in the Wildcat run column in the bottom of the fifth.

With one out in the inning, Gargett took the second pitch he saw deep to left field for his first career home run.

B5 | UK 1 | KSU 4

ALL JUICE FROM THE ROOK 🔋💣💥@KyussG2 x #BigBlueBomb pic.twitter.com/LA11S9rD3u

— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) March 8, 2024

Gargett now has three total hits in 2024, all three being extra-base hits (double, triple, home run). The freshman has really shined in the absence of Grant Smith at shortstop. When Smith returns from injury, Nick Mingione will surely find a way to insert Gargett in the lineup somehow.

Bad inning spoils Smith’s start

Just going off the eye test, Friday looked like Travis Smith’s best start of the season.

Smith forced four three-up, three-down innings and just missed a fifth in the fifth inning due to a walk. He finished with a season-high seven strikeouts and gave up just four hits in 7.0 innings pitched.

Travis Smith’s day is over.

– 7.0 IP
– 4 H
– 4 ER
– 7 K

pic.twitter.com/xdTK52HtTP

— Daniel Hager (@DanielHagerKSR) March 8, 2024

It was the third inning however that sank Smith on Friday.

The right-hander gave up three hits and four runs (three earned) in the third, allowing the Owls to jump to an early, insurmountable lead.

“I thought Travis actually threw the ball well, we just didn’t do anything to help him,” Nick Mingione said postgame.

Owls slam door shut in eighth with eight-run inning

Sophomore Jamarie Brooks opened the seventh inning with a walk, advancing to second on a sac-bunt. This put a runner in scoring position for Hudson Mimbs, who doubled earlier in the game.

Mimbs knocked another double to the left field wall, allowing Brooks to slide into home safely. KSU re-took its four run lead, which ballooned even larger in the eighth.

Colby Frieda quickly compiled two quick outs in the eighth, but things would go very wrong from there.

Grad student Spencer Hanson ripped a two-run home run over the right field wall, prolonging the inning and adding on two more runs to the Owl lead. Three batters later, Shamaar McDuffie followed Hanson with a two-run double to right field, driving in two more runners. Nick Hassan then put the final nail in the coffin of the Wildcats with a bases clearing double, extending their lead to 12.

The route was on at Kentucky Proud Park.

Kennesaw relief pitcher RHP Ryan Renfroe took over in the eighth inning, closing things out to cement the mercy-rule victory.

“We just didn’t do enough good things to win the game,” Mingione said.

Kentucky and Kennesaw will run it back in game two of the weekend series Saturday at 1:00 p.m.