Kentucky Baseball downs Belmont 2-1 in series opener

In the first of three games in Nashville that nobody will see (unless you were present at E.S. Rose Field), Kentucky held off Belmont 2-1 to take the series opener.

Kentucky’s pitching staff dominated once again on Friday, as right-hander Nic McCay, left-hander Jackson Nove and right-hander Simon Gregersen held the Bruins to just one run and two hits with 14 combined strikeouts. Over Kentucky’s first three games of the season, the staff has allowed just 10 hits and two earned runs (0.72).

Kentucky’s lineup struggled once again however, as the Cats notched just three hits on the day (3-27 at the plate). Over its last 18 innings at the plate, Kentucky has totaled just six hits and three runs. Catcher Raphael Pelletier and third baseman Patrick Herrera drove in the Wildcats’ two lone runs Friday night.

If you’re Nick Mingione, you can never complain about a win. But, the early season struggles for the Wildcat lineup are a tad concerning. In 89 at-bats this season, Kentucky is hitting just .213 as a team.

Players of the Game:

• RHP Nic McCay: McCay was incredible once again for Kentucky on Friday, as he allowed just two hits and one earned run while striking out six batters in five innings of work. In 10 innings pitched this season, the South Dakota State transfer boasts a 0.90 ERA.
• LHP Jackson Nove: Nove shined in relief, striking out six batters in three innings of work to cement the Wildcat win.

Cats and Bruins offset each other in the first

Kentucky scored just one run in its 3-1 loss to Lipscomb a week ago, but opened Friday’s series opener against Belmont with a run in the first inning.

Starting second baseman Luke Lawrence opened the game with a walk and eventually made his way to third base with no outs in the inning. The Illinois State transfer swiped second, then took third on a failed pickoff attempt that sailed into center field. Catcher Raphael Pelletier brought Lawrence home on a sac-fly to right field, giving Nick Mingione’s team an early 1-0 lead.

This lead did not hold for long however, as Belmont shortstop Pete Daniel opened the bottom of the first inning with a triple. The bloop shot into right center field found itself right under the gloves of center fielder Will Marcy and right fielder Shaun Montoya, giving the Bruins an early runner on third. Daniel would eventually score on a passed ball that bounced off the glove of Pelletier, tying the game at one.

Although it scored a run in the first inning, Kentucky did not notch a hit. In fact, the Cats did not record their first hit of the game until the fourth inning. Prior to Cole Hage‘s double to lead off the fourth inning, Kentucky had recorded just three hits in its last 10 innings of at-bats. In short, the new look Wildcat lineup is still trying to shake off the dust.

Tyler Bell notches first career hit

Freshman shortstop Tyler Bell opened the fifth inning with a leadoff single to right field, notching his first career collegiate hit. Prior to his base knock, Bell was 0-7 to open his career.

Bell, who was tabbed as the sixth best freshman in the SEC and 47th best shortstop in College Baseball by D1Baseball prior to the season, was drafted with the 66th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays. He however decided to turn down the pros and will be a Kentucky Wildcat until at least 2026, when he is eligible to be selected again.

Bell’s career milestone however did not lead to any runs, as James McCoy, Devin Burkes, and Will Marcy went down in order to end the top of the fifth inning. McCoy made his first career start at first base on Friday in relief of Dylan Koontz, who started Kentucky’s first two games of the season at the position.

Nic McCay enjoys another quality start

Senior right-hander Nic McCay, who transferred to Kentucky from South Dakota State this offseason for his seventh season of College Baseball, has been incredible for the Wildcats through his first two outings of the season.

Against Lipscomb, McCay held the Bisons scoreless and struck out four batters over five innings of work. He was given an even longer leash Friday night against Belmont, pitching six innings. McCay was dominant, as he struck out seven batters and allowed just two hits. In 10 innings pitched this season, he has struck out 11 batters and boasts a stellar 0.00 ERA (the Belmont run scored was unearned).

He was relieved by left-hander Jackson Nove to open the bottom of the seventh inning.

Wildcats squeak out series opening win

The sixth inning was nearly the third consecutive where Kentucky’s leadoff batter reached base but they failed to score, but third baseman Patrick Herrera came through clutch for the Wildcats.

Luke Lawrence and Shaun Montoya walked in the inning, putting two on for Herrera. Kentucky’s starting third baseman drove in three RBI in their season opener against Lipscomb and notched his fourth of the season here, lacing an RBI-single into right field to propel the Wildcats back in front.

While the Kentucky lineup continued to struggle, the Wildcat pitching staff held off the Bruins to cement the win. Following McCay’s great outing, Jackson Nove continued his strong start to the season in relief. Nove completely shut down any hopes of a Belmont comeback, as he struck out six consecutive batters over the span of the seventh and eighth inning.

Right-hander Simon Gregersen was brought on to open the ninth inning and closed out the game, earning his first save as a Wildcat.

What’s next for Kentucky?

Kentucky and Belmont will run it back once again on Saturday in game two of the weekend series. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. EST and once again, the game will not be broadcasted.