Kentucky Baseball Downs Kansas 8-5 in Final Game of Round Rock Classic
In a college baseball game between the two winningest programs in college basketball history, Kentucky held off Kansas 8-5 in their final game of the Karbach Round Rock Classic on Sunday.
Kentucky went 2-1 in the tournament, but finished second in the field of four behind Washington State. Due to their loss to the Cougars on Friday, the Cats just missed out on this sweet championship belt.
Kentucky continued their love affair with big innings, as they scored six of their eight runs Sunday in the fourth inning. They scored five runs in the second inning of Saturday’s 11-5 victory over Texas State.
Junior second baseman Émilien Pitre had his best outing of the season, going 2/4 at the plate with a three-run home run in the fourth inning. Junior right fielder Patrick Herrera played his best game in a Wildcat uniform, driving in three runs on a bases clearing triple in that big fourth inning. Herrera has drove in at least one RBI in four of his five games played this season.
RHP Mason Moore made his second start of the 2024 campaign Sunday against the Jayhawks and had another solid outing. Moore pitched 4.1 innings, allowing six hits and just two earned runs while striking out six batters. Through his first two starts this season, Moore boasts a 3.72 ERA in 9.2 innings pitched.
Kentucky improved to 6-1 with the win on Sunday, besting their win total through seven games in 2023 (5-2).
Rivals Trade Runs Early
Following a scoreless first inning for both teams, the Jayhawks jumped on the board first in the bottom of the second inning.
Moore gave up a leadoff double to Kansas third baseman Michael Brooks, who advanced to third on a groundout in the next at-bat. Left fielder Cooper Combs was up to hit next and delivered for KU. Combs hit a deep fly to right field, deep enough to score Brooks from third.
This lead didn’t last long though, as a Devin Burkes RBI-single in the top of the third inning knotted the game up at one apiece.
Six Run Fourth Inning Blows Game Open
The Bat Cats flirted with a big inning over the first three frames. That big inning finally came to fruition in the fourth.
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After back-to-back strikeouts to open the inning, things didn’t look great for the Wildcat offense. They rallied back however, putting runners on first and second with two outs. Ryan Waldschmidt then reached on an error by KU’s Brooks at third, extending the inning and loading the bases for Patrick Herrera.
Herrera delivered, hitting a deep fly down the right field line. Kansas right fielder Lenny Ashby attempted to dive for the ball, but just couldn’t get there in time. Herrera’s hit fell in for a bases clearing triple, propelling to Cats to a 4-1 lead.
The offense didn’t stop there, as Émilien Pitre blasted an opposite field three-run home run just two at-bats later. Suddenly, Kentucky led 7-1 and had blown the game all the way open.
Pitre hit just one home run all of last season. Now, he’s got his first Big Blue Bomb in just the sixth game of the season.
Back to Lexington With a Win
The offense dried up following the big fourth inning, as the Cats wouldn’t record another hit until the eighth inning. Their first hit in four innings was a big one however, as a Ryan Waldschmidt RBI-single extended the Kentucky lead back to three after Kansas had scored three runs in the seventh inning.
LHP Evan Byers took over the final 3.0 innings for Kentucky and completely shut down the Jayhawk offense, which showed major signs of life in the seventh. Byers allowed just three hits and no runs, cementing a second Round Rock Classic victory for the Cats.
Kentucky returns to Lexington for a matchup with in-state rival Western Kentucky on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. EST.
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