Kentucky Baseball Finishes off Weekend Sweep of Lipscomb
The Bat Cats clicked on all cylinders once again on Sunday, as they rolled over Lipscomb 9-1 to finish off the weekend sweep of the Bisons.
With the win, Kentucky improves to 10-1 on the season. Their 10-1 start matches the Wildcats second best start to a season under head coach Nick Mingione (2022). Their best start came in 2018, when they started the season 12-1 before a loss to Northern Kentucky.
They’ll have a chance to break that mark with two mid-week victories over Eastern Kentucky and a series opening victory over Kennesaw State next Friday.
The Wildcat offense continued their weekend resurgence, scoring nine runs on 16 hits. From the start of the weekend to the end, their team batting average jumped from .243 to .282.
Cats scratch across two runs in second
Just as they’ve done in eight of their first 11 games this year, Kentucky scored first on Sunday.
After a scoreless first inning, freshman Griffin Cameron reached first on a bunt down the third base line. The speedy freshman could probably bunt in every at-bat and reach base 80% of the time.
Cameron advanced to second on a Lukas Schramm groundout to the pitcher, putting a RISP for Grant Smith. Smith delivered with a single through the left side, driving in Cameron from second for Kentucky’s first run of the afternoon.
Ryan Waldschmidt, who flew out to the warning track to open the game, then delivered with an RBI-single of his own. Smith slid into home safely for Kentucky’s second run of the inning.
Grant Smith leaves game with injury
After scoring in the second, senior shortstop Grant Smith left the game with an apparent injury in the third inning.
After backing up a bouncer back to the mound, Smith grimaced and exited the game with a trainer.
Smith, who suffered a torn labrum last season, may have suffered the injury on the slide home. For the remainder of the game, he continued to nurse his right hamstring in the Kentucky dugout.
Nick Mingione gave an update on Smith following the game.
“We’ll re-evaluate it so we’ll see where he’s at,” Mingione said. “But, he was in a good bit of pain and we were not going to risk anything. He didn’t want to come off the field like any great competitor, but it was the right move.”
He was replaced by freshman Kyuss Gargett at shortstop, who took advantage of the opportunity.
Kyuss Gargett opens career with triple
After scoring another run in the third on an Ethan Hindle RBI-groundout, freshman Kyuss Gargett stepped up to bat in the fourth for the first time in his young career.
On the first pitch he saw, Gargett lifted a high fly-ball to deep left field. At first it looked like a routine pop-up, but the ball just kept lifting. It hit off the top of the fence, bouncing back into play as the speedy Gargett rounded second.
Gargett slid into third base safely for his first career hit in his first career at-bat.
Along with his bat, the Kentucky staff is reportedly “very high” on Gargett’s glove. He is expected to be Smith’s successor next season, but may have to move into that role this season if Smith’s injury ends up being serious.
“He’s another freshman that’s a really good player for us,” Mingione said postgame. “But, he’s behind a Gold Glover (Grant Smith). We’ve been trying to find ways to get him in there, and this was that opportunity.”
Emilien Pitre drove in Gargett from third with a hot-shot over the head of Lipscomb first baseman Mason Lundgrin, totaling Kentucky’s fourth run of the afternoon. Pitre’s 11 RBI are good for the team lead.
Mason Moore Looks Good Again
RHP Mason Moore looks just as dominant as he did in 2023 through his first three career starts this season.
Moore pitched five innings on Sunday, allowing just three hits and one earned run while striking out seven batters. His ERA dropped from 3.72 to 3.07, which leads all qualified Wildcat starting pitchers.
“Last weekend, I kinda struggled in the fifth inning,” Moore said postgame. “You’ve got to push through. I was getting tired at the end but you’ve got to push through. Gives me the confidence to keep doing that and doing the best for our team.”
Ryan Waldschmidt: BACK
After just missing on a home run in two of his first four at-bats, Ryan Waldschmidt finally notched his first home run of the season in the bottom of the seventh.
Kyuss Gargett scored from third on an overthrow pickoff attempt to third, extending Kentucky’s lead to five. That lead would instantly balloon, as Waldschmidt belted a two-run home run to left field to drive in two more Wildcat runs.
“I was continuing to just try and catch a barrel and I’ve been working all week trying to be on time again,” Waldschmidt said postgame. “I was seeing pitches well today and that payed off. I was just glad to get another hit.”
Waldschmidt, who has been used as a designated hitter through Kentucky’s first 11 games, is reportedly expected back in left field next week as he recovers from a torn ACL.
Patrick Herrera tacked one on more Wildcat run in the seventh, drilling an RBI-single to left field to drive in Emilien Pitre from third.
Herrera, who did not play at all in 2023, went 3/3 at the plate on Sunday with an RBI. He’s batting .320 through his first 25 at-bats.
Bat Cats Finish off Sweep
LHP Evan Byers, RHP Cam O’Brien, RHP Colby Frieda pitched the final four innings for the Cats, allowing just one hit and no earned runs. The Wildcat bullpen has not given up a run in 19 1/3 consecutive innings.
Ryan Waldschmidt, Emilien Pitre, and Patrick Herrera combined for nine hits and six RBI at the top of the lineup. Herrera seems to have played his way into the starting lineup.
We’ll now have to wait until Monday to find out whether or not Kentucky made its way into D1Baseball’s Top 25 rankings.
Kentucky (10-1) will be back in action on Tuesday, March 5, when they host Eastern Kentucky at 4:00 p.m. EST.
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