Kentucky Holds Off Florida 6-4 to Earn Biggest Home Win of Season

After digging themselves into a deep hole in Thursday’s 10-3 loss to the Gators, the Kentucky offense used big fourth and fifth innings to take down the No. 4 ranked Florida Gators 6-4 on Senior Night in Lexington.

Friday’s victory was undoubtedly the Bat ‘Cats biggest home victory of the year, and quite possibly their second-biggest victory of the season. A series sweep would have totally wiped out any dream of Kentucky Proud Park hosting a Regional, so the dream lives on in the Commonwealth.

The tense top of the ninth inning was electric, as Kentucky’s second-largest crowd of the year (4,286) willed the ‘Cats to victory.

“The crowd was awesome. That was as good as the crowd has been all year in the ninth,” an elated coach Mingione said after the game. “That was a perfect example of what BBN can do for our players.”

With the win, Kentucky is now tied with Auburn for sixth in the SEC standings. The tiebreaker goes to the record against the highest-ranked common opponent. If Kentucky can win the series on Saturday, they will clinch the sixth seed. What a night it was in Lexington.

Back and Forth First Inning

As they did on Thursday night, the Gators jumped out early in this one. Zack Lee kicked things off with a strikeout but was immediately brought down to earth by Wyatt Langford.

Langford, one of the top prospects in the 2023 MLB Draft, has been playing like one of the best players in all of college baseball over the latter half of the regular season. Langford jumped all over a hanging slider from Lee, blasting it 396 feet over the left field wall to give Florida a quick 1-0 lead.

The comeback ‘Cats responded immediately, however, refusing to fall back into a hole as they did in game one of the series. Jackson Gray started the bottom of the inning with a single to center field, marking the 21st consecutive game that he’s reached base. Émilien Pitre then drew a walk, putting runners on first and second for the red-hot Devin Burkes. Burkes roped a RBI single to left center field, extending his hitting streak to eight games and tying things up through one.

Here Comes the Wildcat Offense

Florida’s Jac Caglianone was held at bay in Thursday’s matchup, as he was held to just one hit in three at-bats. After grounding out in the first inning, the ‘Cats failed to contain Caglianone much longer. The sophomore sensation jumped all over yet another hanging slider from Zack Lee, belting a longball to right center field to give Florida a 3-1 lead. That lead wouldn’t hold for long though.

After mustering just one run through the first three innings of action, the Wildcat bats woke up in the fourth inning. You wouldn’t know it from this one, but the ‘Cats have hit the least amount of home runs in the SEC this season (42).

Reuben Church and Grant Smith saw that and said *phooey*, as Church and Smith both launched deep flies in the fourth to give Kentucky their first lead of the weekend. Grant Smith’s homer traveled 441 feet while Reuben Church’s went 451 feet. Where did this power come from? A late-season power surge seems to be coming at just the right time, as Smith became the first Wildcat to homer in four consecutive games since Riley Mahan did so in 2017.

Hey @erincoffel5, we just wanna be like you.@reuben_church12 goes FOUR. FIFTY. ONE. off the batter's eye! pic.twitter.com/0BK80q1VmY

— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) May 19, 2023

“(Brandon) Sproat did get me in my first at-bat, he straight up beat me. I tried my best not to let it happen a second time,” Reuben Church said after the game. “I caught it flush and was on time for the fastball.”

Kentucky tacked on two more runs in the fifth, extending their lead to three runs. Émilien Pitre reached base on a fielder’s choice, putting a runner on for the red-hot Devin Burkes.

Burkes ripped a double down the left field line, driving in Petey all the way from first. Burkes has notched a hit in 13 of his last 24 at-bats, good for a blistering .541 average. Jase Felker was plunked, putting runners on first and second once again for the ‘Cats. Felker and Burkes swiped second and third on a wild pitch, putting runners in scoring position for Reuben Church, who homered in his last at-bat. Church roped a single up the middle, driving in two more runs. Kentucky led 6-3 through five.

Stellar Bullpen Outings From Moore, Williams

It looked as if the Gator rally was on in the top of the sixth inning.

Wyatt Langford belted his second home run of the contest — a solo shot — to cut into the three-run deficit. Following his allowed homer, Mason Moore was phenomenal in his three innings of relief. He allowed just two more hits and no runs over the next two-and-two-thirds innings.

Moore struck out five on the night, including all three seventh-inning batters. The sophomore trotted back out to the mound in the eighth for what was the biggest inning of his young career. The top of the Florida lineup was up to bat, consisting of Langford, Caglianone, and Josh Rivera. Moore struck out Langford and forced back-to-back groundouts to end the inning. Big-time stuff.

Seventh-year slinger Darren Williams, who took part in his third Senior Night earlier in the day, came on for the save in the ninth. “Dub” has been heralded as one of the top strike throwers in the country, and came through huge for his second home on Friday. Williams fanned the side, giving Kentucky their biggest home victory of the season. The combo of Moore and Williams struck out eight of Florida’s last 10 batters.

Unreal stuff.

Victory, Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/YOK4TmCam6

— Daniel Hager (@DanielHagerKSR) May 20, 2023

“If there was a guy that ever deserved that on Senior Night, it was Darren Williams,” Mingione said after the game.

The ‘Cats and Gators will be back in action on Saturday to decide the weekend series. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. EST. Pack KPP.