Kentucky opens weekend at Ole Miss with 5-3 victory
Kentucky continues to open eyes all around college baseball, taking down Ole Miss 5-3 in Oxford Friday night to kick off their weekend series.
The Cats are now 6-1 in SEC play for just the third time in the Nick Mingione era (2017 and 2023).
Although the Bat Cats were just 5-32 at the plate, they continued their scrappy play to cement the win. Just one of their five runs came via an RBI, as the other four came by an Ole Miss error or wild pitch.
“Whatever it takes,” head coach Nick Mingione says. Whatever it takes.
Kentucky is now 22-4 (6-1) on the season and are 19-0 when leading through seven innings. The Cats remain alone atop the SEC East standings.
Bat Cats take advantage of Ole Miss mishaps
Kentucky continued its recent string of putting runs across “by any means possible”, scoring its first four runs of the game by either an error or a wild pitch.
The Cats struck first in the top of the third inning. With one out in the top of the third, Grant Smith singled to right field for Kentucky’s second hit of the game. Smith advanced to second following a Ryan Waldschmidt walk, putting runners on first and second with just one out.
In a big spot, Emilien Pitre hit a sharp grounder right back to Ole Miss pitcher Riley Maddox. Maddox fired to second, but the throw to first for the double play was a wild one. Grant Smith was able to score, plating the first run of the game for Kentucky.
The Rebels were gifted a run in the latter half inning due to a wild pickoff attempt by Pooser. The game would be tied until the sixth inning, where the Cats put up three runs.
Ryan Waldschmidt and Mitch Daly both scored from third on a wild pitch, and Nick Lopez was able to score following an errant throw to first base by Ole Miss second baseman Brayden Randle. Kentucky took a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth.
Trey Pooser impresses again
Grad transfer right-handed pitcher Trey Pooser made his second consecutive Friday night start for Kentucky, impressing once again.
Pooser pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs while striking out five batters.
It was revealed on the SEC Network+ broadcast that there was a knot in right-handed pitcher Travis Smith’s lat, which explains why Pooser started last Friday’s game against Missouri. After these two starts however, it seems as if Pooser has become Nick Mingione’s Friday night guy.
Travis Smith made his first relief appearance of the season in the seventh inning, holding the Rebels to just one hit over his two innings pitched.
Pitre’s Big Blue Bomb propels Cats to huge win
Ole Miss’ Ethan Lege belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to bring the Rebels back within one, but a solo shot from Emilien Pitre in the eighth cemented the victory for the Cats.
Pitre, who entered Friday night on a three-game hitless streak, wiped all of that away in the eighth. On a 2-2 count, the Quebec native blasted his third Big Blue Bomb of the season to right center field to pad Kentucky’s lead back to two.
Right-hander Johnny Hummel entered in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with just one out in the inning. “Lightning” however forced a flyout and groundout, getting the Cats out of the jam for his second save of the season.
Game two of the weekend series is scheduled to get underway Saturday at 2:30 p.m. EST.
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