Magdiel Cotto shines in debut, Kentucky Baseball grabs second win

Well, this is more like it.

After a rocky start on Friday night to begin the 2022 season, Kentucky pitcher Magdiel Cotto handled Jacksonville St. from the mound as the Wildcats earned a 6-2 victory to secure the series win. Cotto got the win in his first start in a Kentucky uniform.

Pitching leads the way in another victory

Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione lauded the “portal power” as one of the keys to this new season. He may have been on to something. Sophomore transfer Magidel Cotto took the mound in a not-so-surprising start. The South Carolina transfer has been touted as a starter since he announced his arrival, but it wasn’t entirely sure what his role would be. If first impressions mean anything, his role as a weekend starter might not be a bad idea.

.@Cotto_magdiel was excellent in his first start in blue! pic.twitter.com/dlWDDeMF3Y

— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) February 19, 2022

Cotto dazzled in his first start as a Wildcat. For all the issues he had in his limited stint as a Gamecock, we’ve seen a completely different pitcher so far.

His pitch count admittedly ran high, reaching 76 pitches in only four innings of action. He ended up allowing two earned runs that came off of a two-run home run from TJ Reeves, a transfer from Alabama. Still, he looked more than adequate. His six strikeouts to one walk are specifically interesting to note. If Kentucky’s coaching staff is able to reign in his control as we’ve seen early, Cotto could turn into an incredible asset.

Balanced offensive attack provides enough

Kentucky was able to take the lead in the first inning and never look back. With the bases loaded, Chase Estep flew out to the second basemen in short right field. Hunter Jump scampered from third on the sac fly as Jacksonville St. continued to throw the ball around the yard, allowing Jake Plastiak to score from second to create a 2-0 lead.

The Wildcats continued the attack in the next inning. Alonzo Rubalcaba lined a triple to the center-field wall, allowing John Thrasher to bring in him on an RBI ground out. A Ryan Ritter double coupled with a Jump single led to a 4-0 lead for the Wildcats after just two innings. Jump finished the day 2-3 in his second game in a Kentucky uniform.

In the ninth inning, Kentucky continued the barrage. Singles by Oraj Anu and Daniel Harris gave the Cats a 6-2 lead heading into the bottom of the final frame.

Bullpen dominant in team effort

The new-look bullpen that Kentucky continues to trot out has looked incredibly effective. Ryan Hagenow, who many would consider a starting-caliber pitcher, threw a scoreless inning in his sophomore debut. The righty struck out one in his outing.

Darren Williams, the transfer from Eastern Kentucky, shined in his debut. The graduate transfer went three scoreless innings while striking out a pair. He allowed a man on third with no outs, only to retire the side to keep the game at a two-score contest. Austin Strickland finished the ninth to close out the game.

Kentucky looks to complete the sweep on Sunday with first pitch set for 2 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+.