Curtis belts first home run for Kentucky
Ontario Terriers grad Elliott Curtis (Waterloo, Ont.) socked his first career collegiate home run for the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday. Photo: Quinn Foster, UK Athletics
March 23, 2019
By Matt May
UK Athletics
Elliott Curtis Drills First Career Home Run, Cats Drop Series
No. 13 Texas A&M wins 9-3 to claim the three-game weekend series
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Elliott Curtis (Waterloo, Ont.) clubbed his first career home run and Austin Schultz reached base three times in his first game as the leadoff hitter but Kentucky couldn’t overcome No. 13 Texas A&M, falling 9-3 on Saturday afternoon at Kentucky Proud Park.
With the win the Aggies (20-5, 4-1 SEC) claimed the series. The final game of the series is set for 1 p.m. E.T. on Sunday afternoon and will air on the SEC Network Plus.
Texas A&M scored single runs in each of the first two innings, added two in the fourth and used a Mikey Hoehner home run to extend the lead to 7-1 in the fifth. The Wildcats (14-9, 0-5) battled back with two runs in the seventh on Curtis’ shot just inside the right field pole, Schultz’s double and scamper home on a throwing error a batter later.
UK coach Nick Mingione shook up the lineup looking for an offensive spark and moved Schultz into the top spot. The freshman infielder drew a pair of walks, doubled into the right field corner, stole a base and scored a pair of runs. But the rest of the lineup sputtered, striking out 17 times, including 13 punchouts by A&M start Asa Lacy in six innings of work.
Texas A&M shortstop Braden Shewmake continued his hot series, knocking in four runs, including his second home run in as many days. Infielder Bryce Blaum went 4-for-4 with three runs and reached base in all five of his plate appearances.
SCORING
Top 1st – Bryce Blaum tripled to LCF and scored on Braden Shewmake’s single through the left side. Texas A&M 1, UK 0.
Bottom 1st – Austin Schultz walked and stole second. Jaren Shelby singled up the middle, Schultz scored. UK 1, Texas A&M 1.
Top 2nd – Logan Foster reached on a two-out error, advanced to second on Aaron Walters’ single and scored on a single by Blaum. Texas A&M 2, UK 1.
Top 4th – Blaum singled and scored on Shewmake’s home run to RCF. Texas A&M 4, UK 1.
Top 5th – Ty Coleman singled and moved to third on a two-base fielding error. Will Frizzell doubled to CF, scoring Coleman. Mikey Hoehner homered to LF, scoring Frizzell. Texas A&M 7, UK 1.
Top 7th – Frizzell homered to RF. Texas A&M 8, UK 1.
Bottom 7th – Elliott Curtis homered to RF. Austin Schultz doubled to RF and scored on a fielding error. Texas A&M 8, UK 3.
Top 8th – Blaum was hit by a pitch and moved to third on Cam Blake’s double to LCF. Shewmake grounded out to second, scoring Blaum and moving Blake to third. Texas A&M 9, UK 3.
NOTES
· Kentucky has scored in 87 consecutive games and 163 of the past 164 dating to the 2016 season. The lone shutout came in a seven-inning game. The current streak now is the the fifth-longest in school history.
· UK now is 11-3 at Kentucky Proud Park.
· Junior IF Elliott Curtis hit his first career home run.
· Junior 1B/DH T.J. Collett has reached base in 13 straight games and recorded a hit in nine straight.
· Freshman IF Austin Schultz extended his reached base safely streak to 13 games.
ON DECK
The final game of the series is set for 1 p.m. E.T. on Sunday afternoon and will air on the SEC Network Plus. Audio coverage can be found via UKathletics.com.