March 3, 2024

Wildcats record 9-1 victory to move to 10-1 on season

By Matt May

Kentucky University

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky earned its second series sweep of the season, defeating Lipscomb 9-1 under a sunny sky at Kentucky Proud Park.

The Wildcats (10-1, 0-0 SEC) now have swept the first two three-game series of the season for just the second time since head coach Nick Mingione took over in 2017. Additionally, the program’s 10-1 start to 2024 ties the second-best mark in the Mingione Era, matching the mark set by the 2022 team and only trailing the 12-1 start by the 2018 squad.

Offensively, the Wildcats clubbed a season-high 16 hits, led by a trio of three-hit games from Ryan Waldschmidt, Émilien Pitre (Repentigny Que.) and Patrick Herrera. Kentucky scored five of its eight plate appearances, including multiple runs in the second (two) and seventh (four) innings.

Mason Moore started Sunday’s contest and earned his second win of the season, pitching five solid innings while only allowing three hits, one run, and two walks, The Morehead, Kentucky native also struck out seven Bison batters, tying his career high. The Kentucky bullpen held strong once again, as Evan Byers, Cameron O’Brien, and Colby Frieda combined for six strikeouts over four scoreless innings. The Wildcat relivers are currently on an 18-inning scoreless streak, dating to February 25.

The two teams began the game by trading scoreless frames, as the Wildcats were able to escape an early jam after catcher Devin Burkes threw out his second runner of the season. The Wildcats would then score a pair in the second on RBI singles from Grant Smith and Waldschmidt. The Wildcats would extend their lead in the third as a ground ball allowed Herrera, who led off the inning with a double, to score. After a triple in the first at-bat of his career, Kyuss Gargett would score the game’s fourth run on a Pitre RBI single.

Lipscomb (3-8, 0-0 ASUN) would score its only run in the game on a fifth-inning home run, but the Wildcats would soon respond, taking a 5-1 lead in the sixth after Pitre smashed his second RBI of the game to score Waldschmidt. In the seventh, Kentucky would put the game out of hand, hanging four runs on the Bison bullpen. A failed pickoff allowed Ethan Hindle to score the first run of his career, before Waldschmidt clubbed a 418-foot home run to left field, his first of the season. Pitre would follow with a triple, and scored on an RBI single from Herrera, bringing the game to its resting score of 9-1.

Next week, the Wildcats will continue their eight-game stretch against members of the Atlantic Sun Conference, facing Eastern Kentucky in a home-and-home midweek series before hosting Kennesaw State for a three-game set at Kentucky Proud Park.

NOTES

Kentucky now is 10-1 in 2024 ... The Wildcats are 5-0 at Kentucky Proud Park ... Kentucky is 10-1 in day games ... This matches the program’s second-best start under Mingione, tying the 10-1 mark set by the 2022 squad ... It is only second to 2018, where the team began the season 12-1 ... UK coach Mingione is in his eighth season at the helm and now owns a 226-151 career record ... He needs 32 victories to become the second-winningest coach in school history ... UK is 88-34 in the month of March under Mingione. 143-41 in non-conference games overall ... He is 124-16 vs. non-Power Five opponents.

Kentucky swept the weekend series over Lipscomb, outscoring the Bisons 32-6 over the three-game set and is now 5-7 all time vs. Lipscomb.

Kentucky used the same starting lineup in consecutive games for the first time this season. Kentucky’s bullpen has pitched 18 consecutive scoreless innings. The Wildcats recorded a season-high 16 hits today ... Kentucky pitches fanned 13 Bison hitters, a new season high as the Wildcats drew two walks and were hit by three pitches ... UK has drawn 22 free passes and been hit by seven pitches in the series.

Junior RHP Mason Moore went five innings, yielding one run on three hits, walking two and striking out seven ... He is 2-0 on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.75.

He now holds the lowest ERA on the staff among starting pitchers as his seven strikeouts tied a career-high, matching his total against Mississippi State on March 17, 2023.

Junior RHP Colby Frieda threw the final two innings of the game, allowing no runs on two hits registering four strikeouts, a new career high.

Junior DH Ryan Waldschmidt went 3-for-5 with a pair of runs, three RBI, a double, and a home run, clubbing his first home run of the season, a 418-foot bomb to left field, in the seventh inning, his first multi-hit game of the season, and 13th of his Kentucky career and also recorded the 13th multi-RBI game of his Wildcat career.

Junior Émilien Pitre went 3-5 with two RBI and a run scored for his fifth multi-hit game of the season and 23rd of his career.