RECAP: Cats' struggles in SEC Game 2s continue
UK head coach Nick Mingione.
Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated.com
@JDrumUK
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Less than 24 hours after a classic pitchers duel, Kentucky and Missouri engaged in a slugfest on Saturday in the second game of their weekend series.
The Tigers, whose bats were silenced by UK ace Sean Hjelle in a 2-1 loss on Friday night, bounced back for a 14-11 win at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Missouri (29-14, 9-11 SEC) and Kentucky (28-15, 9-11 SEC) will square off in the rubber match on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, a game that could be pivotal as the teams jockey for position in the league standings.
It proved to be another frustrating SEC Game 2 for the Cats, who dropped to 0-7 on the season in those matchups.
The No. 13 Wildcats battled back from an early 3-0 deficit and out of a 9-2 hole midway through the game to pull within one but could not overcome a five-run eighth by the Tigers.
Missouri was led by designated hitter Chad McDaniel, who collected four of the Tigers' 12 hits on the day. The visitors pounded four home runs against the UK staff with Brian Sharp, Trey Harris, Zach Hanna and Matt Berler each going deep once.
Ryan Shinn homered for Kentucky and Troy Squires and Trey Dawson each had three-hit days as the Cats out-hit the Tigers 15-12, but UK also struck out 11 times in stranding nine baserunners.
Zach Haake (1-4) took the loss, allowing five earned runs on four hits and two walks over three innings on the mound. It was a bad day for UK's typically reliable bullpen, which surrendered nine runs.
The lone bright spot for the Cats was the return of sophomore left-handed pitcher Zack Thompson from an injury that has kept him out since the Texas Tech series in early March. Not coincidentally, that was the last time UK won a middle game of a three-game series.
Thompson worked a scoreless ninth inning, recording two strikeouts.
UK head coach Nick Mingione.
Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated.com
@JDrumUK
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Less than 24 hours after a classic pitchers duel, Kentucky and Missouri engaged in a slugfest on Saturday in the second game of their weekend series.
The Tigers, whose bats were silenced by UK ace Sean Hjelle in a 2-1 loss on Friday night, bounced back for a 14-11 win at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Missouri (29-14, 9-11 SEC) and Kentucky (28-15, 9-11 SEC) will square off in the rubber match on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, a game that could be pivotal as the teams jockey for position in the league standings.
It proved to be another frustrating SEC Game 2 for the Cats, who dropped to 0-7 on the season in those matchups.
The No. 13 Wildcats battled back from an early 3-0 deficit and out of a 9-2 hole midway through the game to pull within one but could not overcome a five-run eighth by the Tigers.
Missouri was led by designated hitter Chad McDaniel, who collected four of the Tigers' 12 hits on the day. The visitors pounded four home runs against the UK staff with Brian Sharp, Trey Harris, Zach Hanna and Matt Berler each going deep once.
Ryan Shinn homered for Kentucky and Troy Squires and Trey Dawson each had three-hit days as the Cats out-hit the Tigers 15-12, but UK also struck out 11 times in stranding nine baserunners.
Zach Haake (1-4) took the loss, allowing five earned runs on four hits and two walks over three innings on the mound. It was a bad day for UK's typically reliable bullpen, which surrendered nine runs.
The lone bright spot for the Cats was the return of sophomore left-handed pitcher Zack Thompson from an injury that has kept him out since the Texas Tech series in early March. Not coincidentally, that was the last time UK won a middle game of a three-game series.
Thompson worked a scoreless ninth inning, recording two strikeouts.