Kentucky Baseball proves its worth in series win over No. 8 TCU
Kentucky Baseball (10-2) sent a notice to the Southeastern Conference over the weekend, exceeding expectations in a series win over No. 8 TCU (8-3) inside Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington.
The Wildcats passed their biggest test of the season, winning two of three games against the Horned Frogs. Through 12 games, Kentucky has five players hitting over .300, with third baseman Chase Estep leading the way at .455. The Corbin, Kentucky native has a team-best 1.485 OPS and is tied for the most hits on the team at 20, alongside Jacob Plastiak.
Plastiak has played the role of slugger well this season, as five of his 20 hits have left the yard. He also leads Kentucky with 16 RBI. Second baseman Daniel Harris IV is hitting .432 on the season. Hunter Jump and shortstop Ryan Ritter find themselves at .347 and .317, respectively.
Kentucky piled on 26 runs and 34 hits in three games against the Frogs.
UK takes game one in 13-11 slugfest
It’s no secret that the ‘Cats have had to rely on their bats to win games so far this season, and that was once again the case in the series opener on Friday, March 4.
Kentucky outhit TCU 15-11, scoring its runs in chunks. The ‘Cats managed 13 runs despite scoring in just four innings, including a five-spot in the bottom of the first.
Estep went 4-6 from the plate in game one while McCarthy recorded three hits of his own. Five Wildcats finished with multiple RBI in game one.
Cole Stupp took the hill for UK in game one, lasting just 1.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits.
In three starts, Stupp has been sub-par, pitching 10.1 innings while giving up 11 earned runs, evening out to a woeful 9.58 ERA. Head coach Nick Mingione may need to look for a new arm to take the ball on Friday nights if Stupp cannot contribute the way that the pitching staff needs him to.
Plastiak knocked a two-run homer over the right-field wall in the top of the first before McCarthy singled home a run to tie the game at 3-3. Rubalcaba then drove home two more runs to cap off the exciting first inning on a single up the middle.
TCU was unable to get anything out of its starter Austin Krob, as he lasted just two innings, giving up seven earned runs on seven hits.
Ryan Hagenow was the first to relieve Stupp, throwing a clean third and fourth inning before getting roughed up in the top of the fifth. Back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases before TCU first baseman David Bishop singled home a pair of runs to cut Kentucky’s lead to 7-5, ending Hagenow’s day.
Daniel Harper tried to limit the damage for UK, but a wild pitch brought home another run for the Frogs in his first batter faced. Harper would walk a batter before a ground ball ate up Harris at second base, allowing TCU to tie the game.
The Frogs would push one more run across the plate for a five-run fifth inning, regaining the lead.
Just like the first inning, UK was quick to answer in the bottom half of the inning, tagging the TCU staff for four more runs. Kentucky immediately loaded the bases, in which Estep would start the rally with a single to right field.
Plastiak grounded out to the second baseman, scoring another before Fogel recorded a huge two-out double on a 2-1 pitch to cap off the Wildcat rebuttal. After five innings, UK led 11-8.
Sean Harney relieved Harper in the top of the sixth, but TCU would jump on him as well, lacing three straight hits en route to a three-run inning, once again tying the game. Kentucky’s pitching staff was unable to keep the Frogs’ bats quiet.
Miraculously, the bats would go quiet until the bottom of the eighth, where UK played a little small ball to take the lead.
Harris singled down the right-field line to lead-off the inning before McCarthy sac-bunted him over to scoring position. A wild pitch would advance Harris to third, leaving Rubalcaba to get the job done as Harris beat a throw home on a ground ball in what was the seventh pitch of the UK catcher’s at-bat.
A few batters later, Estep drove home John Thrasher to pad Kentucky’s lead to 13-11 heading into the top of the ninth. Harney went back out to the mound for his fourth inning of work, shutting down TCU for the win and save.
Bosma’s solid outing leads to 5-1 win in game two
Due to expected weather on Sunday, the teams would play a doubleheader on Saturday, with the first of two games being just seven innings.
For just the second time this season, UK would be involved in a bit of a pitcher’s duel, with its arm coming out on top in a 5-1 win. Tyler Bosma earned his second win of the season, pitching five innings of six-hit, one-run baseball. He would strike out six while not allowing a walk.
TCU countered with Riley Cornelio, who gave up all five of UK’s runs on six hits.
Fogel continued to be an extra base-hit machine, doubling home Estep in the bottom of the first for a quick 1-0 lead. In the fourth, Hunter Jump got in on the action, driving Fogel in on a double of his own, this time to left field.
Bosma allowed his lone run in the fifth, a single up the middle via TCU center fielder Elijah Nunez.
Up just 2-1, Estep came through with the biggest hit of the series, a three-run missile to left-center on a 2-2 pitch. The tank padded UK’s lead to four, which for once, would be enough to hold off the opposing offense.
Darren Williams pitched the final two innings, not allowing a hit. Although it was a shortened game, Kentucky claimed the series over a top-10 foe, something not many people would have said coming into the weekend.
Big ninth inning helps TCU avoid sweep in game three
The Wildcats were hit with a bit of a reality check in the series finale, falling 12-8 after failing to score in the first six innings. TCU starter Brett Walker allowed just two runs in 6.1 innings, striking out eight while walking four batters.
Magdiel Cotto started for the Cats, failing to last long once again, giving up four runs on five hits in 2.1 innings. It was quite the bullpen day for UK, as it used eight different pitchers in the back half of the doubleheader.
After a three-run first inning, the Frogs continued to add one run in innings three through six for a 7-0 lead. The Cats were blanked through six.
Looking for its patented big inning, Kentucky finally got to TCU in the bottom of the seventh. Thrasher drew a one-out walk before Ritter beat out an infield single. Estep then walked to load the bases, setting the table for Plastiak. The slugger came through when the Cats needed it most, mashing a grand slam over the left-field wall, giving Kentucky and KPP some life.
Down just three, Fogel kept the party going with another base hit. Jump then highlighted his 4-5 day with a homer of his own, a two-run job to right field. Two monster swings of the bat brought UK within one run.
TCU would go down one-two-three in the top of the eighth, keeping the momentum with the blue and white.
With two outs and a runner on second, Estep looked to play hero once again. He would send a grounder to the third baseman, who subsequently overthrew the first baseman, allowing the runner to score to tie the game at 7-7. Through eight innings, UK somehow drug its way back into the game, looking to swipe another win from the grasp of TCU.
That wouldn’t be the case though, as Harper, who took the mound in the ninth, allowed a walk and a double down the left-field line, which saw the Frogs regain the lead. Another walk and two singles would see TCU add four more runs, breaking the game back open late, leading 12-7.
Fogel roped a homer in the bottom of the ninth, but it would be too little too late as UK couldn’t muster one final comeback. All things considered, Kentucky went toe-to-toe with the No. 8 team in the country, taking it to a top pitching staff for three straight games.
The lack of innings from the starters could cause some concern for Mingione down the stretch, but if the bats are capable of keeping this immaculate pace, you’ll be seeing the Wildcats in tournament conversations come May.
Another week of five games awaits UK, as they’ll take on Murray State and Ohio each for one game, before hosting High Point for a weekend series.
All five games will take place at KPP, with first pitch against the Racers set for 4 p.m. EST on Tuesday, March 8.
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