Kentucky downs Florida 12-11 in wild series opener
After a near two and a half hour rain delay, No. 4 Kentucky toppled Florida 12-11 in a wild series opener Friday night.
In a game full of frustrating Wildcat self-inflicted wounds, Kentucky crawled back from the dead in the ninth inning. Down to their final two outs, Ryan Nicholson‘s second home run of the game propelled the Cats to an improbable 9-8 lead. Florida however notched back-to-back-to-back singles in the bottom of the ninth, sending the game to extra innings.
Nick Lopez was the hero for the Cats in extras, ripping a two-out three-run double to put the Cats ahead 12-9. Jac Caglianone and Colby Shelton blasted solo home runs to pull the Gators within one in the bottom of the 10th, but Kentucky right-hander Ryan Hagenow forced a game-ending double play to secure the win.
The game was tied three times and the lead changed hands five times. Talk about a rollercoaster of a ballgame.
The Cats improve to 36-10 (19-6) and remain a game ahead of Arkansas (18-7) and Tennessee (18-7) atop the SEC standings, as both Arkansas and Tennessee won Friday night.
Players of the Game:
- 1B Ryan Nicholson: Nicholson belted two home runs, including the go-ahead three-run home run with two outs in the ninth.
- DH Nick Lopez: Lopez went 2-2 with two doubles, five RBI, and three drawn walks.
- LF Ryan Waldschmidt: Waldschmidt’s dominant run through SEC play continued Friday, as he went 3-6 with a double. Waldschmidt has now notched three or more hits in a game nine times this season.
Early errors bring in early runs
Kentucky and Florida both plated a run in the first, both aided by errors from the other team.
Ryan Waldschmidt and Émilien Pitre went down quickly to open the game, but Devin Burkes was hit by a pitch to prolong the opening frame. Burkes has been hit by a pitch 14 times in conference play this season, which ranks sixth most in the SEC.
Florida pitcher left-hander Pierce Coppola threw over at Burkes, which caught the Kentucky catcher in a rundown. Burkes headed full steam to second as first baseman Jac Caglianone attempted to throw him out. The throw however headed into the outfield, allowing Burkes to take third.
Nick Lopez made the Gators pay for their error, as he laced his 16th double of SEC play to right center field to bring in Burkes from third. Kentucky took an early lead which didn’t last long.
Kentucky starter Trey Pooser opened the game with a strikeout, but gave up a single to phenom Jac Caglianone. Caglianone extended his hit-streak to 28 games with the first inning single.
Pooser threw over at Caglianone, who has stolen just one base all season. The ball got away, allowing the first baseman to take third. With a runner on third, Florida outfielder Ty Evans hit a sharp grounder to shortstop Mitch Daly. Daly came up firing to first, but Ryan Nicholson was unable to field it cleanly. Evans was safe and Caglianone scored to knot the game up at one.
Daly filled in at shortstop for Grant Smith, who was out of the lineup on Friday after suffering a reported lower leg injury in last Sunday’s victory over Arkansas.
Gators ride longball to four-run lead
Trey Pooser cruised to the third inning, where he ran into his first real trouble of the day.
After striking out the side in the second and accruing two outs in the third, Florida shortstop Colby Shelton stepped up to bat. Runners were placed on first and second on a Ty Evans single and a four-pitch Jac Caglianone walk. Shelton extended the inning and gave the Gators their first lead of the game by belting a three-run home run over the right center fence.
Shelton’s homer just crawled over the fence, as the Gainesville wind gave it a nice ride. The SEC Network+ broadcast even called it a pop-up when it was first hit.
As Shelton crossed home plate, Caglianone and Shelton began jawing at Pooser and the Kentucky dugout. Both dugouts were issued warnings, but things didn’t escalate past that.
Florida DH Brady Donay then homered on the first pitch of the fourth inning, giving the Gators a four-run lead.
Kentucky pulls within two, but squanders opportunity
Falling into a four-run hole, the Cats responded with two runs in the fifth to pull within two.
Ryan Waldschmidt led off the fifth with a double down the first base line, nothing his second hit of the game. He advanced to third on a Pitre groundout and scored on a Nick Lopez pop-out in foul territory down the third base line. Florida third baseman Dale Thomas made an incredible diving over the shoulder grab, which gave Waldschmidt ample time to trot home.
Prior to the Lopez foul-out, Devin Burkes drew a walk. He advanced to second on the foul-out, which the SEC Network+ broadcaster said would come back to bite the Gators. That it did.
Mitch Daly, who struck out in his first two at-bats, belted an RBI-double to right field to score Burkes from second. It certainly didn’t look like Burke’s hamstring is an issue anymore.
The Cats were threatening once again in the seventh, as Ryan Waldschmidt singled and Émilien Pitre walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. When it finally seemed like momentum was headed in the direction of Kentucky, all of that came crumbling down.
Devin Burkes attempted a bunt while Waldschmidt and Pitre executed a double steal. Waldschmidt was gunned at third while Pitre was halfway to second. Pitre got caught as well, as the Gators turned a 2-5-3 double play. They went from two on with no outs to none on with two outs.
Baserunning errors continue to doom the Cats this season.
Eli Small: Unlikely hero
Getting later and later in the game, it seemed like Kentucky continued to beat itself up time after time. The game was far from over however, as the Cats tied things up in an emotional eighth inning.
Nick Lopez led off the inning with a walk, setting up Kentucky’s home run leader Ryan Nicholson with a big opportunity. He delivered.
Nicholson blasted a two-run home run over the right field fence, pulling the Cats within one. That marked his 15th of the season and 13th in conference play, which is tied for third most in the SEC.
Following James McCoy‘s third single of the game, Reuben Church was slated to bat. Church, who was 0-3 on the day, was pinch-hit for by freshman Eli Small.
As all of Big Blue Nation held their collective breaths, Small ripped an RBI-double down the right field line to score McCoy. The game was tied and the freshman became an unlikely hero in what was the biggest moment of his young career.
Cats and Gators blow ninth inning leads
After tying the game in the top of the eighth however, the Cats allowed two Gator runs in the latter half inning to fall behind once again.
A Tyler Shelnut RBI-double and a Dale Thomas RBI sac-fly gave Florida an 8-6 lead. Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, Ryan Nicholson brought the Cats back to life.
Nick Lopez and Mitch Daly drew back-to-back two out walks in the ninth, which brought up Ryan Nicholson. Nicholson, the go-ahead run, did what he does best. Mash home runs.
Nicholson blasted a no-doubt three-run home run, turning Kentucky’s 8-6 deficit into a 9-8 lead. What had been an up and down game finished in the only fashion it could have; insanity.
Kentucky closer right-hander Johnny Hummel entered in the ninth, searching for his seventh save of the season.
After notching the first two outs of the inning however, Hummel gave up back-to-back-to-back Florida singles to tie the game once again. Hummel did end up getting the last out with the bases loaded, sending Kentucky to its second extra innings game of the season.
Lopez gives Cats wild win
In extras, Kentucky loaded the bases on James McCoy and Devin Burkes hit by pitches and an Emilien Pitre drawn walk. Down to their final two outs again, Nick Lopez put the finishing touch on this wild game.
Lopez ripped a two-run double down the right field line, scoring all three runners to put the Cats on top 12-9.
Hummel returned to the mound in the 10th and gave up solo home runs to Jac Caglianone and Colby Shelton (his second of the game) before he was replaced by right-hander Ryan Hagenow. Hagenow forced a game-ending double play to secure the wild victory.
Somehow, someway, Cayts win.
What’s next for No. 4 Kentucky?
Kentucky will look to take the series on Saturday, its first over Florida since 2012. First pitch is scheduled for noon EST on SEC Network.
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