Recap: Cats Ride Big Start from Zack Brown, Evan White Home Run to 5-1 Win

Evan White, via UK Athletics

Weekend baseball is back at The Cliff, and it couldn’t have gotten off to a much better start. The Cats (5-3) got on the board early, the pitching staff battled through some tough spots (with the help of some incredible defense), and the bats provided some late offense to close the door on a 5-1 win over the Buffalo Bison in the series opener. Let’s get to the box score and a few notes from the game.

• Kentucky:

• Buffalo:

 

• Notes:

 Zach Brown had his best start of the season. After a couple of shaky outings to open 2016, the junior LHP delivered seven innings of three-hit baseball – allowing only one run (unearned). Hopefully the Friday starter can build off the momentum of this outing with SEC play just two weeks away.

Evan White is on the board. Coming off an improved week at the plate in California, the sophomore’s bomb to left in the bottom of the first – his first of the year – gave the Cats an early 1-0 lead. To make the moment even sweeter, White hit the homer off former Gahanna High School teammate Alec Tuohy. It was also one of his three hits on the day. Not a bad way to start the weekend for one of the nation’s best.

The rest of the offense followed suit. Second basemen Luke Becker scored two runs on three hits, Tristan Pompey collected another RBI, and Marcus Carson and Tony Squires both added to the run production as well.

The defense flashed the leather. What started on a ridiculous snag by Brown to save a ball going up middle continued when the team turned its seventh double play on the season to escape a jam in the bottom of the sixth. The Bison could make the case that the game was a little closer than the score reflects, and they’re right. It all came down to defense.

Two scoreless innings to close out the game from the Wildcat bullpen. Sophomore Brad Schaenzer and senior Bo Wilson were near perfect in the eight and the ninth. Keep up the good work.

That’ll do it for tonight. Dustin Beggs will take the mound against the Bison tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Stay tuned to KSR for all of the recaps for this opening weekend of action in Lexington.

@brooksHoltonKSR