LEXINGTON, Ky. — Led by a three RBI day from preseason All-American catcher Sean Coughlin, the Kentucky baseball team exploded for 13 total hits to overwhelm state rival Louisville, 9-5, in front of a season-high 2,930 fans Wednesday night at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Coughlin, the SEC leader in RBI, delivered a 2-for-4 day, driving in three runs, and cranking out his 14th double of the season in a win where the visiting Cardinals never held a lead. Fellow senior Mike Brown also posted a stellar day, going 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI. Brown blasted his second home run of the season, a line-drive shot over the right field fence. Carroll finished his evening 3-for-4 with two RBI, reaching in his first three plate appearances.
The Wildcats got a solid pitching performance from five UK hurlers, including a productive start from freshman starter Duran Ferguson. Ferguson, a right-hander, worked four innings and allowed four runs, striking out five UL batters. James Paxton relieved Ferguson in the fifth, tossing two innings to pick up his first career win. Paxton allowed only one hit in his two frames before handing the rock to Clint Tilford, Brock Baber, and Aaron Lovett. The second man out of the UL bullpen, Skylar Meade took the loss, falling to 6-2 on the campaign.
Brian Spear and Ryan Wilkes also posted excellent nights, as Spear finished 3-for-4 and Wilkes tallied a 2-for-4 game. Freshman Keenan Wiley, making only his eighth career start, began his evening laying down two sacrifice bunts before reaching on a drag bunt in his third plate appearance of the evening. Wiley finished 1-for-4 with one run scored, in addition to a beautiful diving catch in left field.
Kentucky (28-12-1) got on the board in the bottom half of the first inning, as Mike Brown led off with a four-pitch walk and came around to score on Carroll?s 51st RBI of the season. Carroll extended his hit streak to a team-best eight games with the single.
UK plated three runs in the second inning to go up 4-0. Wilkes led off the frame with a double deep into the left-field corner. Antone DeJesus followed, getting hit by his 14th pitch of the season and Brown hit next with a single to left, scoring Wilkes. After Keenan Wiley?s second sacrifice in as many at bats, Carroll drove in his second run of the afternoon, with a single to right field. Coughlin, scored Brown on a deep sacrifice fly to left field, to give UK a 4-0 lead.
The Cardinals (28-12) answered in the third, with three runs on two hits. After a quick pop out, shortstop Chris Cates reached on a five-pitch walk. A strikeout and a Cates stolen base allowed Logan Johnson to rip an RBI single to left field for UL?s first run. Daniel Burton followed with a home run to left field, narrowing the UK lead to 4-3.
Louisville evened up the score with a solo home run to lead off the fourth, off the bat of Daniel Burton.
The Wildcats answered in the fourth, plating three runs to take a 7-4 lead. After a leadoff ground out, Wiley reached on a drag-bunt single and Carroll notched his third hit of the day. Coughlin followed Carroll and plated Wiley with an RBI single. The next batter, Spear singled up the middle, scoring Carroll. A strikeout and a walk later set the stage for Wilkes to single to the right side, scoring Coughlin. Spear was gunned down at the plate on the Wilkes single to end the inning.
Louisville scored one run in the fifth, as Boomer Whiting reached on a fielding error, stole second, his NCAA leading 49th stolen bag of the season, and came around to score on a groundout from Burton.
Kentucky continued to tack on runs in the fifth, scoring two runs. With one out, Mike Brown smashed his second home run of the season, a solo shot over the right-center field fence. After Carroll drew his 32nd walk of the season, Coughlin delivered a double off the top of the fence in the right-center gap, allowing Carroll to score to put UK up 9-5.
Post-Game Notes
Team Records and Series Notes
With the win, Kentucky improves to 28-12-1, while Louisville falls to 28-12.
The Wildcats still lead the all-time series between the two schools, 61-30-1.
Kentucky returns to action on Friday, kicking off a three-game set with Georgia. First pitch of game one is set for 6:30 p.m. EDT.
Team Game Notes
Kentucky has registered double digits hits in four of its last five games.
Individual Game Notes
Sean Coughlin made his team-best 59th consecutive start.
Coughlin delivered three RBI on the game, bringing his SEC high total for RBI up to 58. 2006 SEC Player of the Year Ryan Strieby set the school record for RBI a year ago with 77. Through Strieby?s first 41 games in 2006, the first baseman had 55 RBI.
Coughlin posted his 17th multi-RBI game of the season and his 19th multi-hit game.
Sawyer Carroll extended his hit streak to a team-best eight games with an RBI single in the first inning.
Freshman James Paxton tied a career high for innings pitched, hurling two to pick up his first career win.
Mike Brown hit his second home run of the season, a line-drive shot over the right field fence in the fifth.
Brown extended his hit streak to five games.
Starter Duran Ferguson has struck out 47 in 40 innings pitched on the season. Ferguson worked five innings, allowing four runs.
