LEXINGTON, Ky. — Powered by multi-hit performances from seniors Mike Brown and Sean Coughlin, the No. 11 Kentucky baseball team broke open a close game Wednesday with six runs in the seventh inning and cruised to a 12-5 win against intra-state rival Western Kentucky at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
The Wildcats (21-2, 1-2 Southeastern Conference), who are undefeated in non-conference games this season and have won 18 consecutive mid-week games against non-league competition, trailed the Hilltoppers (8-11) 5-1 after the top of the third inning. Kentucky responded with three runs in the bottom of the third inning, took the lead in the fifth and cruised to the victory.
Coughlin charted his team-leading 13th multi-RBI game of the season, leading the Wildcats at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance, driving in three. Right fielder Mike Brown also had two hits for his 12th multi-hit performance of the season. Coughlin also extended his hitting streak to a club-best 16 games.
Reliever Clint Tilford, one of a season-high nine UK pitchers on the night, earned his first collegiate victory, tossing a scoreless fifth inning. Peter Wiggins (0-2) took the loss for Western Kentucky, giving up the tying and go-ahead runs in one inning of work.
UK got on the board in the bottom of the second when Ryan Wilkes connected on his first triple of the season and the second of his career with one out. He was driven in on Antone DeJesus’ RBI ground out to second base.
Western Kentucky (8-11, 3-3 Sun Belt) jumped on the Wildcats with five runs on six hits in the third inning. Scott Kaskie and Terrence Dayleg led off the frame with back-to-back singles before right fielder Troy Frazier drove in Kaskie with a single to center field. Two at-bats later, first baseman Wade Gaynor singled through the left side to plate Dayleg and Frazier. After Tyler Bumgarner followed, reaching on an error and he and Gaynor scored when J.B. Paxson doubled to right field to give the Hilltoppers a 5-1 advantage.
The Wildcats cut their deficit to one run, 5-4, in the bottom of the third. Brown singled up the middle to begin the inning. With one out, Sawyer Carroll and Coughlin knocked in back-to-back doubles. Coughlin’s two-bagger plated both Brown and Carroll to make score 5-3. Coughlin came around to score on a single to center field from Spear.
Kentucky regained the lead in the fifth inning as the Wildcats, the SEC team leader in walks, began the frame with four consecutive walks. Coughlin drew the inning’s fourth walk to drive in Brown, the inning’s lead off batter. He then scored when Matt McKinney grounded into a double play on the next at-bat to give UK a 6-5 advantage.
The Wildcats broke open the game in the bottom of the seventh as Brown singled to left field to open the inning and Jason Kipnis tripled down the right-field line into the corner, allowing Brown to score. A sacrifice fly to right field by Carroll on the next at-bat drove in Kipnis to extend UK’s lead to 8-5. McKinney singled before consecutive walks were issued to Brian Spear and Wilkes. DeJesus singled to shortstop before a throwing error on WKU’s Dayleg scored two runs. Wilkes scored on an RBI ground out by Anthony Ottrando.
Kentucky hits the road for its first league road series of the year when it travels to Baton Rouge, La., to take on LSU. The three-game set begins Friday at 8 p.m. EDT and will be carried live on the Big Blue Sports Network (630 WLAP-AM on Friday) with Dick Gabriel.
Post Game Notes
Team Records and Series Notes
No. 11 Kentucky improves to 21-2 with the win, while Western Kentucky drops to 8-11.
The Wildcats now lead the all-time series with the Hilltoppers, 28-20-1.
UK is 289-241-2 all-time vs. teams from the Bluegrass State.
Kentucky is undefeated in non-conference games this season and has now won 18 consecutive games mid-week games against non-conference competition.
The Wildcats have now won 31 of its last 33 regular-season games at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Kentucky hits the road for its first league road series of the year when it travels to Baton Rouge, La., to take on LSU. The three-game set begins Friday at 8 p.m. EDT
Team Notes
The Wildcats have now plated 260 runs in just 23 games, after setting the school record with 500 runs scored during 2006.
Kentucky used a season-high nine pitchers in the game, breaking its previous high of seven that saw action on Sunday.
UK registered its 17th double-digit hitting performance as a team.
The Wildcats scored 10 or more runs in a game for the 13th time this season.
Individual Notes
Reliever Clint Tilford earned the first win of his collegiate career tossing an inning of one-hit baseball.
Pitcher Troy Ragle made his first appearance of the season.
Catcher Sean Coughlin recorded his team-leading 13th multiple-RBI game of the year by driving in three runs.
Coughlin extended his hitting streak to a club-best 16 games. He also notched his team-leading 13th multi-hit game.
Shortstop Ryan Wilkes connected on his first triple of the season in the bottom of the second inning.
Left fielder Jason Kipnis registered his SEC leading fourth triple in the seventh inning.
Right fielder Mike Brown registered his 12th multi-hit game of the season.
