LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mike Brown and Sean Coughlin combined for nine hits, eight RBI, and six runs as the No. 21 Kentucky baseball team secured the sweep by thrashing the Wisconsin Milwaukee Panthers 18-2, on Sunday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Kentucky improves to 12-0 on the season, just three wins shy of the school record for the best start to a campaign, as the 2000 club began its season running up 15 consecutive wins. UK has now won 22 consecutive regular-season home games at Cliff Hagan, dating back to last season.
Kentucky plated a season-high tying 41 runs during the three-game sweep of the Panthers, bringing the 12-game total for runs scored to 131, on 134 hits. During the 2006 Southeastern Conference Championship season, UK set the school record by plating 500 runs.
Mike Brown and Coughlin had career days, as Brown finished 5-for-6 at the plate with a career-high five runs and a career-best three stolen bases. Coughlin ended his day 4-for-5, with three doubles and a triple to complement five RBI.
The Wildcats ran its ace out to the mound in preseason All-American Greg Dombrowski. The Rome, N.Y. native breezed through 5 2/3 innings of work to improve to 2-0 on the season. Dombrowski forced UWM into 12 ground-outs, while striking out four.
Matt McKinney was the only UK starter not to tally a hit, as the senior drew a career-high three walks on the day. Brian Spear, Ryan Wilkes, and Billy Grace each notched two hits.
Panther starter Mike Rauwerdink (0-2) took the loss after allowing five runs in just 1 2/3 innings of work.
In the bottom of the first Kentucky scored two runs, to take an early 2-0 advantage. Mike Brown walked and Sawyer Carroll plated Brown on a single to the right-center field gap. Coughlin followed, working seven-pitch at bat off senior UWM starter Mike Rauwerdink. Coughlin sent a rocket over the right-field fence that narrowly missed foul and followed that swing up with a double, painting the right-field line, to plate Carroll.
Kentucky pushed across three more runs in the second, as Billy Grace reached on a fielding error to lead off the inning. Antone DeJesus drove in Grace with single and Mike Brown and Carroll reached on a single and walk, respectively. Coughlin doubled for the second time in as many plate appearances, scoring Brown. Carroll was paying attention on the basepaths, as he plated on a wild pitch to give UK a 5-0 lead.
In the fourth, UK plated three more runs to stretch the lead to 8-0. Brown singled, his second of the day, and Coughlin drove in his third RBI of the game with his first career triple. McKinney walked and Coughlin scored on an error charged to UWM shortstop Grant Berkovitz. Wilkes plated McKinney with a single through the left side of the infield for UK?s third run of the inning.
Kentucky continued its offensive onslaught, plating one run in the fifth inning. Mike Brown singled, his third hit of the game and McKinney drew a career-high third walk of the game. Spear scored Brown with a hard-hit RBI single to make it 9-0 UK.
UWM (0-6) got on the board in the top of the sixth, scoring one run. Rob Brockel singled and a defensive error on the UK outfield allowed him to score on from first base on a single.
UK tacked on four more runs in the sixth, as Brock Wright tripled and Mike Brown ripped his fourth hit of the game, on a rope through the left side of the infield to score Wright. Coughlin blasted his third double of the contest to drive in Keenan Wiley, who reached after being hit by a pitch, and Brown also plated. Anthony Ottrando later scored on a fielding error charged to the Panther shortstop Berkovitz.
UWM plated its final run in the seventh, as Wes Munson led off the inning with a walk. Munson advanced to third on a single from Berkovitz and moved to third on a wild pitch. Dan Buchholz drove in Munson with a sacrifice fly.
UK?s offensive firepower was not cooling off, plating the final five runs in the bottom frames of the seventh and eighth innings. In the seventh, UK got a single from Wilkes and a walk from Grace. Wilkes came around to score on a two-base error that allowed Brock Wright to advance to second. Mike Brown delivered yet another clutch hit, ripping a two RBI single into the outfield that scored Wright and Grace.
In the eighth, UK got singles from Spear, Grace, and Wright. Wiley delivered a two-RBI single to center field for the final margin 18-2.
Kentucky returns to action on Wednesday with a 4 p.m. ET matchup with Cincinnati at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Post Game Notes
Team Notes
Kentucky improves to 12-0 on the season, just three wins shy of the record for the best start in school annals. The 2000 squad opened its season running off 15 consecutive wins.
The Wildcats have now won 22 consecutive regular season home games at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Kentucky plated a season-high tying 41 runs during its three-game sweep of UWM, bringing the total runs scored on the season to 131, on 134 hits, in just 12 games. In 2006, UK plated a school-record 500 runs during the SEC Championship season. UK?s 19 hit barrage is a season-high. Kentucky?s previous career-high came during a 16 hit performance Feb. 17 against Furman. Last time Kentucky had 19 hits was June 4, 2006 against Ball State.
Kentucky?s 18-run outburst is a season-high. UK plated 16 runs in the Saturday contest with Furman. In 2006, UK plated 20 runs in a contest against Northwestern.
Individual Notes
Senior Mike Brown had the best day of his career, going 5-for-6 with a career-high five hits. Brown also scored a career-high five runs and plated a career-high three RBI.
Brown became the first UK player to score five runs since Billy Grace did so against Northern Iowa on March 11, 2005. Mike Brown also stole a career-high three bases in the contest, bringing his SB total to eight on the young season.
Brown became the first UK player to have five hits since John Shelby did so against Georgia on March 26, 2005. The five hits tie Shelby?s performance for most hits in a game during the John Cohen era.
Greg Dombrowski improved to 2-0 on the season, while forcing 12 ground outs, allowing zero earned runs, and striking out four Panther hitters in 5 2/3 innings of action.
Sean Coughlin went 4-for-5 on the day with three doubles, a triple, and career-high tying five RBI. Coughlin?s triple was the first of his career and the three doubles are a career high.
Coughlin became the first UK player to notch four hits in a contest since Ryan Wilkes did so in the NCAA Tournament against Ball State on June 4, 2006.
