Kentucky Rebounds, Tosses Two-Hitter to Defeat Louisville

Needing a rebound victory and down several prominent players due to illness and injury, Kentucky battled its way to a 4-2 victory over Louisville at Kentucky Proud Park, holding the Cardinals to two hits in the process.

Kentucky now is 24-8 overall and 6-6 in the Southeastern Conference.

The Wildcats’ offense manufactured a three-run inning and gave the pitching staff enough to work with as it held an explosive Louisville attack to no hits through 6.1 innings and just two total. The Cats countered 10 walks allowed with 12 strikeouts and turned a well-time double play to stunt a potential ninth inning rally.

The Cats’ game-winning rally began with a hit by pitch and two-strike single where both Tyler Bell and Carson Hansen took the extra base. After Scott Campbell Jr. delivered an RBI single and stole second, Ethan Hindle laid down a perfect bunt to score a run. Hindle then stole second, drawing a throw that got loose and scored Campbell.

Luke Lawrence also extended his reached base streak to 37 games.

NOTES

• Kentucky is 24-8 on the season, 6-6 in SEC play.
  • UK is 142-70 since the beginning of 2023.
• UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his 10th season at the helm and now owns a 317-200 career record.
  • Mingione is the second-winningest coach in school history.
  • Mingione is 187-54 in non-conference games.
  • Mingione now is 6-10 vs. Louisville.
  • Mingione is 47-17 vs. teams from Kentucky.
• UK did not allow a hit until the seventh inning (6.1 IP).
  • Eight UK pitchers allowed just two hits and struck out 12.
• UK scored three runs in the sixth inning.
  • UK scored five runs in the third inning, the 34th time this season the Cats have scored three or more runs in an inning.
• OF Jayce Tharnish stole his 24^th base of the season in 25 attempts.
  • He ranks third in a single season in the Mingione Era.
• IF Luke Lawrence has reached safely in 37 consecutive games after a first inning single.
  • He was hit by two pitches in a game for fifth time in his career.
• OF Scott Campbell Jr. went 2-for-4 with a run, RBI and stolen base.
• RHP Connor Mattison allowed one run in 3.0 hitless innings and struck out three.
• RHP Jack Bennett earned his sixth save of the season.

ON DECK

UK travels to No. 10 Auburn on Friday at 7 p.m. ET/6 CT. The game is on SECN+ and the contest can be heard on UK Sports Network/630 WLAP.