Lexington, (Ky.) ? Kentucky sophomore pitcher Kalen Gibson has been named the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Week, the conference announced on Monday. The Slaughters, Ky., native earned the honor after throwing a complete-game four-hitter to beat the No. 6 South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday night.
Gibson threw the first complete game of his career, allowing only one earned run, on just four hits, to beat the Gamecocks on Friday, 6-3. He struck out nine batters along the way. South Carolina entered the game as the leading hitting team in the Southeastern Conference with a .335 team batting average. Gibson retired eight in a row at one point before an error allowed a South Carolina base runner in the sixth. Then with two outs, a Gamecock home run scored two unearned runs. Gibson went on to retire the next seven batters and did not allow a runner past second base after the sixth. Only four South Carolina runners advanced past second in the game. The win propelled UK on to a series victory over South Carolina, its first since 1999. South Carolina had beaten Kentucky 10 times in a row prior to the game. The win improved Gibson?s record to 4-1 on the season and lowered his earned run average to 3.59.
?Kalen Gibson is an unbelievable competitor,? UK head coach John Cohen said. ?He?s a guy that wants the baseball in tough situations and really wants to get the job done. We?re very pleased with the performance we got from him on Friday. You can build a pitching staff around a guy like him.?
The sophomore sensation also took the award for the week of March 22, after he shutout the No. 7 Auburn Tigers for 8 2/3 innings on March 19. The game marked the first time Auburn had been shut out at home since 1998, a span of 190 games. The lone hit was a one-out triple in the sixth inning, and Gibson stranded the runner at third base. He struck out six batters in that performance and allowed only three runners to advance past first base for Auburn in the game.
Kentucky now stands at 19-16 (5-10 SEC) on the season after taking two-of-three from the Gamecocks over the weekend. The Wildcats are scheduled to return to action on Wednesday night when they host the Morehead State Eagles at Cliff Hagan Stadium. UK will then travel to Arkansas this weekend for a three-game series.
— UK —
