BEAUMONT, Texas ? Sophomore Collin Cowgill had a career day to lead the Kentucky baseball team to 9-2 victory over Michigan State on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
Cowgill, a Lexington native who prepped at Henry Clay High School, drove in a career-high five runs in a 4-for-5 performance that included a double and his second home run of the year. His four hits were also a career high and the two home runs match his season total from all of last season.
Wasting no time, Cowgill doubled in the first inning to bring Shaun Lehmann around for a 1-0 Kentucky advantage. In his next at bat in the third, he found a hole in the left side of the infield to plate Ryan Strieby for a 2-0 lead.
Kentucky (5-1) conceded a run in the fourth to make it 2-1. With one out and runners on the corners, the Wildcats got a chopper to second, but couldn?t turn the double play and Kyle Day scored for the Spartans.
The Wildcats answered in the sixth with a pair of runs as they began to blow the game open. Billy Grace led off with a single and Ryan Wilkes added a double an out later. Justin Scutchfield drove in both with a two-run single to left.
In the seventh, Cowgill struck again, this time with a towering home run to centerfield. Two batters later John Shelby singled before eventually coming home on an RBI double by Scutchfield that made it 6-1. The three were among the six UK batters that recorded at least two hits. As a team, the Wildcats pounded out a season-best 18 hits
Kentucky ripped off four straight hits to open the ninth and score three runs. Cowgill capped the rally with a two-run single to left.
On the mound, UK used a pitcher-by-committee to get the job done. Lexington native Tommy Warner got the start and earned the win after tossing a pre-planned four innings, allowing just one run on three hits.
Troy Ragle, Chris Rusin and Brock Baber all saw their first action of the season and each hurled a scoreless inning to get the Wildcats through the seventh.
After Adam Revelette loaded the bases to start the eighth, Zach Dials entered and got three outs on three pitches, including a double-play ball to end the inning. He closed out the ninth for his first save as a Wildcat.
Kentucky opens its home schedule against Evansville on Tuesday at 3 p.m. The game is the first in a 16-game homestand that lasts well in to March. A limited number of season tickets, which cost just $25, are still available for UK?s 32-game home schedule this year.
