LEXINGTON, Ky. ? After demolishing the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks to the tune of 27-0 on Saturday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Stadium, the No. 17 Kentucky baseball team improved to 15-0, tying the 2000 club for the best start in the 103-year history of the Wildcat baseball program.
Kentucky carried a combined no-hitter 8 1/3 innings, before surrendering a single under the glove of UK?s diving shortstop Brian Spear. Two Wildcat freshman pitchers combined to handcuff the Skyhawks, with starter Duran Ferguson working six innings without allowing a hit, before handing it over to fellow right-handerClint Tilford, who worked the final three innings to finish the game. Ferguson improved to 1-0 on the season.
The Wildcats 27-run win ranks first in school annals, previously held by the 1983 club, which defeated Cincinnati by 25 runs in 1983 and the 27 runs scored ranks second in school history for the most runs scored in a contest. Kentucky?s 27-run performance brings the total runs scored up to 185, after setting the school record with runs scored in 2006, with 500. Through 15 games last season, Kentucky had scored 142 runs.
UK has now won 25 consecutive regular season home games, dating back to last season. The streak is the longest home winning streak in school history and the longest current regular season streak in all of college baseball.
On Sunday, Kentucky will return to action looking to take sole possession of the school record and improve to 16-0. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. ET and UK will run out preseason All-American right-hander Greg Dombrowski to the hill to face off with UTM?s Jacob Smothers.
Kentucky got stellar performances from nearly every player on the UK roster, as every starter had a base hit and scored at least one run. Mike Brown continued his hot play, batting 3-for-6 with three RBI, scoring twice. Brown has now batted 19-for-30 over the last eight Kentucky games.
Sawyer Carroll, Brian Spear and Tyler Howe each contributed three hits, while Carroll and Antone DeJesus drove in four runs each. Howe had a perfect day at the plate, drawing three walks and batting 3-for-3, scoring three runs. Spear and Ryan Wilkes each scored three times and Matt McKinney added two runs and two RBI. Sean Coughlin finished his day 2-for-4 with two RBI and one walk.
Kentucky got the scoring started in the first inning, plating two runs on two hits. Mike Brown led off the inning with a single and DeJesus drew a walk setting the stage for Carroll. The Henryetta, Okla. native delivered his SEC-leading 10th double of the season, to plate Brown and DeJesus and give UK an early 2-0 lead.
In the second, UK continued to pile it on, plating six runs on four hits to go up 8-0. Wilkes led off with a walk, Grace reached on a fielder?s choice, and Howe laid down a bunt single to load the bases. Mike Brown ripped a sacrifice fly, just deep enough to score Wilkes. DeJesus singled and scored Grace. Carroll drove in yet another run with an RBI single, this time scoring Howe. Coughlin drew a walk and McKinney lofted a sacrifice fly to score DeJesus. Brian Spear promptly cleared the bases with a two-run double, to give UK a 8-0 lead.
Continuing a trend of scoring each inning, Kentucky pushed across one more run on one base hit in the third. Grace drew a walk and Howe followed him with a line drive single through the left-side of the infield. Mike Brown drove in Grace with an RBI ground out, to stretch the UK lead to 9-0.
The Wildcats laid it on the Skyhawks with a 10-run inning in the fourth, the most runs scored in an inning this season. Kentucky sent 15 batters to the box during the frame, drawing five free passes, and reaching on six hits. McKinney led off the frame with a single and scored on a Spear double. Wilkes scored Spear with his own double, a beautiful rope down the right-field line. Howe and Mike Brown walked, and DeJesus got hit by a pitch to walk in Wilkes. Howe came around to score on a wild pitch. Coughlin ripped a single to score Brown and McKinney reached on a fielders choice that pushed DeJesus across the plate. Wilkes drove in his second RBI of the inning with a single that scored Carroll. Grace cleared the loaded bases with a three-run double.
In the fifth inning, UK scored six more times on five hits, leading off with DeJesus?s second walk of the day. Carroll plated him with his 11th double of the season. Coughlin ripped his second triple in as many days, to drive in Marcus Nidiffer, who pinch ran for Carroll. Dan Reale pinch ran for Coughlin and came around to score on a pinch-hit Anthony Ottrando double to the left-field gap.
Spear and Wright walked and Howe drove in Ottrando with a sacrifice fly. Mike Brown loaded the bases with a single and DeJesus drove in two runs with a base-hit up the middle.
In the seventh, Kentucky pushed across one more run, after Howe doubled and Brown ripped an RBI single to score Howe and give UK a 26-0 lead.
Wildcat freshman outfielder Brock Wright tacked on one more run in the eighth, blasting his third home run of the season over the deck in right field for the final margin, 27-0.
Post Game Notes
Team Records and Series Notes
Kentucky improves to 15-0 on the season, equaling the best start in school history. The 2000 squad opened its season running off 15 consecutive wins.
Kentucky has now won 25 consecutive games at Cliff Hagan Stadium, the longest home winning streak in college baseball and in school history.
Kentucky now leads the all-time series with Tennessee-Martin 4-0.
With the loss, Tennessee-Martin falls to 2-9 on the season.
The Wildcats and Skyhawks finish their three-game series tomorrow with a 1 p.m. start. Junior Greg Dombrowski goes to the mound for Kentucky, while senior Jacob Smothers takes the hill for Tennessee-Martin.
Team Notes
The Wildcats have now plated 185 runs in just 15 games, after setting the school record with 500 runs scored during 2006. Through 15 games in 2006, UK had scored 142 runs.
The 27 runs scored is the second most in school history. Kentucky scored 30 runs against Eastern Kentucky in the 1978 season.
The 27-run victory for Kentucky is the largest margin of victory in school history. UK beat Cincinnati by 25 runs in 1978.
Kentucky had a hit in every inning.
Kentucky has had 10 or more hits in 10 of 15 games.
This was the first time that Kentucky had shut out an opponent on the season.
Kentucky drew a season-high 15 walks on the day, bringing its 15-game total to an SEC high 110.
Kentucky?s 23 hits was a season high.
Individual Notes
Kentucky pitchers Duran Ferguson and Clint Tilford combined for a no-hitter for 8.1 innings. The no-hitter was broken up on a single by Zach Parham, barely out of the reach of diving shortstop Brian Spear.
Every Kentucky starter got a base hit.
Mike Brown continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-6 at the plate. Over the last eight games, Brown is 19-for-30.
Sawyer Carroll went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate and drove in a career-high three RBI. Carroll also tied a career-high with two runs. The three hits for Carroll tied a career-high.
Carroll also leads the team in walks, drawing two walks in the game, to bring his total up to 16.
Ferguson picked up the first win of his college career, going six innings, giving up no hits, walking four and striking out three.
Brock Wright hit his third career home run. Wright also scored two runs and drove in one. Brian Spear tied a career-high with three hits and three runs scored.
Tyler Howe had a perfect day at the plate, going 3-for-3. Howe also scored a career-high three runs and walked a career-high three times.
Ryan Wilkes tied a career-high with three runs scored.
Antone DeJesus tied a career-high with four runs and tied a season-high with four RBI. Dan Reale drew his first career walk and scored his first career run.
