Kentucky Offense Comes Alive in Friday Victory

The No. 8 Kentucky baseball team has had one of the best offenses in the SEC all season. The Wildcats rank at or near the top of the conference in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs, hits, runs batted in and doubles.

But over the last four games, Kentucky had seen its offensive production slide a bit. The Wildcats, who average 7.6 runs per game, were held to a total of 13 runs while dropping two of three games against Georgia last weekend. Then, Kentucky scored five runs in a 5-2 Tuesday night win over Indiana.

On Friday night, the Kentucky offense found its rhythm, scoring 10 times in the first four innings as the Wildcats blasted Tennessee 15-5 at Cliff Hagan Stadium. Kentucky racked up 19 hits and scored more than once in five of their eight trips to the plate. The Wildcats are now 16-0 this season when scoring at least 10 runs in a game.

For Kentucky, it was simply a matter of staying with their game plan at the plate.

“We just stick to our approach,” said designated hitter Luke Becker. “We put in some work yesterday at practice, but we just did what we did all year.”

Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione agreed with Becker.

“We did a couple of things different in the cage, but I feel like when guys are having good at-bats and maybe you’re not getting the results, but I feel like our guys haven’t really panicked,” Mingione said. “I thought there were a couple of guys who were pressing at times. I told them not to get caught up in the results. Let’s focus on the execution of the at-bats and ultimately, you’re going to get your hits.”

Kentucky (34-16, 16-9 SEC) wasted no time grabbing the lead. In the bottom of the first inning, the Wildcats’ second batter, Evan White, smacked a solo home run over the left field wall in left field to give Kentucky a 1-0 lead. Kentucky would add three runs in the second and two more in the third. Kentucky scored twice in the sixth inning and three more times in the seventh.

Kentucky launched four homers in the game, including the first career bomb for junior catcher Troy Squires. And Squires used a set of special circumstances to hit his first career homer.

“My usual bat broke the at-bat before,” Squires said. “I picked up this white (bat) that (Zach) Reks had been swinging and he told me it was a good one. It felt good. I knew I hit it pretty good.”

While the Wildcats were scoring in bunches, Kentucky starting pitcher Sean Hjelle held the Vols in check, allowing only two hits and one run in seven innings of work. Hjelle (8-2) walked only two while striking out six.

“I really wasn’t that sharp out there tonight,” Hjelle said. “The defense picked me up and the offense really picked me up today. I put myself in a lot of jams and I was lucky enough that the defense helped me get out of it.”

Mingione was impressed with Hjelle’s performance.

“That’s the definition of a Friday night starter,” Mingione said. “The bottom line is, he goes out there and gives us a chance to win. And he’s done that over and over again.”

With the win, Kentucky remains just one game back of SEC leaders Florida and Mississippi State. The Wildcats meet the Vols again on Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.