Hjelle Continues to Get Better as Game Goes On
Kentucky pitcher Sean Hjelle has lived up to a consistent pattern in his outings so far this season. In the first three innings of his 10 starts (30 innings total), the right-hander has allowed 28 hits and 18 earned runs, for an ERA of 5.40.
Once Hjelle gets past the third inning, he is a much different pitcher. Prior to Friday’s game, Hjelle had pitched 35.1 innings beyond the third, allowing 22 hits and just six earned runs, and his ERA in those innings drops to a sparkling 1.53.
Friday’s game followed a similar pattern. Missouri scored a run in the first inning, partially due to a throwing error by Hjelle, but the White Bear Lake, Minnesota, native clamped down from there, holding the Tigers in check in a 2-1 Kentucky victory at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
For Hjelle, he was trying his best to overcome his first-inning error and help his team win.
“You let your team down in the first inning, you give them a run by yourself, throwing the ball away,” Hjelle said. “All of those guys are out there working for you, the least I can do is do the same for them. So I just go out there and compete.”
Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione was impressed with Hjelle on Friday.
“I thought Sean Hjelle was fantastic,” Mingione said. “He just doesn’t get rattled. For him to go out tonight and pitch the way he did, he attacked the strike zone, he did everything. He’s an unbelievable teammate, and I loved his competitiveness and fire tonight.”
Hjelle pitched out of a trio of crucial jams in Friday’s game. In the fourth inning, Missouri got leadoff singles from Brett Bond and Chad McDaniel. Alex Samples advanced the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt, giving the Tigers a chance to add to their 1-0 lead. But Hjelle struck out Cade Bormet and got Matt Berler to pop out to shortstop to end the frame.
In the seventh, Missouri threatened again, as Samples doubled to left-center field to lead off the inning. Bormet sacrificed the runner to third with just one out. But Hjelle again fought out of the situation, inducing a pop-out to first and a flyout to center to avoid any damage.
And in the eighth, Hjelle allowed a leadoff single to Brian Sharp before striking out three in a row to end the threat, as well as his outing. In his eight innings of work, Hjelle allowed six hits and one unearned run while walking two and striking out eight.
Mingione knew how crucial it was for Hjelle to get the Wildcats out of those tough spots.
“it was one of those nights when you could just sense it was going to be a run or two or a play or two, and they had opportunities and (Hjelle) just would not give in,” Mingione said. “Every time we needed a strikeout, we got a strikeout. We’d need a popup, we’d do that. We needed a ground ball double play at one point, he got that. He did everything he could to will us to win that game.”
Hjelle knows he can throw any pitch in a tough situation, especially with senior Troy Squires behind the plate.
“Guy on third base, less than two outs, we need a strikeout and I have confidence and trust in Troy to be an absolute wall,” Hjelle said. “I’ll throw any pitch in any spot and luckily, they chased it.”
The win was the 21st of Hjelle’s career, which ties him with Corey Littrell for sixth on UK’s all-time wins list. Hjelle is now three wins shy of tying Jay Ray’s school-record 24 victories.
On Friday night Hjelle proved once again that if opponents don’t get to him early, they will likely be in for a long night.
