Fine Fifteen! Offense Explodes to End First Homestand

LEXINGTON, Ky. – T.J. Collett homered, tripled and drove in four runs and Dalton Reed added another four RBI as Kentucky put up its highest scoring game of the season in defeating Western Kentucky 15-0 at Kentucky Proud Park. The Wildcats finished the first homestand in their new park with a 10-1 record.
 
The Cats (13-4) travel to Baton Rouge this weekend to open Southeastern Conference play against No. 11 LSU riding a five-game winning streak.
 
Collett, a junior from Terre Haute, Indiana, launched a three-run blast into the right field bullpen in the first inning and legged out his first career triple in the sixth. He’s delivered a team-high seven games of at least two RBI this season and now has 16 multi-hit games in his career.
 
Reed, a junior from Roff, Oklahoma, set a new career-high with his four runs driven in as part of a two-hit game. The heavy-hitting first baseman already has five multi-hit games in his first season with the Cats. Sophomore Coltyn Kessler went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI, extending his career-long hit streak to 11 games in the process. He reached base all five trips to the plate and hit .516 on the homestand.
 
On the mound, freshman Dillon Marsh bounced back from a tough start on Sunday by dominating in four efficient innings where he threw just six balls. The Pennsylvania left-hander allowed just one hit and struck out three while facing the minimum 12 batters during his stint. Five UK relievers followed Marsh with impressive work of their own, allowing only two hits and not walking anyone over the final five innings.
 
 
SCORING
Bottom 1^st – T.J. Collett homered to RF; Breydon Daniel and Ryan Shinn scored. Rook Ellington singled to SS, advanced to second on error by 1B; Coltyn Kessler advanced to third; Dalton Reed scored. UK 4, WKU 0.

Bottom 4^th – Dalton Reed singled to CF; Jaren Shelby advanced to third; Breydon Daniel and Ryan Shinn scored. UK 6, WKU 0.

Bottom 6^th – T.J. Collett tripled to LF; Ryan Shinn scored. Jaren Shelby singled to CF, T.J. Collett scored. Coltyn Kessler doubled to LF, Jaren Shelby scored. UK 9, WKU 0.

Bottom 7^th – Jaren Shelby walked; Elliott Curtis advanced to second; Orlando Adams, Jr. advanced to third; Breydon Daniel scored. Dalton Reed singled to RCF; Jaren Shelby advanced to third; Elliott Curtis and Orlando Adams, Jr. scored. Coltyn Kessler singled to LF; Dalton Reed advanced to third; Jaren Shelby scored. Cam Hill hit by pitch; Austin Schultz advanced to second; Coltyn Kessler advanced to third; Dalton Reed scored. Alex Rodriguez reached on a fielder’s choice; Austin Schultz advanced to third; Coltyn Kessler scored. UK 15, WKU 0.

NOTES

• Kentucky has scored in 81 consecutive games and 157 of the past 158 dating to the 2016 season. The lone shutout came in a seven-inning game. The current streak is the seventh-longest in school history and is just one shy of tying the sixth-longest streak, set from 2015-16.
• Kentucky is 40-5 in non-conference home games under coach Nick Mingione.
• All nine Cats in the starting lineup reached base safely.
• UK pitchers did not walk a batter, the fourth time in the past five games they have allowed one or fewer unintentional walks.

• Senior OF Ryan Shinn now has reached base safely in 16 straight games. He also has 10 doubles on the season.

  • Shinn has seven multi-hit games this season.
  • He scored a career-high three runs.
• Junior 1B/DH T.J. Collett tripled, homered and drove in four runs.
  • He now has seven multi-hit and multi-RBI games this season.
  • It was his first career triple.
• Sophomore C/INF Coltyn Kessler went 3-for-3 and reached base all five times he came to the plate.
  • He extended his career-long hit streak to 11 games and his reached base safely streak to 12 games.
  • The three hits are a new career-high.
• Junior 1B Dalton Reed set a new career-high with four RBI.
• Junior OF Jaren Shelby extended his reached base safely streak to 11 games.
• Freshman INF Austin Schultz followed up his first career multi-hit game by extending his reached base safely streak to eight games.

 
 
ON DECK
Kentucky travels to No. 11 LSU this weekend for a three-game SEC-opening series. Friday night’s game is set for an 8 p.m. ET first pitch. The game will be aired on SEC Network Plus. Audio coverage can be found via UKathletics.com.