Coltyn Kessler Delivers Career-Night in Series Opener

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Coltyn Kessler homered as part of a three-hit night where he equaled a pair of career-bests in Kentucky’s series-opening defeat at Florida on Friday night in McKethan Stadium. The sophomore also matched his career-high with three runs batted in.
 
The Wildcats fell behind early but fought back repeatedly throughout the evening before ultimately falling 10-8 to the Gators on a warm, breezy night. The Gators clubbed three home runs, including Wil Dalton’s two-run shot with two outs in the fifth that proved to be the difference.
 
Kessler, who missed Tuesday night’s game with a minor hamstring injury, launched a two-run shot off the top of the brick supports for the right-field videoboard in the fourth inning and later added an RBI single through the right side. He finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored, three RBI and a home run.
 
On Saturday night, UK ace left-hander Zack Thompson will get the starting nod as the Cats (21-21, 4-15 SEC) look to even the series. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. on the SEC Network.
 
 
SCORING
Bottom 1st – Brady McConnell hit a leadoff home run to LF.  Florida 1, UK 0.
 
Bottom 2^nd – Jud Fabian doubled. Austin Langworthy walked. Nelson Maldonado homered to LCF. Florida 4, UK 0.
 
Top 4^th – Ryan Johnson was hit by a pitch, Ryan Shinn singled and Elliott Curtis walked to load the bases. Johnson scored on a double play grounder. Coltyn Kessler homered to RF. Florida 4, UK 3.
 
Top 5^th – Marshal Gei walked, moved to scoring on a Zeke Lewis groundout and scored on Johnson’s line drive single. UK 4, Florida 4.
 
Bottom 5^th – Corey Acton singled with two outs and scored on Wil Dalton’s homer to LCF. Brady Smith doubled down the LF line and scored on Jacob Young’s double to LCF. Florida 7, UK 4.
 
Top 6^th – Austin Schultz reached on an error, Kessler singled up the middle and Breydon Daniel singled off the CF wall. Schultz scored on Jaren Shelby’s SAC fly. Gei walked to load the bases. Zeke Lewis walked, scoring Kessler. Florida 7, UK 6.
 
Bottom 6^th – McConnell and Langworthy walked to open the inning and scored on Maldonado’s double down the LF line. Maldonado advanced to third on a ground ball and scored on Dalton’s SAC fly to RF. Florida 10, UK 6.
 
Top 7^th – Shinn reached on a fielding error and advanced to third on Schultz’s single to LF. Kessler singled through the right side, scoring Shinn and moving Schultz to third. Schultz scored on Daniel’s SAC fly to LF. Florida 10, UK 8.
 
 
NOTES

• Attendance for the game was 3,664.
• Kentucky has scored in 106 consecutive games and 182 of the past 183 dating to the 2016 season. The lone shutout came in a seven-inning game. The current streak now is the second-longest in school history.

• Senior OF/RHP Ryan Johnson now has a career-long six-game hit streak.

• Sophomore C/INF Coltyn Kessler went 3-for-5 with two runs, three RBI. He hit a two-run home run.

  • The home run was Kessler’s third of the season.
  • He now has nine multi-hit games this season and 10 for his career.
  • He notched his third multi-RBI game of his career, all this season.
  • The three RBI and three hits both tie his career-high in those categories.

 
 
ON DECK
Kentucky and Florida will tee it up again Saturday night at McKethan Stadium. The game will air on the SEC Network. Audio coverage will be on UKathletics.com and the UK Sports Network.