Blanked: Kentucky Evens Series With Shutout Victory

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Austin Schultz set the tone, Oraj Anu delivered the big blow and the Kentucky baseball team scored a 6-0 victory over Ball State on a cloudless Saturday afternoon at Kentucky Proud Park. It was the second shutout in just eight games for the Wildcats.
 
Schultz led off the game with a clean single, then stole second and third base before Anu hammered a 418-foot home run to centerfield, giving the Cats (7-1) a 2-0 lead in the first inning that they would never relinquish. Schultz, a junior powder keg at the top of the lineup, stole a career-best three bases, tied his career-high with three hits and wreaked havoc on the Cardinals all afternoon while reaching base four times.
 
One night after missing several opportunities to put the game away after taking an early lead the Wildcats didn’t wait around on Saturday. Sophomore infielder Ryan Ritter smoked his first career home run in the second inning to extend the lead and the Cats added single runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings while keeping constant pressure on the defense.
 
On the mound, Mason Hazelwood earned his second win in as many starts after working through a bout of early wildness. The senior left-hander allowed just three hits and struck out six in 5.1 innings before giving way to senior right-hander Daniel Harper, who extricated the Cats from a mini-jam in the sixth. Freshman righty Seth Logue pitched the final three innings to earn his first career save, striking out six – including five straight.
 
 
GAME SCORING
Bottom 1st – Austin Schultz singled up the middle, stole second and stole third. Oraj Anu homered to CF. UK 2, Ball State 0.
 
Bottom 2^nd – Ryan Ritter homered to RCF. UK 3, Ball State 0.
 
Bottom 4^th – Cam Hill walked and Ritter singled. Zeke Lewis laid down a SAC bunt, reaching on error by 1B. Hill scored and Ritter moved to third. UK 4, Ball State 0.
 
Bottom 6^th – Schultz doubled to LCF and scored on a John Rhodes single to RF. UK 5, Ball State 0.
 
Bottom 7^th – Anu walked. Reuben Church singled to LF. Coltyn Kessler hit into fielder’s choice, Church out at second, Anu to third. Hill bunted for a hit, scoring Anu. UK 6, Ball State 0.
 
 
NOTES

• UK is 81-27 vs. non-conference opponents under head coach Nick Mingione.
  • The Cats are 70-9 vs. non-Power Five conference opponents.
  • The Cats are 62-10 in non-conference home games.
• The UK pitching staff has 22 consecutive games with seven or more strikeouts, including 18 with 10 or more.
• The UK pitching staff has struck out 87 batters and walked just 16 this season.
• This was UK’s second shutout of the season. The Cats did not have one during the 2020 season.

• Junior IF/OF Austin Schultz went 3-for-4 with two runs, a double, a walk and three steals.

  • Schultz has reached base safely in 63 of 68 career games.
  • Schultz has five multi-hit games this season and 20 in his career.
    • He has three consecutive multi-hit games.
  • Schultz swiped a career-high three stolen bases.
  • Schultz tied his career-high with three hits.

• Senior OF Oraj Anu went 1-for-3 with two runs, a walk and a two-run home run.

  • It was his second multi-RBI game of the season.

• Sophomore IF Ryan Ritter went 2-for-4 with a solo home run.

  • It was his first career home run and first multi-hit game.

• Freshman IF Reuben Church Church has a hit in all seven games of his career.

• Senior LHP Mason Hazelwood earned his second win of the season.

  • Hazelwood pitched 5.2 innings, allowing no runs on three hits. He walked four and struck out six.

• Freshman RHP Seth Logue earned his first career save.

  • Logue set a new career-high with six strikeouts, including five straight.
  • He allowed just one hit and did not walk anyone.

 
ON DECK
The Cats return to Kentucky Proud Park on Sunday afternoon looking for a series win vs. Ball State. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. ET. The game will be aired on SECN+. The radio call will be on the UK Sports Network.