Late Night With The Cats: Kentucky Outlasts No. 1 Tennessee

Alonzo Rubalcaba deposited a game-winning single just inside the left field line to give Kentucky a 3-2 victory over No. 1 Tennessee in 13 innings on Thursday night at Kentucky Proud Park.
 
Kentucky (25-20, 8-14 SEC) now has won seven games against Top 10 opponents this season and can clinch the series with a win in either Friday or Saturday’s games.
 
The Cats had the potential winning run at second or third in the ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th innings before John Thrasher tripled into the right field corner with two outs in the 13^th, setting the stage for Rubalcaba’s winner.
 
Tyler Guilfoil pitched 6.0 innings of one-hit baseball to pick up the win, UK’s fourth walk-off of the season. UK pitchers held the nation’s top offense to one hit over its final 42 plate appearances despite being ravaged by the injury bug.
 
NOTES

• UK has scored in 287 of 291 games in coach Nick Mingione’s tenure.
• UK is 12-15 vs. No. 1 teams, including 9-14 at home.
• The Cats are 2-1 in extra-inning games this season.
• UK stole two bases and is 55-of-60 on stolen base attempts this season.
• The UK pitchers have struck out 471 in 45 games.

• Junior INF Chase Estep has reached base safely in 42 of 45 games this season.

  • He stole two bases and now is 14-of-17 on the season.

• Senior OF Hunter Jump hit his third homer of the season.
• Senior IF Daniel Harris IV has a six-game-game hit streak and 10-game reached base safely streak.
• Senior C Alonzo Rubalcaba went 3-for-6 with the game winner.
  • The three hits tie his career high.
• Senior OF Oraj Anu went 1-for-3 with a solo home run.
  • It was his second homer of the season and first since the season opener on Feb. 18 at Jacksonville State.

• Senior RHP Daniel Harper made his 93^rd career appearance.

  • He now ranks fourth in UK history in appearances and needs one to tie Logan Salow (2014-17) for third.
  • He threw 2.2 of hitless ball with four strikeouts.
• Junior RHP Tyler Guilfoil pitched a UK career-high 6.0 innings.
  • He threw a career-high 85 pitches.

 
ON DECK
Kentucky will go for a series win over top-ranked Tennessee at Kentucky Proud Park on Friday night. First pitch is at 6:30 p.m. ET on SECN+. The radio call will be on the UK Sports Network.