Daniels, You’re the Stars: Harper, Harris IV Prod UK to Win

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Daniel Harper pitched three scoreless innings and Daniel Harris IV had three hits, including a two-run knockout blow in the eighth inning, as Kentucky evened its series with Texas A&M with a 7-3 victory at Blue Bell Park on Friday night.
 
UK has won seven of the past nine contests in College Station.
 
UK (19-12, 4-7 SEC) took an early 4-0 lead with a mix of line drives and good fortune. An A&M error led to a run in the second inning before the Cats got three in the third. Hunter Jump led off with a well-struck single before Daniel Harris IV drove his fourth hit in five at-bats to left field and Chase Estep walked to load the bases. Adam Fogel smashed a liner through the left side to score a pair and Jacob Plastiak added another when he smacked a ground ball off the third baseman’s glove.
 
The Aggies battled back to within one at 4-3 before the Cats added insurance runs with a three-run eighth inning that included massive two-out hits by Hunter Jump and Harris. That gave reliever Tyler Guilfoil (4.0 IP, 0 runs. 8 K) breathing room to earn his third save of the season and make a winner out of Harper.
 
NOTES

• UK has scored in 274 of 277 games in coach Nick Mingione’s tenure.
• Mingione has 162 wins, fifth on UK’s all-time list. He needs two wins to move into fourth.
• UK is 42-of-46 on stole base attempts this season and 7-of-7 in the series.
• The UK pitchers have struck out 338 in 31 games.
• UK is 4-5 on the road this season.

• Senior RHP Daniel Harper made his 87^th career appearance, fifth in school history. He needs five more to move into a tie for fourth with Josh Paxton (1997-2000)
• Junior RHP Tyler Guilfoil struck out eight and allowed just three hits in 4.0 innings.
  • He threw a UK career-high 59 pitches.
• Junior INF Chase Estep has reached base safely in 30 of 31 games this season.
• Senior OF Adam Fogel had a pair of hits and drove in two.
  • He has seven multi-hit games this season.
  • He has three multi-RBI games this season.

• Senior OF Hunter Jump has reached base safely in 10 straight games.

  • He has 11 multi-hit games this season.
• Senior IF Daniel Harris IV went 3-for-5 with a run, two RBI and a steal.
  • He now has eight multi-hit games.
  • He has four multi-RBI games.

• Senior OF John Thrasher tied his UK career-long with a four-game hit streak.

 
ON DECK
Kentucky concludes its series at Texas A&M on Saturday. First pitch on Friday is at 4 p.m. ET on the SEC Network. The radio call will be on the UK Sports Network.