Raided: Wright State Homers Way Past Kentucky

Andrew Patrick and Jay Luikart each hit a pair of home runs and a four-run first inning carried Wright State to a series-evening 12-9 victory at Kentucky Proud Park on Saturday afternoon.

Luikart went 4-for-4 with four runs scored, three RBI, a double and a pair of homers. He also earned the save on the mound.

Wright State took advantage of UK not being as sharp as usual and punished the Cats with two outs in the first and third innings. In the game, the Wildcats (4-2) made four errors, three of which came on errant pickoff attempts.

The Raiders (2-4) saw their lead balloon to 9-1 through five innings then watched as UK closed the gap to 10-8 on Nolan McCarthy’s pinch hit home run in the eighth. Previously, Jackson Gray blasted a three-run homer with two outs in the seventh after Hunter Gilliam drew a walk in an 11-pitch battle.

The Cats could not claw all the way, setting up Sunday’s finale that will determine the weekend series.

NOTES

• UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his seventh season at the helm and now owns a 180-131 career record.
• Kentucky is 113-38 in non-conference games under Coach Mingione.
  • UK is 99-16 vs. non-Power Five opponents.
  • UK is 36-16 in the month of February under Coach Mingione.
• UK pitchers have struck out 66 and walked just 11 through six games.
• All six of UK’s hits went for extra bases.
• Catcher Devin Burkes currently has reached base safely in 19 consecutive games dating to the 2022 season.
  • He went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
  • He had two doubles in the game and now has five in the series.
• First baseman Hunter Gilliam has started 119 consecutive games at the collegiate level.
• Infielder Grant Smith has started all 122 games of his collegiate career.
• Outfielder Nolan McCarthy hit a pinch hit solo home run.
• Outfielder Jackson Gray went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run.
  • The homer was his first as a Wildcat.
  • It also was the 100^th hit of his career.
• Pitcher Austin Strickland struck out seven in 3.1 innings.
• Sophomore pitcher Colby Frieda made his season debut and struck out the side in his first inning of work.

ON DECK

Kentucky will try to win the series vs. Wright State on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET at Kentucky Proud Park. The game will be streamed on SECN+. The radio call will be on the UK Sports Network.