No(ve) Soup for You! Jackson Nove’s First Save Propels Kentucky to Victory

The bullpen shined and Devin Burkes did Devin Burkes things on a baseball diamond again as Kentucky fought off a pesky Lipscomb club to score a series-opening 7-4 victory at Kentucky Proud Park on Friday.

In a game moved up three hours due to the forecast for heavy rains in the late afternoon and evening, UK moved to 8-1 with a hard-fought win. The Cats erased an early deficit by scoring a pair of two-out runs in its half if the first inning, in part fueled by the first RBI single of Burkes’ day. After seeing a 4-1 lead disappear in the fourth, UK scored a single run in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings as it continually applied pressure on the basepaths. The Cats stole seven bases in the game for the second time this season and now are 29-of-32 on the season.

Meanwhile, the bullpen continued to post zeroes and extended its scoreless inning streak to 13 consecutive frames. After Cameron O’Brien delivered a huge out in the hairy fourth inning, Trey Pooser was excellent in his two innings of work before handing the ball to Jackson Nove. The lefty was electric, striking out five in a career-long tying 3.0 hitless innings.

The game also was a bit testy late, as Lipscomb catcher Jake Berg was ejected for a swipe at Mitchell Daly’s head after a slide at home plate.

NOTES

• Kentucky now is 8-1 in 2024.
  • This is UK’s best start since 2022 when the Cats started on a 10-1 run to open the season.
• UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his eighth season at the helm and now owns a 224-151 career record.
  • Mingione needs 34 victories to become the second-winningest coach in school history.
  • UK is 86-34 in the month of March under Coach Mingione.
  • Mingione is 141-41 in non-conference games overall.
  • Mingione is 122-16 vs. non-Power Five opponents.
• Kentucky’s bullpen has pitched 13 consecutive scoreless innings.
• Kentucky went 7-of-7 on stolen base attempts in the game.
  • UK is 29-of-32 on the season.
  • It is the second time this season (USC Upstate on Feb. 17) the Cats have stolen seven bags in a game.
  • It ties the second-most steals in a game by UK since 2007.
• The Wildcats drew eight walks and were hit by two pitches.
• Senior RHP Trey Pooser earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief.
• Junior LHP Jackson Nove pitched 3.0 hitless innings to earn the save.
  • He struck out five, a new career high.
  • The 3.0 innings also ties a career high.
• Junior C Devin Burkes went 3-for-4 with two runs, three RBI, two steals and a walk.
  • It was Burkes’ second multi-hit game of the season and 22^nd
  • It was his second multi-RBI game of the season and 15^th
  • Burkes now is 7-of-7 on stolen bases in 2024.
  • He also threw out a runner attempting to steal.
• Senior INF Mitchell Daly went 2-for-3 with an RBI, a double and a steal.
  • It was Daly’s second multi-hit game as a Wildcat.
  • He has reached safely in seven straight games.
• Junior OF Ryan Waldschmidt went 1-for-3 with an RBI, a double, a walk, a hit by pitch and a steal.
• Junior INF Patrick Herrera set a UK career high with two hits.
  • He went 2-for-5 with two runs, tying a career best.

ON DECK

Kentucky hosts Lipscomb in game two of the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on SECN+.  Audio coverage will be provided by the UK Sports Network on UKathletics.com and 98.5 FM (Lexington).