Uncharacteristic Mistakes Sink No. 25 Kentucky

No. 25 Kentucky made several uncharacteristic miscues that contributed to an early four-run hole from which it could never recover, dropping the series opener to an opportunistic Kennesaw State club, 13-1, at a rainy Kentucky Proud Park on Friday.

The loss ended Kentucky’s eight-game win streak.

The Owls (8-6) pounced on the Wildcats (12-2) in the third inning when a one-out double was followed with a wild pitch on strike three that allowed the batter to reach first base safely. A subsequent squeeze play with a runner on third looked like a potential second out at the plate but pitcher Travis Smith’s shovel to the catcher was errant, allowing the runner to score the game’s first run. Kennesaw State went on to add three more runs in the inning.

Meanwhile, Kennesaw starter Braden Oswalt was carving up the Cats with a steady diet of strikes that kept him ahead of the count against UK’s typically patient hitters. The Cats could not get a hit with runners on base in the early innings as they could only manage a home run from freshman Kyuss Gargett.

In the late innings Kennesaw piled on UK’s young relievers, adding a single run in the seventh and scoring eight runs in the eighth after having nobody on with two outs.

NOTES

• Kentucky now is 12-2 in 2024.
  • Kentucky is 10-2 in day games.
• Kentucky is 36-6 vs. non-conference foes (including the Lexington Regional) since the beginning of the 2023 season.
• UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his eighth season at the helm and now owns a 228-152 career record.
  • Mingione needs 30 victories to become the second-winningest coach in school history.
  • UK is 90-35 in the month of March under Coach Mingione.
  • Mingione is 145-42 in non-conference games overall.
  • Mingione is 126-17 vs. non-Power Five opponents.
• R-Sophomore RHP Travis Smith pitched 7.0 innings, a new career high.
  • He allowed five runs (four earned) on four hits, walking two and striking out seven.
  • He threw a career-high 104 pitches.
• Junior OF Ryan Waldschmidt went 2-for-4.
  • It was his second multi-hit game of the season and 14^th of his career.
• Senior IF Nick Lopez went 2-for-3 with a walk and a double.
  • It was his fifth multi-hit game of the season.
• Freshman IF Kyuss Gargett went 1-for-3 with a solo home run.
  • It was the first home run of Gargett’s career.
  • Gargett has three career hits, all of which have gone for extra bases.

ON DECK

No. 25 Kentucky will host Kennesaw State on Saturday afternoon at Kentucky Proud Park. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on the UK Sports Network, with streaming available on SECN+.