No. 21 Kentucky Becomes Only Second Team to Win SEC Road Series

COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 21 Kentucky showed grit and moxie on Sunday afternoon, defeating a Missouri team that plays well at home, 7-6, to join top-ranked Arkansas atop the Southeastern Conference standings, as well as the only two teams to win a road series through two weeks of conference play.

It is the Wildcats’ first series win in Columbia since 2017 and moves them to 20-4 overall, 5-1 in league play.

Two-way player James McCoy came on and induced a weak foul out by the only batter he faced to earn his first career save, stranding the tying and winning runs on base in the process. UK used six pitchers in the game and found a way to escape multiple predicaments throughout, especially in the late innings to preserve the lead on a day when starter Mason Moore gutted through five innings.

Offensively, UK grabbed an early lead, fell behind and then delivered a comeback. The Cats had a pair of three-run innings sandwiched around Ryan Nicholson’s solo moon shot to centerfield that tied the game in the fourth. Nicholson, Nick Lopez and Grant Smith each had two hits, including Smith’s 200^th collegiate hit.

UK will host Miami University on Tuesday night before an Easter weekend trip to Ole Miss.

NOTES

• Kentucky now is 20-4 in 2024, 5-1 in Southeastern Conference play.
  • Kentucky is 14-4 in day games.
  • Kentucky is 6-1 in true road games.
• UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his eighth season at the helm and now owns a 236-154 career record.
  • Mingione needs 22 victories to become the second-winningest coach in school history.
  • UK is 98-37 in the month of March under Coach Mingione.
  • Mingione is 13-8 vs. Missouri.
• UK is just the second SEC team to win a road series over the first two weeks of league play.
• This is the first time UK has won a series in Columbia since 2017.
• Sophomore James McCoy earned his first career save by recording the final out of the game with the tying and winning runs on base.
  • He also had a SAC fly on offense.
• Senior Grant Smith 2-for-4 with two RBI.
  • He logged his 200^th career hit in the 2^nd inning, a two-out, two-run clean single through the left side of the infield.
  • It was his third multi-hit game of the season and 17^th
• Senior Ryan Nicholson went 2-for-3 with three runs, an RBI, a home run and a HBP.
  • It was his team-leading fourth homer of the season and 37^th
• Senior Nick Lopez went 2-for-4 with two runs.
  • It was his 10th multi-hit game of the season.

ON DECK

The Wildcats will host Miami (Ohio) on Tuesday night. The contest between the Cats and the RedHawks will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET and stream on SECN+, with radio coverage available on 98.5 FM (Lexington) and UKAthletics.com.