No. 23 Kentucky Claims Series with 2-1 Victory Over Wofford

Challenged by a program that annually sees on-field success, No. 23 Kentucky dug deep and earned a hard-fought series win over Wofford with a 2-1 victory in Sunday’s finale at Kentucky Proud Park.

The Wildcats moved to 12-2 overall with one game remaining before entering Southeastern Conference play.

Pitchers Ethan Walker and Scott Rouse were excellent on the mound, yielding only an unearned run and the offense manufactured just enough production to best the Terriers. Walker (5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 unearned run, 4 K) turned in his best start at UK and Rouse (4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K) pounded the zone late as Wofford tried in vain to create the tying run.

Offensively, a two-out rally tied the game in the fourth when Patrick Herrera beat out a two-out infield chopper, James McCoy walked and Devin Burkes delivered a 3-2 tying single. In the sixth, Tyler Bell led off with a double, advanced to third on Shaun Montoya’s SAC bunt and scored when Herrera lifted a long fly ball to center.

NOTES

• Kentucky is 12-2 on the season.
• UK has 98 wins since the beginning of the 2023 season (98-39).
• UK has been hit by a pitch 17 times in the last five games.
• UK stole 10 of 11 bases in the series.
• UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his ninth season at the helm and now owns a 274-168 career record.
  • Mingione now is the second-winningest coach in school history.
  • UK is 107-38 in the month of March under Coach Mingione.
  • Mingione is 163-47 in non-conference games overall and 143-21 vs. non-Power Four opponents.
  • Mingione now is 3-1 vs. Wofford.
• Junior RHP Ethan Walker went 5.0 innings, allowing one unearned run on two hits and striking out four.
• Senior RHP Scott Rouse earned his third win, going 4.0 scoreless innings, yielding three hits, walking two and striking out four.

 ON DECK

Kentucky hosts Northern Illinois on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. ET. It will be streamed on SECN+ and radio will be carried by the UK Sports Network.