Stunned: Kentucky Drops Series Opener in Dramatic Fashion

Down to its final out trailing by a run, No. 16 Auburn struck for a pair of runs, aided by a dropped infield fly, to shock No. 24 Kentucky 8-7 on Friday night at Kentucky Proud Park.

Entering the ninth leading by a run the Wildcats (14-6, 1-3 Southeastern Conference) appeared to have the game in hand after a leadoff groundout. But Cooper McMurray slapped a routine bouncer through the infield against the defensive shift to give the Tigers (18-4, 3-1) life. A pinch runner stole second before a tapper back to the pitcher brought UK within an out of closing the game out. Chase Fralick then sliced a soft liner to left for a double that eluded Cole Hage’s diving attempt to score the tying run.

Still on the verge of getting out of the inning tied, Ike Irish’s infield fly ball was dropped, allowing the winning run to score from second. The shell-shocked Cats then went quietly in the ninth.

The unfortunate ending overshadowed a gritty effort by the Cats, who erased three separate deficits in the game. Tyler Bell and Devin Burkes each drove in a pair of runs with Bell adding three hits and Burkes his third home run of the season. Simon Gregersen was tagged with the loss despite arguable his best outing of the season.

NOTES

• Kentucky is 14-6 (1-3 SEC) on the season.
• UK has been hit by a pitch 37 times in the last 11 games.
• UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his ninth season at the helm and now owns a 277-170 career record.
  • Mingione now is the second-winningest coach in school history.
  • UK is 109-41 in the month of March under Coach Mingione.
  • Mingione now is 11-4 vs. Auburn.
• Senior C Devin Burkes went 2-for-4 with a run, two RBI and a solo home run.
  • The home run was his third of the season.
  • It was his fifth multi-hit game of the season and 37^th
  • It was his fourth multi-RBI game of the season and 26^th
• Senior IF Patrick Herrera went 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI.
  • It was his fifth multi-hit and fourth multi-RBI game of the season.
• Freshman IF Tyler Bell went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a double.
  • It was his eighth multi-hit game of the season and fifth multi-RBI game.

ON DECK

Kentucky hosts No. 16 Auburn on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. It will be streamed on SECN+ and radio will be carried by the UK Sports Network.