No. 24 Kentucky Posts Two-Hit Shutout for 6-0 Series Finale Victory

No. 24 Kentucky rose and shined on Sunday.

Playing at 11 a.m. local time because of impending weather, the Wildcats (15-7, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) struck for five first-inning runs and then watched its pitching staff throw a two-hit shutout to claim the series finale, 6-0, over No. 16 Auburn.

For the fourth time in six SEC games, the Cats chased the opposing starting pitcher before he could record five outs, this time sending him to the showers after six batters. Meanwhile, UK starter Ben Cleaver managed to work around four walks with 4.1 one-hit innings. Evan Byers bailed him out of the one jam UK was in all day, with the help from a terrific defensive play, and Tommy Skelding pitched 4.0 one-hit innings to earn his first career save.

The Cats used Auburn’s wildness on the mound against them in the first, drawing four walks, and a hit by pitch around a SAC fly and RBI single. UK added an insurance run in the seventh when Patrick Herrera doubled for his fourth straight multi-hit game and scored on Devin Burkes’s two-out RBI single.

 

NOTES

• Kentucky is 15-7 (2-4 SEC) on the season.
• UK has been hit by a pitch 45 times in the last 13 games.
• UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his ninth season at the helm and now owns a 278-171 career record.
  • Mingione now is the second-winningest coach in school history.
  • UK is 110-42 in the month of March under Coach Mingione.
  • Mingione now is 12-5 vs. Auburn.
• Sophomore LHP Ben Cleaver only allowed one hit in 4.1 innings, did not allow a run, walked four and struck out five.
• RS Freshman RHP Tommy Skelding earned his first career save.
  • He allowed no runs on one hit with one strikeout over the final 4.0 innings.
• Freshman IF Tyler Bell went 1-for-4 with a run and RBI single.
  • He has reached base safely in all 22 career games.
• Senior OF Shaun Montoya was hit by a pitch to extend his reached base streak to 20 games.
• Senior IF Patrick Herrera had two hits to give him seven multi-hit games this season.
  • He has four straight multi-hit games.

ON DECK

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