Kentucky Drops Series Opener at Texas A&M

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – For the fourth time in as many road Southeastern Conference games, Kentucky jumped out to a sizeable lead early in the contest but could not hold onto that advantage, dropping a 9-7 decision to Texas A&M in Friday night’s series opener.

The Cats dropped to 15-9 overall, 2-5 in the league with the defeat.

UK stormed out to a 7-1 lead heading to the bottom of the fourth before the Aggies, the preseason top-ranked team that has struggled to a 12-12 record, started chipping away. They cut the deficit to four after the fourth and then piled up a five-run fifth that erased the deficit and gave them an 8-7 lead.

UK chased starter Ryan Prager, who had been sensational against the Cats in last season’s College World Series, before he recorded an out in the fourth by could not solve reliever Weston Moss, who pitched 6.0 scoreless innings. UK had one final chance in the ninth when it put two runners on but Tyler Bell’s deep fly to left was caught at the wall to end the game.

NOTES

• Kentucky is 15-9 (2-5 SEC) on the season.
• UK has been hit by a pitch 47 times in the last 15 games.
• UK has scored 15 total runs in the first inning of its seven conference games, including at least three in three of four road games.
• This was the fifth time in seven SEC games the opposing starting pitcher did not record an out in the fourth inning.
• UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his ninth season at the helm and now owns a 278-173 career record.
  • Mingione is the second-winningest coach in school history.
  • UK is 110-44 in the month of March under Coach Mingione.
  • Mingione now is 5-9 vs. Texas A&M.
• Freshman IF Tyler Bell went 2-for-5 with a run and two-run double.
  • He has reached base streak to all 24 career games
• Senior OF Cole Hage went 1-for-3 with two runs, 3 RBI and an HBP.
  • He hit his seventh home run of the season.
• Junior IF Luke Lawrence went 2-for-5 with two runs, a double and a triple.
  • He now has eight multi-hit games.
• Junior UTL/RHP James McCoy pitched 2.0 scoreless innings.
  • He has allowed only one run in 12 career appearances.

ON DECK

Game two of the series is Saturday at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT. It will be on the SEC Network+ and radio will be carried by the UK Sports Network.