'Resilient' Cats Fight Past No. 2 Texas in 15 Innings
The Kentucky baseball team has amazingly played extra innings in four of its last six games. On Saturday, the Cats played their longest game of the season, and the experience of playing in those extra-inning games paid off in a big way.
Facing No. 2 Texas, the Cats battled all day long, finally breaking through when Devin Burkes scored the winning run in the bottom of the 15th inning, as UK won 5-4.
UK head coach Nick Mingione, who was ejected from the game following the sixth inning, watched from the clubhouse as his team rallied past the Longhorns, who lost just their second Southeastern Conference game of the season. The UK skipper was pleased with Saturday’s outcome.
“We’ve been right there, all year. We’re resilient,” Mingione said. “You’re not in baseball games without being that way. We’re right there. I’m proud. Happy for the guys.”
Mingione knows that, despite the fact that the results haven’t always been in favor of the Cats this season, his team has never stopped believing.
“Our team has never not believed,” Mingione said. “You don’t come back the way we’ve come back. We have the belief factor. For us to do that, and to come back and win it – that’s two weekends in a row that we’ve had a walk-off and we hadn’t had a walk-off all season long until the last two weekends – the belief is there. It’s about the execution and we executed at a high level today and it showed. It’s what it was going to take to beat the number two team in the country. I’m just proud of our guys.”
Burkes led off the 15th inning with a clean single to left field. Griffin Cameron was the next batter and he laid down a nice bunt that Texas catcher Rylan Galvan attempted to barehand. However, Galvan had trouble grabbing the baseball and when he did, his throw was wild and went down the right field line. Burkes, the fifth-year senior catcher, raced to second base, then to third and ultimately scored the winning run with a head-first dive into home plate. Mingione thought it was appropriate that Burkes was right in the middle of the winning play.
“Right there at the end, Devin, right in the middle of it always,” Mingione said. “Gets the leadoff single and Griff, who had an opportunity earlier in the day didn’t get it done, but he did that time and the game rewarded him. Resilient.”
The Kentucky bullpen had one of its best outings of the season on Saturday. The combination of Evan Byers, Jackson Nove, Simon Gregersen, Niles Adcock and Cole Hentschel pitched 9.2 innings, allowing just one run on six hits while walking just one and striking out 13.
“Unbelievable pitching today, all around. Nic McCay was phenomenal. Evan Byers comes in and did what he does. Jackson got us huge outs. How about Simon Gregersen. Man, that was absolutely phenomenal. Nile was great, then Cole Hentschel, our bullpen just phenomenal all day long.”
Mingione knew it would take a resilient effort, great execution and making winning plays to beat second-ranked Texas. On Saturday, the Cats got all of those in winning their sixth SEC game of the season.
