No. 18 Kentucky Drops Midweek Affair to Morehead State

No. 18 Kentucky struggled to come up with timely hits or keep leadoff men off the bases, dropping its home opener 8-6 to Morehead State at Kentucky Proud Park on Tuesday night.

The Eagles put the leadoff man on base in six of nine innings and answered right back every time the Wildcats (3-1) scored, proving their fall exhibition victory over UK wasn’t a fluke.  Morehead took the lead for good in the sixth inning and kept UK from seriously threatening the rest of the contest. Sophomore Aubrey Kearns – son of former Cincinnati Red Austin Kearns – finished 3-for-5 with three RBI, including a two-run home run.

UK’s talented freshmen nearly bailed out the Cats. Braxton Van Cleave, earning his first collegiate start, had a bases loaded, three-run double and Owen Jenkins added a two-run single but it wasn’t enough to stave off the upset.

Righty Chase Alderman, a Morehead native, earned the start on the mound after missing two seasons with elbow and knee injuries and allowed four earned runs in 3.2 innings.

NOTES

• Kentucky is 3-1 on the season.
  • UK is 120-64 since the beginning of 2023.
  • UK now is 51-29 vs. Morehead State all-time.
• UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his 10th season at the helm and now owns a 296-193 career record.
  • Mingione is the second-winningest coach in school history.
  • UK is 56-19 in the month of February under Coach Mingione.
  • Mingione is 172-53 in non-conference games.
    • He is 151-24 vs. non-Power Four opponents.
  • Mingione now is 6-1 vs. Morehead State.
• Kentucky was hit by four pitches.
• Kentucky was caught stealing for the first time this season after 23 consecutive stolen bases.
• True freshmen drove in five of the Cats’ six runs.
• IF Hudson Brown went 2-for-4 with a run.
  • Brown laced a line single to right in his first at bat to extend his hit streak to nine games, a career long.
• OF Braxton Van Cleave earned his first career start.
  • He blistered a bases loaded, three-run double for his college hit.
  • He finished 1-4 with three RBI, a double and walk.
• C/UT Owen Jenkins had a two-run single.
• IF Tyler Cerny had two hits, including a double off the wall.
• LHP Jackson Soucie pitched two scoreless innings.
• RHP Chase Alderman made the start after missing two seasons with injuries.
  • Final line: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 4 K
• Players who made their Kentucky debut: RHP Chase Alderman

ON DECK

UK travels to Evansville for a three-game series that opens Friday at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. local. Friday’s game will stream live on ESPN+.