Wild Night Calling: No. 21 Kentucky Claims Series With See-Saw Victory

Displaying the ability to win games in a variety of ways is the hallmark of any successful team and No. 21 Kentucky checked a box on a rainy Saturday night with its thrilling 12-7 victory over The Citadel at Kentucky Proud Park.

The Wildcats (13-2) will go for a series sweep on Sunday.

A five-run lead through six innings turned into a one-run deficit with five outs remaining but the Cats delivered three critical blows against one of the Bulldogs’ high-end relievers to flip the script. Tagger Tyson clubbed a two-run double and Jayce Tharnish followed with a three-run home run on the next pitch before Ethan Hindle capped the uprising with a 415-foot blast of his own.

Ryan Mullan put up a scoreless ninth to close things and keep The Citadel from capitalizing on a hit by pitch and walk, as it had in a four-run seventh. That inning narrowed the gap before the Cats fell behind 7-6 in the top of the eighth.

UK’s winning rally started with a Tyler Bell single and Caeden Cloud walk. After a sacrifice bunt, Ryan Schwartz reached on an error to load the bases in front of Tyson’s big hit.

NOTES

• Kentucky is 13-2 on the season.
  • UK is 130-65 since the beginning of 2023.
• UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his 10th season at the helm and now owns a 305-194 career record.
  • Mingione is the second-winningest coach in school history.
  • UK is 117-45 in the month of March under Coach Mingione.
  • Mingione is 182-54 in non-conference games.
    • He is 161-25 vs. non-Power Four opponents.
  • Mingione is 157-66 at Kentucky Proud Park.
  • Mingione now is 2-0 vs. The Citadel.
  • Mingione is 25-15 vs. teams from South Carolina.
• Kentucky had its second six-run inning in as many nights.
• UK scored 10 or more runs for the second straight night and third time in four games this week.
• IF Ethan Hindle went 2-for-5 with a R, 2 RBI and HR.
  • 14 of Hindle’s 17 hits this season have gone for extra bases.
  • This week: 7-for-13 with 5 R, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 3 2B and 3 HR.
• OF Scott Campbell Jr. went 1-for-2 with a RBI and two SAC bunts.
  • He also threw out a runner at home plate.
• C Tagger Tyson went 2-for-4 with a R, 3 RBI and a double.
  • He had the go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning.
  • He threw out a third straight would-be base stealer.
• OF Jayce Tharnish went 2-for-5 with 2 R, 3 RBI and HR.

ON DECK

UK goes for the sweep on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET instead of its originally scheduled 1 p.m. The game is on SECN+ and the contest can be heard on UK Sports Network.