Cats Return to Winning Formula on Tuesday
After dropping two out of three games against Missouri over the weekend, the Kentucky baseball team was back at Kentucky Proud Park on Tuesday to face intrastate rival Louisville. And the Cats returned to their winning formula in a 4-2 victory over the Cardinals.
UK head coach Nick Mingione liked how his team got back to doing what they do best.
“When we’re at our best, this is what we do,” Mingione said. “We pitch and defend at an ultra-high level. We can use multiple guys and then we are a productive and efficient offense to where we just capitalize. And that’s what we did (today).”
Mingione and the UK staff talked to the team on Monday and he thought his team, especially the pitchers and defense, did precisely what they were asked to do.
“I am so proud of our team because (they did) exactly what we talked about on Monday,” Mingione said. “They came out and executed. What a job by our pitchers. We threw eight guys and they bent, but never broke. And they made the pitch when we needed them to make that pitch.”
After dropping two close games to Missouri last weekend, Mingione reminded his team that the difference between winning and losing can be a single play.
“I love how every pitch mattered,” Mingione said. “I told them on Monday, I we reminded them, the margin of victory is so small. We were two plays away from sweeping (Missouri) last weekend and instead, we lose two out of three. I just told them you have to have an appreciation for that. Let’s have an appreciation, embrace that and just go after it. And then, make the plays and do what the game demands and that’s what we did tonight.”
The Cats were not at full strength on Tuesday, as first baseman Hudson Brown missed the game due to illness. That allowed freshman Caeden Cloud to get the start at third base, while Tyler Cerny started at first.
“Huddy’s not feeling great, so we couldn’t play him,” Mingione said. “That created an opening and we wanted to get Caeden Cloud in there. What a job he did on the double play when we needed it the most and the diving play on the bunt, just phenomenal job.”
Mingione likes how so many players contributed to Tuesday’s win over Louisville.
“We played a lot of guys today,” Mingione said. “That’s probably my favorite part. When you think about, we threw eight arms and we used 11 positional players. So, a lot of guys contributed today. Overall, you hear it said a team win, this was a team win.”
The Cats earned a win on Tuesday by doing what they do best – pitching effectively and playing solid defense. That formula pushed the Cats past the Cards in this midweek affair.
