FB Recruiting Cats sweep MTSU

[Jeff Drummond]

Cats sweep MTSU

Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated.com
@JDrumUK

UK pitching dominates in Sunday doubleheader as Wildcats hold Blue Raiders to four runs over 18 innings, complete three-game series sweep at Kentucky Proud Park.

Kentucky's Breydon Daniel slid safely into home as MTSU catcher Aaron Antonini could not field the throw and apply the tag in time.
Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The Kentucky pitching staff held Middle Tennessee to just four runs on Sunday afternoon in taking both games of a doubleheader at Kentucky Proud Park, 7-0 and 5-4.

The Wildcats' Grant Macciocchi, Cole Daniels and Daniel Harper combined to two-hit the Blue Raiders in the first game.

Macciocchi, a junior right-hander, started and tossed 6.1 innings of one-hit baseball with seven strikeouts and no walks. Daniels (2-0) came out of the bullpen to get out of seventh-inning jam by retiring both batters he faced. Harper worked the final two innings, allowing only one baserunner.

Kentucky's bats plated six runs in the seventh inning to break a scoreless tie. A three-run double by junior outfielder Javon Shelby highlighted the big inning.

Shelby and Cameron Hill each had two hits to lead the Cats at the plate.

In the finale, Kentucky (11-4) won in dramatic fashion as Ryan Shinn hit a walk-off, two-run home run to turn a one-run deficit into a one-run victory. It was the Cats' second walk-off win in nine games since opening Kentucky Proud Park.

Shelby added two hits, including an RBI double, for the Cats. Breydon Daniel and Austin Schultz also had two hits apiece.

Eight UK pitchers combined to keep MTSU in check. Jimmy Ramsey, the last of the committee to take the mound, earned his second win of the season by tossing three innings of one-hit, scoreless relief with four strikeouts.

The Cats' staff struck out 12 batters and walked only two. They fanned 20 and walked only two in the two games.

Kentucky has home games against SIU-Edwardsville (Tuesday) and Western Kentucky (Wednesday) before traveling to Baton Rouge to open Southeastern Conference play against LSU next weekend.

Cole Daniels came out of the UK bullpen to get the Cats out of a jam in both games on Sunday.
Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated

 

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NOTES

·Kentucky has scored in 79 consecutive games and 155 of the past 156 dating to the 2016 season. The lone shutout came in a seven-inning game. The current streak is the seventh-longest in school history.

·Kentucky is 38-5 in non-conference home games under coach Nick Mingione.

·The Cats are 74-4 under Mingione when leading after seven innings.

·The walk-off win was Kentucky’s second of the season and fourth in the Nick Mingione era.

oThis was the first walk-off home run for the Cats since Dorian Hairston walked off No. 2 South Carolina in the bottom of the 12th on May 8, 2016.

oEach of the last three walk-off wins for the Cats have been by a score of 5-4.


·Junior RHP Grant Macciocchi pitched 6.1 shutout innings, giving up one hit, striking out seven and walking none.

oThe 6.1 innings pitched and 74 pitches are career highs.

oThe seven strikeouts are a career high.

oHe did not give up a hit through the first six innings.

oIt was his first career weekend start and second overall.

oIn two starts, Macciocchi has given up just four hits and one run in 12.0 innings, walking one and striking out 13.

·Senior OF Ryan Shinn walked in the first inning of the first game and was hit by a pitch in the second game to extend his reached base safely streak to 14 games.

oHis walk-off home run was the first of his career.

·Sophomore C/INF Coltyn Kessler singled in the fifth inning of the first game and doubled as a pinch hitter in the second game to extend his career-long hitting streak to nine games. He’s reached base safely in 10 straight games.

·Freshman INF Austin Schultz notched his first career multi-hit game in the nightcap.

·Junior OF Jaren Shelby had multiple hits in both games and drove in four total runs.

·Sophomore RHP Jimmy Ramsey picked up the win in the second game.

oHe earned a win and a save in the three-game series.