FB Recruiting RECAP: Cats bounce back with 20-4 win over Xavier

[Jeff Drummond]

RECAP: Kentucky bounces back with 20-4 romp over Xavier

Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione with senior infielder Luke Becker.
Jeff Drummond

Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated.com
@JDrumUK

Kentucky bashed seven home runs on Tuesday in Cincinnati to blast Xavier 20-4 and avenge a loss to the Musketeers earlier this season.

Brad Cottam and Luke Heyer each hit two home runs as the No. 6 Wildcats bounced back from a lopsided sweep at the hands of Arkansas in the opening weekend of SEC play. Ben Aklinski, Luke Becker and T.J. Collett also homered for UK.

Kentucky (15-6) collected 15 hits on the day, led by four from Collett, who also drove in four runs. Aklinski and Cottam each had three hits, while Heyer tallied five RBI.

Heyer, a senior third baseman/outfielder, leads the slugging Cats with 10 home runs on the season. Collett (9) and Cottam (9) are just behind him.

It was more than enough run support for UK starter Daniel Harper and four pitchers from the bullpen. Brad Schaenzer (1-1) earned the win with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief after Harper surrendered four runs in the first 3.1 innings.

Alec Maley, Mason Hazelwood and Chris Machamer each added a scoreless inning of relief work. The Cats' staff struck out nine while walking only one batter on a frigid 37-degree day in the Queen City.

Nick Zwack (0-4) started and took the loss for Xavier (7-13), allowing four earned runs on four hits and two walks in 3.0-plus innings on the mound.

The Cats turned a close game into a rump by scoring eight runs in the fifth inning and six more in the seventh.

Kentucky returns to action Friday in a three-game SEC series against Auburn at Cliff Hagan Stadium in Lexington.

 

[Jeff Drummond]

NOTES

• The offense has …
  • Hit a home run in 20 of 21 games this season.
  • Hit .321 as a team through 21 games
  • Racked up 98 extra-base hits
  • Slugged .571 as a team
  • Has eight lineup regulars hitting over .300
  • Team on-base percentage of .433
  • Have eight regular starters with OBPs over .400

• The Cats have a number of players with impressive reached base safely streaks…
  • Junior OF Tristan Pompey has reached in 51 of the last 53 games.
  • Senior INF Luke Becker has reached in all 21 games.
  • Junior OF Ben Aklinski has reached in 16 straight games.
  • Senior C/1B Troy Squires has reached in 20 of 21 games this season.
  • Sophomore DH T.J. Collett has reached in 19 of the past 20 games.

• Junior C/1B Kole Cottam went 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI and two home runs.
  • He has homered in three of the past four games, with four total blasts.
  • He tied his career-high for runs, RBI and hits in the game.
  • He has eight multi-hit games this season and 34 for his career.
  • He has eight career multi-RBI game and 23 for his career.
  • His nine home runs already are a single-season career-high.

• Junior OF Ben Aklinski went 3-for-5 with three runs, five RBI and a home run.
  • The five RBI are a career-high.
  • He tied his career high with three runs and three hits.
  • Aklinski has homered in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.
  • He has nine multi-hit games this season.

• Senior IF/OF Luke Heyer went 2-for-5 with two runs, five RBI and two home runs.
  • Set a new career-high with five RBI.
  • Heyer now has a career-high 10 home runs on the season.
  • He now has nine multi-hit games this season and 13 for his career.
  • He has seven multi-RBI games this season and nine for his career.

• Sophomore DH T.J. Collett went 4-for-5 with three runs, four RBI and a home run.
  • Collett now has nine home runs on the season.
  • Set a career-high for runs with three.
  • Tied his career-high for hits with four.
  • He now has eight multi-hit games this season.
  • He now has nine multi-RBI games this season and 11 for his career.

• Junior IF Alex Rodriguez walked four times and scored three runs.
  • Rodriguez is the first UK player to walk four times in a game since Andy Burns did so on May 3, 2009 vs. Tennessee.
  • Set a new career-high with three runs scored.

 

[Comebakatz3]

Jeff, the main story says 'Brad Cottam.' Don't mean to seem critical, but thought that might be a good thing to get fixed.