FB Recruiting RECAP: Cats plate 3 in 9th to beat Auburn

[Jeff Drummond]

RECAP: Cats plate three in the 9th to claim walk-off win over Auburn

Luke Heyer hit his 11th home run of the season for the Wildcats.
Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated

Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated.com
@JDrumUK

Luke Heyer hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning and Kentucky plated a third run in the final frame on a wild pitch as the No. 6 Wildcats beat the No. 9 Auburn 5-4 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game weekend series at Cliff Hagan Stadium.

Kentucky (16-6, 1-3 SEC) bounced back from being swept in its first SEC series last weekend at Arkansas.

Trailing 4-2 in the ninth, the Cats got a leadoff single from Luke Becker. With one out, Heyer blasted his team-leading 11th homer of the season over the wall in right-centerfield.

Back to back singles by Ryan Johnson and Kole Cottam put the game-winning run at third. Zeke Lewis came on to pinch run for Johnson and scored on a wild pitch from Auburn's Elliott Anderson to touch off a wild celebration by the Cats.

Heyer was the offensive star. The senior third baseman/outfielder also added a double to his stat line, raising his season average to .372. Troy Squires and Becker, who also homered earlier in the game, each added two hits for UK.

Jimmy Ramsey (1-1) earned the win out of the UK bullpen. He pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. Sean Hjelle started and worked 6.1 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits with no walks. The junior right-hander struck out seven.

Auburn (19-4, 2-2 SEC) wasted a strong start from ace Casey Mize, who allowed only two runs on five hits, no walks, and struck out 12. Calvin Coker (3-1) took the loss, charged with all three runs in the ninth.

Catcher Brett Wright homered for the Tigers, who had only one other extra-base hit.

Game 2 of the series is slated for noon ET on Saturday.

 

[Jeff Drummond]

NOTES

·The Cats now have two walk-off wins this season, scoring at least three runs in the ninth inning both times.

·The Cats are now 4-4 vs. ranked teams this season, including 3-4 vs. Top 10 teams.


·The offense has …

oHit a home run in 21 of 22 games this season.

oRacked up 101 extra-base hits


·Several Cats extended impressive reached base safely streaks…

oJunior OF Tristan Pompey has reached in 52 of the last 54 games.

oSenior INF Luke Becker has reached in all 22 games.

oSenior C/1B Troy Squires has reached in 21 of 22 games this season.


·Senior IF/OF Luke Heyer went 2-for-4 with a run, two RBI, a double and a home run.

oHeyer now has a career-high 11 home runs on the season.

oHe now has 10 multi-hit games this season and 14 for his career.

oHe has eight multi-RBI games this season and 10 for his career.

oHeyer has 16 extra-base hits for the season.


·Senior IF Luke Becker went 2-for-4 with two runs, an RBI and a home run.

oBecker is the only UK player to have reached base safely in every game this season.

oBecker has six multi-hit games this season and 33 for his career.

oHe began the ninth inning rally with a leadoff single.


·Freshman RHP Jimmy Ramsey pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, striking out two and allowing just one hit.

oRamsey earned his first collegiate victory.

 

[Old_Red]

Ramsey really did well. Kept the ball low in the zone and put up with some balls that sure looked like strikes to me. Kept his poise and got the job done so that we could have the heroics in the bottom of the ninth. He overcame a first pitch mistake that could shake a lot of more experienced pitchers. So who starts tomorrow?

 

[Jeff Drummond]

Ramsey really did well. Kept the ball low in the zone and put up with some balls that sure looked like strikes to me. Kept his poise and got the job done so that we could have the heroics in the bottom of the ninth. He overcame a first pitch mistake that could shake a lot of more experienced pitchers. So who starts tomorrow?

I've liked what I've seen of him so far this season. He has a good "makeup" to him.

Not sure on the other starter for this series yet. They're saying it's going to be a few more weeks before Thompson returns.