FB Recruiting RECAP: Harper shines as Cats top Redhawks

[Jeff Drummond]

RECAP: Harper shines as Cats top Miami

Freshman right-hander Daniel Harper pitched a career-best six innings of shutout baseball on Tuesday against Miami (Ohio).
Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated

Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated.com
@JDrumUK

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Daniel Harper tossed six shutout innings Tuesday to highlight Kentucky's 13-7 win over Miami (Ohio) at Cliff Hagan Stadium.

The freshman right-hander from Fairway, Kan., allowed only three hits, walked just one, and struck out six in the longest outing of his young UK career. In doing so, Harper (2-1) shaved more than two runs off his season ERA.

Kentucky, ranked No. 7 in the latest Baseball America Top 25 poll, improved to 18-7 on the season.

The Wildcats got a career-high four hits from right fielder Ryan Johnson and three from center fielder Ben Aklinski to lead a 14-hit attack. Aklinski reached base five times on the night with the help of two walks and scored four runs.

Left fielder Tristan Pompey added two hits, including an RBI double, while second baseman Luke Becker chipped in with a two-run double of his own.

Miami starter Jay Wilson (0-1) took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits and a pair of walks over four innings of work.

The Redhawks (13-7) were blanked until breaking through with 7 runs in a wild seventh inning against the UK bullpen which, amazingly, saw the tying run come to the plate in a frame that began with the Cats leading 10-0.

Four different Kentucky pitchers combined to allow four hits, walk three and hit a batter in the marathon inning that turned a would-be blowout into a tightly contested game.

The Cats, however, came up with three insurance runs in the eighth to regain control.

Kentucky returns to action on Friday when it begins a three-game SEC series at Alabama.

 

[Jeff Drummond]

NOTES


·The offense has …

o Hit a home run in 23 of 25 games this season.

o Racked up 114 extra-base hits

o Averaged 9.84 runs per game in 19 non-conference games this season.


·Several Cats extended impressive reached base safely streaks…

o Junior OF Tristan Pompey has reached in 55 of the last 57 games.

o Senior INF Luke Becker has reached in all 25 games.

o Senior C/1B Troy Squires has reached in 24 of 25 games this season.

o Junior OF Ben Aklinski has reached in 19 of the last 20 games.

o Sophomore DH T.J. Collett has reached in 22 of the past 24 games.


·Freshman RHP Daniel Harper went 6.0 innings, giving up just three hits, walking one and striking out six.

o The outing was the longest of his career.

o He retired the first 11 hitters of the game.

o Went 4.1 innings before allowing a hit.

o Now owns a 23-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio for the season.


·Junior OF Tristan Pompey went 2-for-4 with two runs, an RBI, a double, a walk and steal.

o He now has 10 doubles in 2018 and 36 for his career.

o Pompey now has seven multi-hit games this season and 41 in his career.


·Junior OF Ben Aklinski went 3-for-3 with four runs, an RBI, a double, a steal and two walks.

o The four runs scored are a new career-high.

o Aklinski has 11 multi-hit games at UK.


·Junior OF Ryan Johnson went 4-for-5 with two runs, two RBI and a double.

o The four hits are a new career-high.

o He now has seven multi-hit games at UK.

o He has four multi-RBI games at UK.

o He has nine doubles on the season.

 

[Old_Red]

It is a shame that the bullpen couldn't keep a lock on the game. The backups didn't get in the game because we weren't sure we could score enough at the end to hold off Miami against our pen. 7 runs and 6 earned runs in one inning doesn't give you a lot of confidence.