RECAP: Xavier spoils Kentucky's home opener at packed Cliff Hagan Stadium
Kentucky pitcher Brad Schaenzer raced to beat Xavier's Mitch Gallagher to the bag in Tuesday's game at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated.com
@JDrumUK
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky's inability to come up with the timely hit led to Xavier spoiling the No. 8 Wildcats' home opener on Tuesday at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
The Cats stranded 11 baserunners and went 1-for-9 with two outs in falling 3-2 to the Musketeers in 10 innings.
A regular-season record crowd of 4,118 packed Cliff Hagan Stadium with another estimated 2,000 students in the outfield parking lot to cheer on the Cats in their 50th and final season at the venue. Lexington set a winter record high of 80 degrees on Tuesday afternoon.
Xavier (1-3) scored a pair of runs in the first inning against Kentucky starter Brad Schaenzer and broke through for the winning run in the 10th against a UK bullpen that has been stellar early this season.
Allbry Major drove in the first two runs for the Musketeers with a two-out single to plate Conor Grammes and Joe Gellenbeck. In the 10th inning, Gellenbeck doubled and moved to third on an error. Natale Monastra hit a sacrifice fly to drive home the winning run.
Kentucky (4-1) got two-hit nights from Tristan Pompey, T.J. Collett, Ryan Johnson and Trey Dawson. Collett also hit his second home run of the season, a solo blast in the sixth inning to tie the game up at 2-2.
The Cats had a chance to win the game in the ninth, loading the bases with one out, but Xavier's Trey Schramm got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts. Thirteen of UK's 30 outs on the night came via punchouts.
UK returns to the diamond on Friday night to begin a three-game weekend series against Oakland. Junior All-American Sean Hjelle is expected to get the start in the 4 p.m. ET opener.
Kentucky pitcher Brad Schaenzer raced to beat Xavier's Mitch Gallagher to the bag in Tuesday's game at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated.com
@JDrumUK
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky's inability to come up with the timely hit led to Xavier spoiling the No. 8 Wildcats' home opener on Tuesday at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
The Cats stranded 11 baserunners and went 1-for-9 with two outs in falling 3-2 to the Musketeers in 10 innings.
A regular-season record crowd of 4,118 packed Cliff Hagan Stadium with another estimated 2,000 students in the outfield parking lot to cheer on the Cats in their 50th and final season at the venue. Lexington set a winter record high of 80 degrees on Tuesday afternoon.
Xavier (1-3) scored a pair of runs in the first inning against Kentucky starter Brad Schaenzer and broke through for the winning run in the 10th against a UK bullpen that has been stellar early this season.
Allbry Major drove in the first two runs for the Musketeers with a two-out single to plate Conor Grammes and Joe Gellenbeck. In the 10th inning, Gellenbeck doubled and moved to third on an error. Natale Monastra hit a sacrifice fly to drive home the winning run.
Kentucky (4-1) got two-hit nights from Tristan Pompey, T.J. Collett, Ryan Johnson and Trey Dawson. Collett also hit his second home run of the season, a solo blast in the sixth inning to tie the game up at 2-2.
The Cats had a chance to win the game in the ninth, loading the bases with one out, but Xavier's Trey Schramm got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts. Thirteen of UK's 30 outs on the night came via punchouts.
UK returns to the diamond on Friday night to begin a three-game weekend series against Oakland. Junior All-American Sean Hjelle is expected to get the start in the 4 p.m. ET opener.
Last edited:
