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Kentucky Tops Evansville to Begin Season 4-0

Kentucky outfielder Tristan Pompey (pictured) had four hits, three doubles, and scored three runs during Kentucky’s 8-4 win vs. Evansville on Sunday. The Wildcats start the season 4-0. Photo by Keyli Chisesi (Go Big Blue Country).

 

The Kentucky Wildcats have flipped the script on last season’s 0-4 start, as they won all four games to open this season. The Wildcats dropped the first four games last season but were determined to start faster in 2018.

 

After opening the season with a 6-1 victory vs. Wofford on Friday, the Bat Cats followed with a doubleheader sweep of South Carolina Upstate on Saturday. The first of two was a thriller that saw Kentucky erase a five-run deficit to win 6-5 in ten innings. The nightcap was a 10-3 route behind an 11-hit explosion by the Kentucky offense and some dominant pitching by senior Justin Lewis. The Wildcats completed the four-game weekend sweep with an 8-4 win vs. Evansville on Sunday afternoon.

After scoring 10 runs in Saturday’s finale, the Wildcats didn’t waste time getting the bats going early in the game on Sunday. Kentucky crossed the plate with a run in each of the first two innings but after Evansville cut the lead to one in the top of the third, the Wildcats answered with four runs in the bottom half to break the game open.

 

Tristan Pompey led off the bottom of the third with a double down the right-field line and Luke Becker followed with a walk. Pompey came around to score on a double to left field by DH TJ Collett, Becker advanced to third. After a walk to Kole Cottam, Ryan Johnson cleared the bases with a double down the right-field line that scored Becker, Collett, and Cottam to give the Wildcats a 6-1 lead.

 

Evansville added a run in the top of the fourth on a throwing error but the Cats got it back in the bottom of the inning when Pompey scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Collett.



 

Meanwhile, Daniel Harper got the start for Kentucky on the mound. Harper went four innings, giving up 5 hits and 2 runs, one earned while only walking one and striking out eight.

 

The Wildcats extended the lead to 8-2 in the bottom of the 6th on a no-doubt shot off the bat of Luke Heyer that cleared the scoreboard, his second home run of the season and 5th RBI.

 

Aaron McGeorge replaced Harper on the mound for Kentucky in the top of the 5th and pitched 2.1 innings, giving up four hits and surrendered two runs. With runners on first and second with less than two out, Alec Maley came on in relief of McGeorge to record the final two outs of the inning, holding the score at 8-4.

 



 

Carson Coleman and Mason Hazelwood came on to record the final six outs of the game, as the Wildcats finish the weekend perfect to start the season 4-0.

 

Scoring:

 

Bottom 1st – Tristan Pompey walked. Luke Becker doubled down the LF to score Pompey. UK 1, Evansville 0.

 

Bottom 2nd – Troy Squires doubled to right center field. Squires advanced to third on a wild pitch. Luke Heyer grounded out to shortstop to score Squires. UK 2, Evansville 0.’

 

Top 3rd – Troy Beilsmith homered to down the LF line. UK 2, Evansville 1

 

Bottom 3rd – Tristan Pompey doubled down the RF line. Luke Becker walked. T.J. Collett doubled to LF, scoring Pompey, Becker advanced to third. Kole Cottam walked. Ryan Johnson doubled down the RF line to score Becker, Collett, and Cottam. UK 6, Evansville 1.

 

Top 4th – Travis Tokarek singled down the RF line. Tokarek advanced to second on a wild pitch. Tanner Craig reached on a throwing error, Tokarek scored, unearned. UK 6, Evansville 2.

 

Bottom 4th – Tristan Pompey singled to shortstop. Pompey advanced to second on a wild pitch. Pompey advanced to third on a fly out by Ben Aklinski. TJ Collett fly out to CF, Pompey scored. UK 7, Evansville 2.

 

Bottom 6th – Luke Heyer homered to left field. UK 8, Evansville 2.

 

Top 7th – Pete Vaccaro singled through the right side (Cooper Trinkle pinch ran). Troy Beilsmith walked, Trickle advanced to second. Craig Shepherd singled to center field, Beilsmith advanced to second and Trinkle advanced to third. Kenton Crews singled up the middle, Trinkle and Beilsmith scored. UK 8, Evansville 4.

 



 

Offensive Leaders:

 

Tristan Pompey: 4 hits, 3 doubles, 3 runs and a walk.

 

Ryan Johnson: 1 hit, 3 RBI, 1 run.

 

TJ Collett: 1 hit, 2 RBI, 1 run, and a walk.

 

Luke Heyer: 1 hit, HR, 2 RBI, 1 run.

 

Luke Becker: 1 hit, 1 RBI, 1 run, and 2 walks.

 

Troy Squires: 2 hits, 1 run.

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