Small Ball, Aggressive Baserunning Propels Kentucky Past Evansville 6-3

The Wildcats laid down five bunts on Tuesday as they defeated the Purple Aces in the home-opener at Kentucky Proud Park.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — When speaking to reporters in the lead-up to the beginning of the 2023 season, Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione made it clear that he wanted his team to play aggressive. 

"Mass chaos," he labeled it. 

"We're talking about stealing, hit-and-running, bunting, two-strike bunting, you name it. Going first to third, first to home, we're just going to be super aggressive. We're going to force our opponents to make plays."

Consider Tuesday's 6-3 win over Evansville a chaotic success. The Wildcats (3-1) nickel-and-dimed the Purple Aces (0-4) inside Kentucky Proud Park, laying down five — two of which were of the safety-squeeze variety — while stealing three bases and earning multiple extra bags on hits and aggressive running throughout the nine innings. 

The result left a smile on the face of the seventh-year skipper:

"We want our guys attacking," Mingione said after the win. "That's how we have to play, I think it's a fun way to play ... I think the guys enjoy it, and I love playing that way and create some pressure for our opponents."

Evansville took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, as the catcher Brendan Hord — a former Wildcat and Lexington native — laced an RBI double to left-center field off of UK starter Travis Smith. 

That would be the lone run that the redshirt freshman would allow in his three innings of work. It was a nervy outing that witnessed three hits, two walks and two strikeouts in 61 pitches. It was Smith's first collegiate outing, as he didn't play in 2022 due to recovering from arm surgery.

"For Travis to get back out there and to just have an opportunity — you could tell he was a little amped up early. He settled down...and I was thankful," Mingione said after the win.

The lead quickly turned in favor of the Cats, as right fielder James McCoy skied a fly ball to left field off the wall, bringing in Hunter Gilliam, who doubled to lead off the bottom of the second. 

Two batters later, third baseman Isaiah Byars attempted to lay down the first squeeze bunt of the afternoon, but he failed to do so, leaving McCoy for dead on the third-base line. 

Hord fired one to third, but the ball hit the back of McCoy's helmet, ricocheting into left field, allowing him to trot home, giving UK a led it wouldn't relinquish.

Left fielder Ryan Waldschmidt showcased an example of the hard baserunning that Mingione is looking for, as a leadoff single in the bottom of the third was turned into a double by the speedy Charleston Southern transfer. 

An errant pickoff attempt from Evansville starter Shane Harris allowed Waldschmidt to advance to third before center fielder Jackson Gray successfully executed a squeeze to put the Cats up 3-1. 

Small ball continued for UK in the fourth, as Byars notched his first hit of the season via a beautiful bunt down the third-base line. Shortstop Grant Smith followed in Gray's footsteps later in the inning, squeezing catcher Chase Stanke home for the first of three runs in the inning. 

"We bunted five times today," Mingione said. "This ballpark demands run prevention. And you know, for anytime we can get our opponents to come in a little bit more, it opens up more holes and it forces them to make plays."

While the lead grew to 6-2, the Wildcats had the chance to blow the game open. In the fourth, fifth and eighth inning, UK batters left the bases loaded, bailing out shoddy Evansville pitching — which allowed 13 hits and plunked four Cats. In total, Kentucky left 14 runners on base and went 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position. 

"I've been part of teams where it's been a challenge even get the bases loaded. So that's an opportunity for a knockout punch," Mingione said. "We had a chance to score some runs there multiple times and we didn't cash in, but we will." 

Eight Wildcats still notched a hit on Tuesday, headlined by three from both Byars and second baseman Émilien Pitre. For Pitre, he has seven hits across his last two games and is now hitting .411 on the year. 

Catcher Devin Burkes roped a single in the sixth inning, extending his on-base streak to 17 straight games, dating back to the end of the 2022 season. 

In relief of Smith, three pitchers combined for six innings of five-hit, one-run baseball. Sophomore right-hander Mason Moore threw the final three of the afternoon, allowing one hit while fanning four, earning the save in the process.

The win makes three in a row for the Bat Cats, who have officially embarked on their 10-game home stand. They'll return to action on Friday for the first of three games against Wright State. 

First pitch from KPP is set for 4 p.m. EST. The game will air on the SEC Network+. 

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