Cats win important series at Texas A&M

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By Kevin Erpenbeck

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Every conference series from this point on is a must-win for UK baseball if it wants to have any chance of winning the SEC. The Cats’ series against Texas A&M this weekend was one they had to have.

UK topped Texas A&M in the first two games of the series before falling on Sunday. The 2-1 series victory put the Cats at 9-9 in the SEC.

The Cats showed mental attentiveness in the series opener, grinding out a 6-3 win over the Aggies. The win might have been overshadowed by clutch hitting in the ninth inning or by junior A.J. Reed pitching seven scoreless innings, but the Cats’ lack of errors is what kept them in position to win.

This is the same team that committed an astounding five errors in its rubber-match loss to Missouri last weekend.

UK seemed to have learned from its mistake, however. Head coach Gary Henderson preaches mental focus on the field as a key aspect in winning any game.

In game two, UK relied on its offensive power to get  through the day. Eleven runs, including four batted in from Reed’s four-hit day, was all the Cats needed to win and clinch the series.

The series sweep was out of reach for the Cats on Sunday, however, as Texas A&M took advantage of a poor outing from junior Andrew Nelson. Nelson gave up eight runs in four innings, resulting in a 14-2 Aggies win.

They’re still within striking distance of Florida’s 12-6 conference-leading record.

But UK still has to have a must-win mentality for every series to make it more than just a chance.