No. 8 Kentucky baseball (34-10 17-6 SEC) used big innings in an 11-3 offensive victory against No. 2 Arkansas (40-8 17-6 SEC) Saturday.
The Wildcats scored 11 runs on 11 hits with big contributions from Émilien Pitre and Nick Lopez, who both finished with four RBIs each.
”The at bats were there, the unselfishness, the tough at bats with two strikes, bunting, doubles, balls in play,” Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione said. “That was Kentucky baseball. We were a team today.”
The Razorbacks found the scoreboard in the second when Hudson White tagged Wildcat starter Dominic Niman with a two-run home run, which made the score 2-0, but the lead was short lived as the Bat Cats responded with their first big inning of the day in the third.
James McCoy walked and Grant Smith reached on an infield single before Ryan Waldschmidt moved both runners on a ground out, which brought Pitre to the plate. The Frenchman hit a deep fly ball to left field that hit off the wall and brought home both runners to tie the game.
Devin Burkes was next to the plate and hit a double of his own to left field, which brought home Pitre and gave the Cats a lead.
“When we got hitters like we have and they can get your back after you give up some runs, it’s awesome,” Niman said.
After both offenses were held scoreless in the third, Kentucky posted its second big inning of the day in the fourth.
McCoy led off the inning with a single before both Smith and Waldschmidt drew walks to load the bases. Pitre was next and he hit his second double of the day, this time off the right field wall to bring home McCoy and Smith.
“I’m trying to keep it simple,” Pitre said. “Early on in the season, I was kind of struggling mentally and I’m just trying to keep everything simple and do everything I can to help the team win.”
Following an offensive timeout, Burkes laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring home Waldschmidt and advance Pitre to third. Lopez finished off the scoring in the inning by hitting a single to bring home Pitre, which gave the Cats a 7-2 lead.
Pitching kept the game going in the middle innings as both offenses were held scoreless until the Wildcats had their final big inning of the day in the eighth.
With one out, Smith and Waldschmidt were both hit by pitches before Pitre walked to load the bases. Then, after a strikeout, Lopez cleared the bases with a double off the right field wall.
Following the double, Mitchell Daly sent a single up the middle to bring home Lopez and complete another four-run inning that made the score 11-2 Cats.
The Razorbacks plated a lone run in the ninth, but Ryan Hagenow closed out the game and the victory.
“This is a really good team we’re facing, but to put up 11 runs… just production up and down the lineup,” Mingione said.
With the series now even, Kentucky and Arkansas will play a series deciding game three on Sunday, May 5, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
