The No. 18 Kentucky Wildcats (3-1) lost to Morehead State 8-6 (3-1) at Kentucky Proud Park despite some clutch hits from the two freshmen, Braxton Van Cleave and Owen Jenkins.
The loss marked the first time Kentucky has lost to the Eagles in regular-season action since 2014.
In the second inning, after falling behind 1-0 in the first, Kentucky had two singles and a walk.
Van Cleave was up with the bases loaded, trying to get his first college hit when he roped a ball to right center for a bases-clearing double, giving Kentucky a 3-1 lead.
“BVC (Van Cleave), what a job that he’s done. Gets his first college start. We gave him some at-bats this weekend, and boy did he cash in,” head coach Nick Mingione said.
Van Cleave, who was a top 100 recruit, ended the game going one for four with a walk.
He came up as the tying runner in the ninth with two outs and worked the count to full after fouling off plenty of pitches with two strikes, but popped out to second to end the game.
The other freshman ranked in the top 100, Jenkins, was great for the Wildcats on both sides of the ball.
He had a two-run single to give Kentucky a 6-5 lead in the fifth inning. Defensively, Jenkins threw out an Eagle trying to steal.
“Owen has been fantastic, the way he’s carried himself, defensively, offensively, he’s been special,” Mingione said.
Chase Alderman, who transferred in from Eastern Kentucky, finally got back on the field Tuesday after missing the last two years due to injury.
Alderman was out in 2024 due to Tommy John surgery and missed all of 2025 with a torn ACL. He struggled in his debut, giving up five runs on six hits, two walks, and a hit batter in just 3.2 innings pitched.
Alderman gave up one run in the first inning, then pitched a scoreless second.
The third inning was where the Eagles got to him, scoring three runs, including a two-run home run by Aubrey Kearns.
Morehead State took the lead back in the sixth inning, getting to Kentucky reliever Nile Adcock, who let up two runs on four hits in just 1.2 innings of work.
The Eagles would get an insurance run in the ninth off a wild pitch, and that would be enough to secure the win.
Kentucky really lost this game with its inability to get clutch hits with runners on base.
“I thought we had great at-bats,” Mingione said. “But though we created pressure, we didn’t get the big hit.
Kentucky was 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.
“When we had them on the ropes there with 3-2 two outs like we had the opportunity to really just blow things open, and we didn’t get it done,” Mingione said.