No. 24 Kentucky baseball (22-6, 5-4 SEC) sent the Miami (OH) RedHawks (17-10, 7-5 MAC) back home defeating them 14-11 on another mid-major Tuesday night.
Kentucky earned its ninth straight win over the RedHawks and their 20th all time, with last year’s win coming off an Ethan Hindle walk-off bunt.
There was no need for a walk off this year, but Miami (OH) made it a nail-biting game in what was potentially the game of the year in college baseball.
The spark of last year’s game returned as Miami (OH) got two runs to cross the plate early off Kentucky’s starting pitcher Connor Mattison.
Mattison would end up pitching a solid three innings before handing it off to the bullpen for the remainder of the game.
The drama of both bullpens never let up during the four hour and 14 minute game, as both teams would go back and forth with big innings one after another.
Kentucky was looking for a comeback game on the mound, after giving up 17 runs in Sunday’s loss to LSU. But Kentucky’s bounce-back effort was unsuccessful, giving up 11 runs to the RedHawks.
“We told them, be ready, it’s going to take everybody,” head coach Nick Mingione said about the bullpen staying prepared, “We threw a ton on Sunday, so that was good for us to come out with a victory.”
The bats on the other hand did everything and more for the Wildcats, led by a big fourth inning of walks and hit-by-pitches bringing six runs across the board.
However, it was Carson Hansen continuing his recent dominance at the plate that got the high-capacity crowd ignited.
He launched a two-run home run to start that inning after the RedHawks pitcher attempted to pick off Hindle six times, leaving Hansen eager to swing.
“Trying to stay locked in that entire at bat and just being ready for that pitch to come,” Hansen said about staying patient in the box.
He joins other Wildcats on the consistency train, after his 2-for-5 day and three RBIs. Hansen, after battling an early season toe injury, has found a quick stride with April lurking.
“We just said, hey, this is Carson’s time, he’s about to heat up, we need him in our lineup,” Mingione said.
Hansen continues to feel more and more comfortable in the box as the majority of his contribution is starting to show with better plate approaches and in game decisions.
After coming off a toe injury and a slow start to begin the season, Kentucky and BBN is finally getting the version of Hansen they wanted when he first stepped in Lexington.
While the Wildcats erupted for more runs throughout the game, it seemed like it was going to breeze in favor of the Wildcats, but they still had to claw back as the RedHawks continued to find the barrel.
Although Kentucky continued with big innings of three in the sixth and three in the eighth, those were forced to be comeback innings after a five-run sixth inning from Miami (OH).
After using six pitchers, Mingione finally found one to stick in Nile Adcock, Adcock became Kentucky’s seventh pitcher of the night and the most efficient.
Adcock went 2.2 innings and got the win as he muted the sound of the RedHawks bats in the late innings alongside four strikeouts.
“The guys just brag about him and his ability to have really good discipline and put himself in a position to help our team,” Mingione says about the team’s trust in Adcock.
He’s represented the bullpen through his 14.2 innings pitched with 21 strikeouts and eight scoreless outings as they prepare for a big SEC home series against Missouri.
“You might look at their record and go, it is what it is, but no, they’re in baseball games,” Mingione said about Kentucky’s upcoming weekend series.
Kentucky will welcome the Missouri Tigers (17-13, 1-8 SEC) as they finally stay put in Lexington for the holiday weekend with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. ET Friday, April 3.
