Bat Cats Sweep Gauchos: Highlights and Recap

The Bat Cat broke the broom for the first time in the Nick Mingione Era earlier today by virtue of a 13 hit, 12-1 shellacking of the No. 23 UC-Santa Barabara Gauchos at Cliff Hagan Stadium.

The win moves Kentucky two games over .500 with a 7-5 mark and extends their record at home to 5-0

Redshirt freshman Justin Lewis took the hill a week after hurling a seven-inning shutout against Delaware. Lewis did not end his outing with a clean sheet, but he did pick up the first win of the season. He took a no-hitter into the eight before UCSB's Austin Bush launched a homer to right-center field. Lewis closed out the inning with and the game with no walks and eight strikeouts.

Chris Machamar came on in the ninth to shut the door on the Gauchos. He faced five batters, gave up two hits, no runs, and struck out one.

Evan White's third homer of the season put the Cats up 1-0 in the top of the first inning.

Zack Reks singled in the bottom of the second and drove in two. Kole Cottam did the same a batter later and drove home one. Tristan Pompey's RBI single put the Cats up 5-0 to end the scoring.

The Cats added three in the fourth inning courtesy of a throwing error, a Troy Squires sac bunt, and Connor Heady's single to left-center field.

UK extended their 8-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth. Pompey and Riley Mahan each drove in runs. Heady's double then brought two more runners across the plate.

Eight Wildcats got in the hit column with four having multi-hit games. Pompey finished 3-of-4 to along with two RBIs and a double. Heady's three RBI came on 2-of-3 hitting.

Mahan's 2-of-3 day at the plate extends his career-best hitting streak to ten games.