Big third inning leads Kentucky to second-straight win

The Kentucky Wildcats baseball program is off to a 2-0 start in 2019. The Bat Cats defeated Austin Peay in the second of three games in Clarksville, Tennessee by a final score of 12-5.

For the second straight game, Kentucky’s offense came alive and guided the team to a win.

After a scoreless two innings, the Cats bats got the scoring started in a big way in the top of the third inning off of Austin Peay starting pitcher Brett Newberg.

With one out Breydon Daniel opened the scoring for the Cats with an RBI single scoring Alex Rodriguez. With one run in Kentucky began to explode.

Cam Hill hit an RBI double to left, and Jarren Shelby singled in a run making it 3-0 Cats.

Later in the inning, Kentucky’s big bat T.J. Collett knocked a two-run home run down the right-field line for his second home run in the first two games of the season and gave the Cats a 5-0 lead. The Wildcats added another run on a passed ball leader in the inning giving them a 6-0 lead.

Just like opening day, however, the Governors would fight back. In the fourth Garrett Spain ripped an RBI double to right and in the fifth Andrew Flaherty hit a solo home run to cut the Kentucky lead to 6-2.

After getting one run back in the 6th on an RBI groundout by Zeke Lewis, the Govs scored again as Aaron Campbell hit an RBI single to make it a 7-3 ball game.

With the game still tight heading into the late innings, the Cats made sure to add insurance to put it out of reach.

In the top of the seventh Collett drove in yet another run with an RBI single in the top of the seventh and Ryan Shinn hit a one-run double to make it 9-3 Cats.

Both teams added onto their totals in the eighth and ninth but for the Governors it was too little to late as the Cats closed out the 12-5 victory.

Jimmy Ramsey picked up the win for Kentucky on the mound after pitching five innings and striking out eight in his first start of the season while Newberg took the loss for Austin Peay.

The two clubs will finish their opening weekend series tomorrow as Kentucky will look for a sweep and 3-0 start to the season.