The Kentucky Wildcats hosted the Xavier Musketeers on Tuesday at Kentucky Proud Park,
falling 9-3.
The starting line up for the Cats was: Patrick Herrera, Shaun Montoya, Cole Hage, Hudson
Brown, Tyler Bell, Devin Burkes, Griffin Cameron, Luke Lawrence, Raphael Pelletier. On the
mound for the Cats was Nate Harris.
Through the first three innings the game was scoreless. However, Xavier got ahead at the top of
the fourth putting the first pair of runs on the board. Connor Misch was walked at first and Isaac
Wachsmann fouled out at first. Clay Burdette grounded one out to shortstop allowing Misch to
advance to second. Nolan Tucker slammed a two-run homer to make the score 2-0.
Kentucky’s offense remained struggling while Xavier continued its momentum in the fifth
extending their lead. Jason Jelic led off with a triple which was followed by Carter Hendrickson
hitting him home. Misch was hit by a pitch putting runners on first and second. Wachsmann hit
the two runners home pushing Xavier into a 5-0 lead.
Kentucky made their first of nine pitching changes, putting Nile Adcock in to relieve Harris.
Adcock lasted only one frame before Robert Hogan took the mound. Hogan then walked Tucker
and surrendered a single to Luke Hammond having Hayden Smith come in to replace Hogan.
Jelic then grounded out allowing both Tucker and Hammond to advance. Aedan Anderson was
walked which loaded up the bases for Xavier. This provoked Kentucky into yet another pitching
change, James McCoy now on the bump. Jake Lambdin then hit one out to third allowing
Tucker to score home, extending Xavier’s lead, 6-0.
Kentucky bounced between two more pitchers in the sixth inning, Tristan Hunter replaced Smith
and Leighton Harris followed shortly behind relieving Hunter. Kentucky finally managed to hit
some runs to stay alive in the bottom of the frame. Brown walked and Bell singled to right field.
Burkes popped out to third and Cameron singled to get on base. Lawrence then stepped up to
the plate with bases full of Cats and hit a two-run single, scoring Burkes and Bell to put some
runs up for Kentucky.
Kentucky made its eighth pitching change in the eighth inning calling up Simon Gregerson to
relieve Harris. At the top of the ninth, Burdette, Tucker and Hammond all walked, prompting
Kentucky to make their final pitching change of the night with Jackson Nove. Jelic hit a double
bringing in two more runs for Xavier and put the ball game away with a 9-3 victory.
Kentucky will be on the road traveling to College Station this weekend to play the Texas A&M
Aggies in a weekend series.
Written By: Ainsley Saurers
Photo: Kentucky Kernel
