April 7, 2024

Pitre Helps Power No. 12 Kentucky to Sweep Over No. 11 Alabama ... Wildcats defeat Crimson Tide 10-1 at Kentucky Proud Park, move to 11-1 in SEC

By Matt May

Kentucky University

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mason Moore pitched seven innings of one-run ball and Ryan Nicholson blasted his team-leading fifth and sixth home runs of the season as No. 12 Kentucky ran away with the series finale against No. 11 Alabama, securing a 10-1 victory to sweep a Southeastern Conference opponent for the third time this season.

The Wildcats (27-4, 11-1 SEC) now hold an 11-1 record in league play, good enough for first place in the East Division and a share of the overall conference lead.

Moore turned in another gem in his role as the Sunday starter, moving his record to 7-0 on the season, good for second-best in the nation and tops in the SEC. He scattered four hits and two walks over his seven innings of work, striking out six and only allowing one earned run. His season ERA now sits at a 2.44, lowest on the team among starters.

On the weekend, Kentucky pitchers stole the show, as all three starters turned in outings of at least seven innings. The Wildcats only had to use five hurlers over the span of the weekend’s 27 innings, and they combined to limit the potent Alabama offence to three runs in three games. Prior to the series, Alabama had not been held under three runs in a game all season; Kentucky held them under that mark in all three games.

At the plate, the bats exploded for the Cats, scoring double-digit runs for the fifth time in conference action. Nicholson led the offensive attack, turning in a career-high five RBIs on a pair of home run blasts. He finished the day 3-for-5 at the plate and also scored three runs. Nicholson was one of six Wildcats to card multi-hit games, as Emilien Pitre and Grant Smith turned in three-hit days, while Ryan Waldschmidt, Nick Lopez, and Nolan McCarthy each had two base knocks on the day.

The Wildcats opened the scoring for the third time this weekend, as Nicholson and McCarthy recorded back-to-back hits to break the seal. James McCoy followed with an RBI ground out, then, after Smith and Waldschmidt reached, a Pitre single closed the second inning with a three-run advantage for the home team.

Alabama would respond in the following half inning, as a leadoff double, fly out, and ground out gave the Crimson Tide their only run. In the bottom of the third, Nicholson would balloon the lead to 5-1, blasting his first home run of the day to left centre field.

The Tide would see multiple runners reach in the fifth and seventh innings, but Moore would slam the door on the threat both times. The Cats would put the game out of reach in the bottom of the seventh, as Nicholson drove in three more on a home run to right field. Kentucky would continue to score, as Waldschmidt and Pitre each had RBI hits to bring the score to 10-1.

NOTES

-Kentucky now is 27-4 in 2024, 11-1 in Southeastern Conference play, has won 15 of its past 16 games, is 16-4 in day games, 16-2 in home games, 8-0 on Sunday and 3-0 in April.

-At 11-1 in SEC play, Kentucky is off to the best league start in its history and is currently tied with No. 1 Arkansas in the overall SEC standings, as well the Wildcats own the top spot in the East Division, holding a three-game lead over second-place Vanderbilt.

-Kentucky is 9-0 vs. ranked teams this season and 67-92 under Coach Nick Mingione and the current seven-game win streak in SEC play is the longest in the Mingione era.

-UK Coach Mingione is in his eighth season at the helm and now owns a 243-154 career record, needing 15 victories to become the second-winningest coach in school history.

-UK is 52-54 in the month of April under Coach Mingione, 8-5 against Alabama, outscoring Alabama 23-3 over the three-game series.

-Alabama scored season-low run totals in all three games.

-Kentucky has outscored SEC opponents 55-13 in the last four games, thanks to five runs in the seventh and this is the 18th time in the last 15 games UK has scored four or more runs in an inning. It is the 27th time this season UK has scored four or more runs in an inning and the 201st time in the Mingione era.

-Junior RHP Mason Moore picked up his league-leading seventh win of the season, pitching seven innings, allowing one run, four hits, two walks, and struck out six, with his 110 pitches a career-high.

-Junior LHP Jackson Nove pitched the final two innings, allowing one hit, zero runs, and fanned a pair.

-Graduate INF Ryan Nicholson blasted a pair of home runs to register a career-high five RBIs, finishing the day 3-for-5 with three runs scored.

-Junior OF Ryan Waldschmidt finished 2-for-3 on the day with two walks and an RBI, his seventh multi-hit game of the season.

-Junior INF Emilien Pitre was 3-for-5 with two RBIs for his 13th multi-hit game of the season and eighth multi-RBI game on the year.