AUBURN, Ala. – For only the second time in its history, Kentucky has won eight consecutive Southeastern Conference baseball games after Ryan Nicholson pulverized a ball 444 feet into the Alabama night to give the No. 8 Wildcats a 6-5 victory over Auburn at Plainsman Park.
The Cats (28-5, 12-1 SEC) slithered out of potential trouble in both the eighth and ninth innings with Johnny Hummel emphatically slamming the door closed both times, including a game-ending double play. He also made a textbook fielding play an inning early to throw out the game-tying run at home plate.
UK took the fight to the Tigers right away, stringing together four straight two-out hits in the first inning to claim a 2-0. After a bases loaded fielding error allowed two more runs to score the Cats held a 4-0 lead after three. But the Tigers rallied with four runs in the fourth after the first three batters walked.
There was nothing doing until the seventh when Mitchell Daly smoked a two-out double to left and Nicholson followed with mammoth shot well over UK’s bullpen. In the past two SEC games the Louisville, Kentucky native has three home runs and eight RBI.
UK now can set its sights on a fifth conference series victory with a win on either Friday or Saturday.
Thursday Night Live: Nicholson’s Mammoth Blast Paces No. 8 Kentucky – UK Athletics​
The Cats (28-5, 12-1 SEC) slithered out of potential trouble in both the eighth and ninth innings with Johnny Hummel emphatically slamming the door closed both times, including a game-ending double play. He also made a textbook fielding play an inning early to throw out the game-tying run at home plate.
UK took the fight to the Tigers right away, stringing together four straight two-out hits in the first inning to claim a 2-0. After a bases loaded fielding error allowed two more runs to score the Cats held a 4-0 lead after three. But the Tigers rallied with four runs in the fourth after the first three batters walked.
There was nothing doing until the seventh when Mitchell Daly smoked a two-out double to left and Nicholson followed with mammoth shot well over UK’s bullpen. In the past two SEC games the Louisville, Kentucky native has three home runs and eight RBI.
UK now can set its sights on a fifth conference series victory with a win on either Friday or Saturday.
Thursday Night Live: Nicholson’s Mammoth Blast Paces No. 8 Kentucky – UK Athletics​
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