The UK baseball team won a huge three-game series over top-ranked Florida over the weekend.
The Wildcats (17-6, 4-2 SEC) won the series clincher Sunday on a walk-off wild pitch:
What a crazy finish for @UKBaseball to win the series over the top ranked team in the country pic.twitter.com/P8rTynrlIt
— KYwildcatsTV (@KYwildcatsTV) March 27, 2016
Here are details from UK:
LEXINGTON, Ky. — After making two errors in the top of the 10th inning to allow No. 1 Florida to take a one-run lead, Kentucky shortstop Riley Mahan belted a game-tying home run in the bottom of the inning to set up a wild walk-off win for the 29th-ranked Wildcats, lifting UK to its fourth consecutive series win over the Gators, on a perfect Sunday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Kentucky (17-6, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) won its fourth consecutive series meeting vs. Florida and the Wildcats have now won a series vs. the nation’s top-ranked team in three straight seasons, besting South Carolina in 2014 and LSU on the road in 2015.
The Wildcats opened the series on Friday with a 12-5 loss to Florida in the opener, as the Gators plated five runs in the ninth. UK then bounced back to even the series with a 7-4 win on Saturday, snapping Florida’s 17-game winning streak, and setting up UK’s rubber-match win, in comeback fashion, on Sunday.
Trailing by three runs with Florida star Alex Faedo bidding to win his sixth straight to open the season on the mound, Kentucky mounted a two-run rally in the sixth inning and tied the game in the seventh inning to force extra innings.
To open the 10th inning, Mahan misplayed a pair of balls for errors, with All-American JJ Schwarz taking advantage to drive home the go-ahead run for the Gators. UK freshman reliever Sean Hjelle (3-0) – making his SEC debut – was able to wiggle out of the 10th inning and hold Florida to just the unearned run, setting up the bottom of the inning heroics.
Mahan got behind in a 1-2 hole with one out in the 10th, before turning on a Dane Dunning (3-1) offering and sailing it over the rightfield fence for a game-tying homer. It was Mahan’s third home run of the year and the fourth of his career.
“I am as proud of him as his mom and dad probably,” UK Coach Gary Henderson said. “He remained competitive when he had the chance to be disappointed. I said the same thing to the team about Sean (Hjelle). He could have been disappointed as well. He had the chance to have two outs and maybe a guy on base. Next thing you know, you have a run in, two on and nobody out. He came back out and shut them down. We had several guys today that contributed late. (Riley) is going to have to turn a corner for us obviously. We need to get him to the spot where he can be the player he is supposed to be. He is going through a little bit of fielding issues, but he will get through it.”
Immediately following Mahan’s blast, freshman catcher Kole Cottam was the hit by a pitch and after a scrappy at-bat from leadoff man Storm Wilson, UK pinch ran Cottam for sophomore Tyler Marshall. Evan White then pounded a single off the cleat of UF reliever Brady Singer, with Singer’s kick save keeping the bases loaded with one out and depriving UK of the walk-off single.
That brought UK preseason All-America third baseman JaVon Shelby to the plate with the bases loaded and one out in the 10th inning. Shelby fell behind in a quick 0-2 hole, before Singer uncorked a wild pitch that skidded to the backstop and allowed Marshall to scamper home with the walk-off run.
The Wildcats collected 13 hits in the game, with Zach Reks going a career-high 3-for-4 with a double. Mahan finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and a double. Evan White extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a pair of knocks, with UK also getting two-hit games from Luke Becker, who ripped a double. Cottam, Shelby and Gunnar McNeill each had hits, with McNeill extending his hitting streak to 18 games with a first-inning infield single.
UK starter Kyle Cody worked a quality start vs. the dynamic Faedo. Cody tossed six innings, allowing six hits and three runs, walking four and striking out three. He surrendered the three-run second inning, with UF getting its final run on an infield hit that scored the runner from second base. Cody then settled in to retire 12 of his final 17 hitters.
“Kyle left some guys on base today and he made pitches with two outs and runners on,” Henderson said. “It was a much better effort. He has a lot of room for growth, but Kyle competed really well. When the game called for a pitch he got the job done. Kyle was able to make several big pitches when he needed them most.”
UK senior righty Zach Strecker made his 68th career relief appearance to start the seventh inning, working three hitless innings to set up UK into the 10th inning.
“Well you got to be really proud of Zach Strecker,” Henderson said. “He kept us in the ball game with one ground ball after another for three innings. He gave us a chance to win.”
A 6-foot-11 righty, Hjelle worked the 10th inning for his third career win, allowing a hit and striking out two.
Earlier today, sophomore first baseman Evan White was named SEC Player of the Week for the second time this season:
LEXINGTON, Ky. — After hitting .500 during a series win over No. 1 Florida, Kentucky sophomore first baseman Evan White has been named Southeastern Conference Player of the Week, it was announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.
A native of Gahanna, Ohio, White was 7-for-14 during the series win over the Gators, with a double, homer and two RBI, scoring four runs, drawing a walk and stealing a base. He reached base safely in eight of 15 trips to the plate in the series.
During a four-game, three-win week, White hit .421 with five runs and two steals. He opened the series vs. Florida on Friday with a two-hit game, before posting a 3-for-3 game in a series-evening win on Saturday vs. UF. White opened the scoring with his second homer of the year – sailed over the fence vs. UF’s A.J. Puk – in the first inning. He sparked a three-run inning with an 11-pitch leadoff walk vs. Puk, adding just the fourth steal allowed by Florida standout catcher Mike Rivera. In the rubber match on Sunday, White extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a hit in the 10th inning vs. Florida, loading the bases and setting up the walk-off wild pitch.
On the year, White is hitting .386 (39-for-101) with 26 runs, six doubles, one triple, two homers and 25 RBI, stealing 8-of-8 bases. In SEC play, White is hitting .414 with five RBI through two weekends.
White has been named SEC Player of the Week twice in 2016, including on March 7 after a 9-for-12 weekend sweep of Buffalo.
No. 12 Kentucky (17-6, 4-2 SEC) will return to action on Tuesday, welcoming Northern Kentucky for a 6:30 p.m. ET first pitch at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
