The UK baseball team simply overpowered Eastern Kentucky earlier tonight at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
National player of the week Luke Heyer led the way with powerful grand slam.
Here’s a recap:
LEXINGTON, Ky. – National Player of the Week Luke Heyer smashed a grand slam to cap a dominating offensive display as No. 6 Kentucky started a six-game homestand with a 16-5 victory over Eastern Kentucky at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Heyer, who was named the NCBWA National Player of the Week earlier in the day for his white-hot performance over the weekend, smoked a double in his first at bat on his way to a 3-for-4 evening with a double, grand slam, three runs scored, four RBI and a stolen base. He put the finishing touches on the win with a towering grand slam to left field to cap an eight-run seventh inning.
The senior infielder/outfielder was far from alone in attacking the Colonels’ pitching staff. T.J. Collett hit a 417-foot blast in a five-run second inning that gave him home runs in seven of the past nine games, while Kole Cottam held up his end of the Big Blue Bash Bros with a solo shot to left in the fifth after EKU had closed the gap to 6-5. Troy Squires rapped out three doubles in his four-hit night, driving in four runs in the process.
All totaled, those four Cats went 10-for-16 with 10 runs scored, four doubles, three home runs and 13 RBI.
On the mound, freshman right-hander Daniel Harper picked up his first collegiate win, while three freshmen and junior Zach Haake closed out the Colonels over the final four innings.
NOTES
· Kentucky’s 12-1 start to the season is the best for the program since the 2012 club won its first 22 games.
· The offense has …
o Hit a home run in all 13 games this season.
o Scored 93 runs in the past eight games.
o Recorded 70 extra base hits this season.
o Scored 47 runs on 54 hits in the past four games.
· Senior 3B/OF Luke Heyer went 3-for-4 with three runs, a double, a grand slam and four RBI.
o Heyer has now hit four home runs in the past four games.
o His eight home runs are tied with T.J. Collett for the team lead.
o Heyer is leading the team with a .488 batting average.
o In the past four games, he is hitting .733 (11-of-15) with eight runs, 10 RBI, three doubles and four home runs with a slugging percentage of 1.733.
o His three runs scored and four RBI are both new career highs.
· Sophomore C/1B T.J. Collett went 1-for-4 with two runs scored, a home run and three RBI.
o Collett’s home run gives him eight on the season.
o He has homered in three consecutive games for the second time this season and in seven of the past nine games overall.
o Riding a career-long 12-game hitting streak.
· Senior C/1B Troy Squires went 4-for-4 with two runs, three doubles and four RBI.
o The four hits are a career-high.
o The four RBI tied his career high set vs. Georgia on 5/16/17.
o Squires had two-run doubles in the second and seventh innings.
o Squires recorded the 26th sacrifice of his career, which ranks fourth on UK’s career list and just one behind Matt Reida (2011-14) for third.
o Squires has reached base safely in all 13 games this season.
· Junior C/1B Kole Cottam went 2-for-3 with three runs, a home run, two RBI and two walks.
o Cottam now has four home runs on the season.
ON DECK
Kentucky faces its second in-state foe in as many days when Northern Kentucky makes the trip to Lexington on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. and it will be aired on SECN+.
Follow along with the Cats on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
