A rare flurry of hits against perhaps the nation's top right-handed starting pitcher lifted Kentucky to a critically important series-opening win over No. 14 Oklahoma on Friday night at Kentucky Proud Park.

The Wildcats greeted Sooners ace Kyson Witherspoon with a team cycle to open the third inning -- a triple by Tyler Bell, a double by Luke Lawrence, a home run by Cole Hage, and single by Carson Hansen -- that produced their only scoring frame on the night in a nail-biting 4-3 victory.

James McCoy also produced a big hit in the decisive inning, slashing a two-out single that drove home Hansen to give Kentucky what proved to be the game-winning run. It was one of the best at-bats of the day for the Cats as McCoy battled back from an 0-2 count to deliver the opposite-field single on the eighth pitch he saw.

Witherspoon, who entered the night having surrendered only 17 earned runs on the season, saw the Cats match the highest figure he has allowed this season. He entered the matchup with a 9-2 record and a 2.13 ERA and is projected by many scouts to be the first right-handed college pitcher to be selected in this summer's MLB Draft.

Witherspoon (9-3) worked five innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits and two walks before being lifted after throwing 87 pitches. He also matched his season low with just four strikeouts.

It was a huge win for Kentucky (26-20, 11-14 SEC), which is fighting for its NCAA Tournament life after getting swept last weekend at Mississippi State. The Cats need to win at least three of their final six league games against Oklahoma and Vanderbilt to shore up their resume.

A win on Friday meant snapping a four-game losing skid and picking up their 10th Quad-1 win with the RPI rising to 35. Only 12 teams nationally have more Q1 victories.

Oklahoma (32-15, 13-12 SEC) led 2-0 after a two-run home run by Easton Carmichael in the top of the third inning, but UK starter Nate Harris settled in to work 4.2 solid innings. The freshman right-hander allowed just two earned runs on five hits and three walks while striking out two.

Jackson Nove (1-2) picked up the win out of the UK bullpen, holding the Sooners to no runs and just two hits over his 3.1 innings on the mound. Simon Gregersen closed it out for the Cats, working around two walks to end the game on back-to-back strikeouts with the potential go-ahead run on base. It marked his second save of the season.

The series resumes on Saturday at 12:30 ET at KPP.