2/25/2020 baseball Edit

Bat Cats rout Tennessee Tech 13-3, extend streak to five

Kentucky freshman John Rhodes had three hits in Tuesday's win. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)

Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated

Managing Editor

Joined the Cats Illustrated staff in the summer of 2017. Veteran reporter and photographer who has covered UK sports dating back to 1987.

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Austin Schultz and John Rhodes each had three hits and drove in two runs Tuesday in leading Kentucky to a 13-3 run-rule win over Tennessee Tech in seven innings.

The Wildcats (5-3) also got a home run from freshman Chase Estep, the first of the Corbin native's UK career, and a three-run double from senior Zeke Lewis as part of their 12-hit attack at Kentucky Proud Park.

It marked the fifth straight win for UK on its homestand after opening the season 0-3.

Schultz, a sophomore second baseman, has been on a torrid pace to open the season. He's batting .406 and has driven in 11 runs over the past five games.

Freshman right-hander Cole Stupp made his first career start for the Cats, striking out seven over four innings of work. Tripp Lockhart (1-0) picked up the win out of the UK bullpen with a scoreless fifth inning. Will Gambino picked up his first save by working two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

Kentucky extended its streak of wins over non-Power 5 opponents to 27 games, the longest in the SEC.

The Cats are scheduled to play again on Wednesday against Eastern Kentucky, who made national headlines by beating SEC power LSU in Baton Rouge last week. First pitch has been moved up to 1 p.m. ET due to the threat of inclement weather in central Kentucky.