March came in like February.

The calendar may have flipped to a more baseball-friendly month, but Kentucky and Lipscomb found themselves in vintage early-season weather on Friday in the opening game of their weekend series at Kentucky Proud Park.

Devin Burkes collected three RBI singles in leading the Wildcats to a 7-4 victory in a game that was plagued by steady drizzle, brisk wind, and temperatures in the lower 40s.

Kentucky (8-1) also got a terrific relief appearance from junior left-hander Jackson Nove, who worked three shutout innings in the damp, chilly conditions to pick up his first save of the season. Among the nine outs he recorded were five straight strikeouts spanning the eighth and ninth innings.

Lipscomb (3-6) got a two-run homer from first baseman Mason Lundgrin but could not generate many consistent threats against the four pitchers UK sent to the mound.

Travis Smith started and worked 3.2 innings, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks. Cameron O'Brien and Trey Pooser worked the next 2.1 scoreless, combining to allow only one hit and one walk, before handing it over to Nove.

The UK bullpen finished with 5.1 innings of shutout relief, chalking up eight strikeouts.

In addition to Burkes' nice day at the plate, the Cats got two hits from both Mitchell Daly and Patrick Herrera. Ryan Waldschmidt added an RBI double.

The series resumes on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.