RECAP: Kentucky Wildcats roll to 11-6 win over Texas Tech, claim series
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- In an early-season matchup that has the feel of a future NCAA Super Regional, Kentucky made a strong statement on Saturday with an 11-6 win over No. 3 Texas Tech at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
The No. 6 Wildcats (14-2) have taken the first two games of the weekend series against the Red Raiders, who came to Lexington undefeated.
Senior catcher/first baseman Troy Squires went 4-for-5 with a home run and matched his career high with four RBI to lead a UK offensive attack that posted its ninth game of the young season with double figure runs scored.
UK newcomers Ben Aklinski and Ryan Johnson each added two hits and senior second baseman Luke Becker drove in a pair of runs for the relentless Cats, who picked up starter Zack Thompson after shaky outing on the mound.
In each inning that Texas Tech (14-2) scored, UK responded with runs of its own to keep constant pressure on the Red Raiders' staff. A three-run fourth and a five-run sixth that featured three consecutive successful squeeze bunts proved to be decisive.
"Really proud of the way the guys just continue to not get rattled, not to let things bother them," UK coach Nick Mingione said.
After Thompson departed having given up three runs on two hits, four walks and a pair of hit batsmen through three innings, the UK bullpen gave the Cats a much-needed lift.
Aaron McGeorge, Mason Hazelwood, Alec Maley, Zach Haake and Chris Machamer allowed only three runs over the final six innings and worked out of several tough jams that could have seen momentum swing the other direction.
"I thought our bullpen... they gave us a chance to win that ballgame because Zack Thompson obviously didn't have his best stuff today," Mingione said.
Maley (1-0) earned the win with 1.2 innings of relief work, but Hazelwood may have been the pitching star of the game for the Cats. He shut down a potential big inning by Texas Tech in the fourth, getting a pop-up and a fly ball to keep the deficit at 4-2 when it looked like the Red Raiders were going to explode for several more runs.
The freshman left-hander out of Mercer County High School followed that up with a 1-2-3 fifth inning after UK tied the game at 4-4.
Dane Haveman (0-1) took the loss for Texas Tech, allowing five runs on four hits and two walks in only one-third of an inning.
The Red Raiders got two hits and three RBI from sophomore third baseman Josh Jung and a solo home run from catcher Zayne Willems but it wasn't enough to keep pace with one of the nation's top offensive clubs.
Game 3 is slated for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday at Cliff Hagan Stadium as the Cats take aim at a sweep.