LEXINGTON, Ky. — T.J. Collett delivered the thunder and Sean Harney slammed the door, pushing the Kentucky baseball team to a 4-2 victory on Sunday that secured a three-game weekend sweep of Georgia State. The win improved the Wildcats to 11-2 overall and completed their second series sweep of the season while outscoring the Panthers 26-4.
Collett sent shockwaves through Kentucky Proud Park for the third straight game, launching a 406-foot moonshot over the right field bullpen and out of the stadium’s footprint in the first inning, erasing the Cats’ first deficit of the series. He later slapped a game-winning RBI double inside the third base line in the seventh inning, foiling the defensive shift deployed by the Panthers. It was the second game-winning hit and third go-ahead knock for Collett in the series.
The senior from Terre Haute, Indiana rocked the Panthers (4-13) throughout the series, homering in three straight games for the third time in his career while driving in eight runs. He now has 30 career round-trippers, placing him in the top 10 of active Division I players.
Although Sunday wasn’t the crispest game the Cats have played it was certainly full of critical moments that were aced by a team that is quickly gaining confidence. Sophomore infielder Chase Estep made two eye-popping defensive plays at third base, junior catcher Alonzo Rubalcaba was a brick wall behind home plate and sophomore shortstop Ryan Ritter thwarted a potential threat in the ninth with a slick pickup of a groundball with spin on it to start a double play.
On the mound, sophomore right-hander Zack Lee was strong through four innings before giving way to the bullpen. Senior righty Holt Jones earned the win with 1.1 perfect innings, extricating the Cats from a jam in the sixth by stranding the go-ahead run at third, and then handing the ball to Harney to close out the final two innings and earn his fifth save of the season.
