LEXINGTON, Ky. – Cam Hill hit a game-winning two-run home run and Zack Thompson pitched the most efficient game of his career as Kentucky dispatched of Middle Tennessee, 4-1, in the Friday opener of a three-game series at Kentucky Proud Park.
Thompson, a projected top 20 Major League Baseball draft pick this summer, was dominant in seven innings, tying the longest outing of his career. The sophomore left-hander allowed just four hits, one run, struck out nine and did not walk a batter for this first time in 24 career starts. He retired the final nine batters he faced after the Cats took the lead.
Hill, a sophomore outfielder, erased a 1-0 deficit when he lined a two-out home run into the visiting bullpen in right field. It was the first blast of his career and was part of a two-hit day that also included his fifth steal of the season.
Junior infielder/outfielder Breydon Daniel also went deep an inning later in virtually the same spot as Hill, and junior infielder Zeke Lewis executed a perfect suicide squeeze bunt in the sixth inning to score Coltyn Kessler from third for the Cats’ fourth run of the game. Kessler, who had two hits, extended his career-long hit streak to seven games and now has reached base safely in eight straight games since missing the Texas Tech series due to illness.
Sophomore right-hander Jimmy Ramsey came on and pitched a perfect ninth inning to pick up his first career save.
SCORING
Top 2nd – Brycen Thomas doubled to CF, moved to third on a SAC bunt and scored on a SAC fly by Myles Christian. MTSU 1, UK 0.
Bottom 4th – Coltyn Kessler walked and scored on Cam Hill’s home run to RF. UK 2, MTSU 1.
Bottom 5th – Breydon Daniel homered to RF. UK 3, MTSU 1.
Bottom 6th – Kessler singled to RF and advanced to third on Hill’s single to LF. Hill stole second. Zeke Lewis laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt for a hit, scoring Kessler.UK 4, MTSU 1.
NOTES
- Kentucky has scored in 77 consecutive games and 153 of the past 154 dating to the 2016 season. The lone shutout came in a seven-inning game. The current streak is the seventh-longest in school history.
- Kentucky is 36-5 in non-conference home games under coach Nick Mingione.
- The Cats are 73-4 under Mingione when leading after seven innings.
- The Cats stole three bases and now have 38 on the season. They entered the game fourth in the nation in that category.
- Junior LHP Zack Thompson pitched 7.0 innings, giving up four hits and one run, while striking out nine and walking none.
o The seven innings pitched tied his career-high set against Indiana on June 4, 2018 in an elimination game in the NCAA Lexington Regional.
o It was the first time in 24 career starts he did not walk a batter.
o He threw 86 pitches, 64 for strikes.
o He retired the final nine batters he faced and did not allow a baserunner after the Cats took the lead.
o Thompson now has 37 strikeouts in 22.2 innings pitched this season.
o He also owns a 5.3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the season.
- Sophomore RHP Jimmy Ramsey pitched a perfect ninth inning to record his first career save.
- Sophomore OF Cam Hill went 2-for-3 with a run, a steal and two-run home run.
o It was the first home run of Hill’s career.
o It was his third multi-hit game of the season and his career.
o It was his second multi-RBI game of the season and his career.
- Senior OF Ryan Shinn doubled in the first inning to extend his reached base safely streak to 12 games.
- Sophomore C/INF Coltyn Kessler singled in the second to extend his career-long hitting streak to seven games. He’s reached base safely in eight straight games.
o He has three multi-hit games on the season and four in his career.
ON DECK
The Cats and Blue Raiders pick up the series on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET at Kentucky Proud Park. The game will be aired on SEC Network Plus. Audio coverage can be found via UKathletics.com.
Follow along with the Cats on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
