Tigers escape 7-6 on Sunday with help of intentional walk, hit by pitch
BATON ROUGE, La. – April 15, 2023
No. 11 Kentucky had top-ranked and national title favorite LSU on the ropes in Alex Box Stadium but fell just short of closing the deal, losing 7-6 on Sunday afternoon in a back-and-forth affair befitting two top 15 teams.
LSU scored the final three runs of the game, including the game-winner with two outs in the bottom of the eighth on a bases loaded hit by pitch. Previously, UK had intentionally walked the top prospect in college ball, Dylan Crews, who is batting over .500 on the season.
The Cats reach the halfway point of Southeastern Conference play at 28-7 overall and 10-5 in league play.
Lightning-laced storms and heavy rain delayed Sunday’s first pitch an hour. Once it started, LSU jumped ahead 2-0 through three innings before the Cats tied it in the fifth. From there the teams traded blows with UK claiming a 6-4 lead that LSU erased with a pair of two-out, 0-2 RBI in the seventh.
NOTES
- Kentucky is 35-10 over its last 45 games dating to last season.
- UK is 19-11 in its last 30 games vs. SEC opponents.
- UK is 14-19 all-time vs. No. 1-ranked teams.
- UK is 10-32-1 all-time in Baton Rouge.
- UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his seventh season at the helm and now owns a 204-136 career record.
- UK is 47-48 in the month of April under Coach Mingione.
- Mingione is 4-10 vs. LSU
- UK has scored in 333 of 340 games under Coach Mingione.
- LSU scored 20 of its 33 runs in the series by batters who reached base via walk, hit by pitch or error.
- UK scored in all 11 innings in the series in which it got the leadoff runner on base.
- Catcher Devin Burkes went 2-for-4 with a run, walk and stolen base..
- Outfielder Nolan McCarthy extended his reached safely streak to 14 straight.
ON DECK
Kentucky hosts Xavier on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. ET. The radio call will be on the UK Sports Network (630 AM WLAP, locally) and it will be streamed on SECN+.