Chase Estep slams a pair of home runs in 15-6 victory to open series
COLUMBIA, Mo. – April 14, 2022
Mason Hazelwood earned his first win in more than a year and Kentucky smacked its most hits in a game since 2012, defeating Missouri 15-6 at Taylor Stadium on Thursday night.
Daniel Harris IV had a UK career-best four hits, including a first inning home run and Chase Estep crushed a pair of tape measure homers while driving in five runs to lead the charge. Six different Wildcats (21-13, 5-8 SEC) had at least three hits in the game.
Hazelwood, who made his third start after undergoing elbow surgery a year ago last weekend, allowed a three-run, opposite field home run in the first but rebounded nicely to retire 14 of the next 15 batters in his five innings of work. Ironically, his last victory also came against Missouri on March 20, 2021.
Estep had his first multi-homer game and now has 11 this season.
NOTES
· UK has scored in 277 of 280 games in coach Nick Mingione’s tenure.
· Mingione has 164 wins, passing Harry Lancaster (1947, 51-65) for fourth on UK’s all-time list.
- UK is 45-of-49 on stolen base attempts this season and 7-of-7 in the series.
- The UK pitchers have struck out 364 in 34 games, 10.70 per game.
- Senior IF Daniel Harris IV went 4-for-5 with four RBI, two runs, a homer and sacrifice fly.
- He has five multi-RBI games this season.
- He has nine multi-hit games.
- Junior INF Chase Estep went 3-for-5 with two runs, five RBI and two homers.
- He has reached base safely in 32 of 34 games this season.
- He has a hit in 26 of the last 32 games.
- His two homers join Jake Plastiak as the two Cats who have two in an SEC game this season. Plastiak did it April 2 vs. Ole Miss.
- Sophomore INF Reuben Church reached base three times for the third straight game.
- He had his third consecutive multi-hit game of the season and 11th career.
- He had two doubles and now has four in last three games.
- Junior INF Ryan Ritter is 16-of-16 in his career on stolen base attempts.
- Senior IF Jake Plastiak has 11 multi-hit games this season and 14 in his career.
- With a double and triple in the game he now is averaging an extra-base hit every 8.2 at bats in his career.
- Senior OF Hunter Jump has 13 multi-hit games.
- He went 3-for-5 with two runs.
- Senior OF John Thrasher set new UK career-long with a seven-game hit streak.
- He had his fourth multi-RBI game of the season and third straight.
- He has six multi-hit games.
- Sophomore RHP Ryan Hagenow earned his first career save.
ON DECK
Kentucky will go for the series win on Friday night. First pitch is at 7 p.m. ET on SECN+. The radio call will be on the UK Sports Network.
