Romero strikes out on 4 pitches to start the inning. Papierski strikes out on 5 pitches for out # 2, and remember what I said about Lewis not being a strikeout pitcher today? He must have taken that as a challenge. Leadoff hitter up, and he grounds out on 4 pitches to the sure-handed Evan White, and thank you for the boring inning I wanted.
Bain's ERA won't quite jump 1 run today, but close. LSU replaces him with Nick Bush, with a sporty 1.93 ERA for the season.
Let me dig and get some season stats on him. Bush hasn't thrown much this year, but has made 11 appearances in 9.1 innings. He has allowed 7 hits, and 9 walks, and struck out 12, so similar high strikeout, high BB type pitcher. Has also thrown 2 wild pitches.
Interesting note from earlier--Walker hit 3 UK batters today by my count. Entering the game, he had 8 HBPs, a third of the entire LSU team total.
Carson leads off, runs the count full, then flies out. # 9 batter Connor Heady watches four straight balls sail by for a walk. (Editorial note on Carson--he took the first two pitches, both balls, then swung at the next two and missed to even the count. 7 pitches have been taken by the first two UK batters to face Bush, and they have all been balls.)
One on, one out for the top of the UK lineup, who have been red hot.
Pompey takes a strike, then takes 3 balls, and it's 3-1. With him holding the advantage, he bangs a base hit through the right side and Heady moves to 2nd.
1st and 2nd for Evan White, whose average is now sitting at .393. That's, uhh, quite good.
Bush pitching carefully to White, as he well should, and White showing terrific discipline at the plate, as he generally does, and it's four straight balls to load the bases. Very effective at bat for Evan, and UK with bases loaded, one out, and Zach Reks licking his lips at the feast before him. Reks is 3-3 fo r the day, 3 RBis, 3 runs scored, with a single, a double, and a home run. Might as well cycle it, Zach!
Season isn't over, of course, but boy, is there a better candidate this season so far for Coach of the Year than Kentucky's Nick Mingione?
Back to the game.
Reks is nearing .350 on the season now, just another UK player with bragging ability batting average. 7 of the 9 starters today have averages above .300.
He won't help it this time--strikes out--looking--on a 1-2 pitch. Must have guessed wrong. Two outs now, and UK in danger of wasting a bases loaded opportunity. Kole Cottam may have something to say about that, though.
He does not. Flies out and we go to the 6th inning, with 3 LOB for UK. Hopefully it won't hurt us as it hurt LSU early this game.
I should add Cottam's fly ball was an attempt to add 4 RBIs, and he wasn't far from succeeding, as the ball was pretty deep. Pull it down the line and it's worth 4 runs. That's a reasonable payoff .
Lewis back to the mound, and hopefully he'll continue with his excellent pitching. But at this point, I'll take average for an inning or two more to get us deeper.
One pitch, one out, as there's a ground ball to 3rd.
Full count on the 2nd batter, and he flies to LF for out # 2.
3rd batter up homers to RCF on the first pitch. That's why it's always good to get the leadoff guy out, boys and girls, and better yet, the 2nd batter, too. Lesson learned, and it's 10-2 UK.
I hate to be greedy, but I like to see a good team match a run scored by their opponent when they get up. Lets the pitchers know you've got their back.
5-6-7 for UK this inning.
Mahan leads off with an infield single for UK's 13th hit on the day. Good start. Oh, it's a new LSU pitcher, their 4th of the day, Collin Strall. 5.79 ERA. 9.1 innings, 16 hits, 10 strikeouts, 3 BBs.
Becker strikes out looking for out # 1.
Squires up, grounds to 2nd, and they can't get the double play, but get Mahan at 2nd for out # 2.
Carson up. He's 0-3 on the day, but earlier hit to the right side to give up himself and drive in a run, and those are the kind of things I call "winning plays," which don't show up in the box score, but help a team. Still batting .305 on the season, a nice average for a # 8 hitter. Really, for about anyone.
There's a base hit to CF for UK's 14th hit on the day, Squires moves to 2nd and # 9 hitter Connor Heady up. One of the things that has worked well for Kentucky today is having the top of the lineup up to start an inning, and even if Heady is not successful, assuming we don't lose a baserunner here, we'll start next inning with the top of the lineup.
Might as well get a hit though, Connor. Runner in scoring position is valuable.
Kentucky will bring in Tyler Marshall to replace Luke Becker.
Lewis had retired 10 straight batters before allowing the home run last inning, so still doing well. And of course, I jinx him. When will I learn? Leadoff hitter with a base hit, after working him hard, couple of fouls with two strikes, base hit up the middle. Leadoff guy on.
2nd LSU batter fouls out to Evan White on the first pitch.
Weather note--it's 53 degrees in Lexington currently, cloudy and a tad bit of rain, perhaps, or on the way. Wind chill makes it 43 degrees, and those boys from Baton Rouge don't like that very much--not that it's a tropical paradise, but it's a little more toward that direction.
But good for the pitcher who is trying to eat innings that it's not a 90 degree day, maybe. I dunno...that may be cool enough that it's hard to keep the arm warm. Fine line.
And there's the pitcher's best friend showing up, a Heady-to-Mahan-to-White double dipper to end the inning. Well done!
Top of the lineup up for Kentucky, and they've been outstanding today (all year, of course).
Pompey leads it off with a base hit to CF, his 3rd hit of the day. Told ya.
Evan White up, and he matches Pompey with a base hit to RF, also his 3rd hit of the day. First two runners on. Statistician note--White's batting average now .398.
Zach Reks up, and HE SURPASSES Pompey and White with a base hit to CF, his 4th hit of the day. UK conservatively stops at 3rd, and bases loaded, no outs.
Top of the lineup today, folks: 10-13, with 5 runs scored (so far).
OK, Cottam up, and not good here, folks--hits back to the pitcher, who starts a 1-2-3 double play. Dang, I would have even taken a double play scoring a run.
Mahan up, and strikes out to end the inning.
Cats waste a bases loaded, no out opportunity. I hate to be "that guy," but you need to take advantage of those. On the other hand, if there's a time to waste it, it's probably with an 8-run lead.
Lewis out for the 8th inning, with a low pitch count, and he may be looking to see if he can finish. Will face 9-1-2.
Strikes out # 9 batter looking, out # 1. His 5th strikeout on the day. Lewis is like my wife and kids--if I tell them they can't do something, they do it.
Line drive to LF for out # 2.
Ground out to short, and it's a 1-2-3 inning for Lewis.
I'd definitely let him go into the 9th unless he starts getting into trouble--couple of baserunners, or if he's tired/shows signs of it. He's earned it today.
Kentucky with 17 hits on the day so far, the most allowed by LSU all season.
Marshall walks to lead off the 8th for Kentucky. Squires and Carson to follow.
Squires singles down the RF line (new "record" for LSU opponent of 18 hits), and Marshall motors to 3rd. Storm Wilson will pinch hit for Carson. Wilson with an infield pop-up for out # 1.
Connor Heady with an RBI opportunity. LSU pitcher Collin Strall dropping his ERA--has thrown 2.1 innings, allowed 6 hits and a walk, but UK keeps stranding runners, as he has nott allowed a run (let's see if my jinx works).
Heady grounds straight to the 3rd baseman, who holds Marshall at 3rd, and fires to first for out # 2, and I'm really getting heartburn over these missed opportunities. We've had a runner at 3rd base with no outs in the last two innings, and looks like we may not take advantage either time.
We don't. Pompey grounds to 3rd and the inning is over.
We'll go to the 9th inning--Wilson will stay in the game to play CF for Carson. Can Justin Lewis get the complete game?
Zach Reks went 4-5 with a double and 3 runs scored; Kole Cottam 2-5 with 3 RBIs, a double and a home run and 3 runs scored; Riley Mahan with 3-4 day, 2 RBIs, home run, 2 runs scored; Evan White 3-4 with a double and a run scored, and Tristan Pompey 3-5 with a run scored and a walk.
OK, Santa.
I won't ask for anything else; until playoff time, or possibly before...
lol.
I had a good feeling about this week, Pappy. I felt like they could do it; now whether they would or not, was anybody's guess. I think this week legitimizes them.
I have been working a lot here lately and the recaps on the board and what I got to see DVR'd, it does appear this club is growing up and at a fairly decent pace.
Now we will see how they handle adversity on the road and whether or not our pitching seems to grow at the same pace...
But, I am feeling VERY optimistic about our team.
Two series on the road left, @ South Carolina (I think will be tougher than some believe), and @ Florida (we all know that will be tough, especially since it is the final series of the season, and may be for the SEC East division title and a top 4 bye in the SEC Tournament).
Justin Lewis showed a lot today. Wasn't overpowering, but got the job done. Leaving the bases stranded early was huge. The home run he allowed--a solo shot, his only earned run--was a fly ball that the wind helped over the fence. Hey, it's bona fide, but just saying that even that wasn't a huge mistake. Very good job he did today, maturing young man. I didn't finish the pitch count, but likely under 110 for the entire game.
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