Backed by a dominant performance from sophomore pitcher Cole Stupp, the University of Kentucky baseball team jumped out to an early lead and cruised to a 10-2 victory over Missouri at Kentucky Proud Park on Friday night. It was the first time the Wildcats began Southeastern Conference play at home since 2012.
In his first taste of SEC competition, Stupp took care of business early while his offense built a big lead. Stupp pounded the strike zone on his way to a career-high 10 strikeouts in seven innings, allowing five hits and yielding one unearned run. The Georgia native improved to 3-0 on the season and lowered his earned run average to 1.14.
UK (12-3 overall, 1-0 SEC) pounced on Missouri starter Spencer Miles, scoring three runs in the first inning and four more in the second. Five Wildcats registered multiple hits and four drove in a pair of runs. The lineup grinded out nine walks and forced Mizzou (7-11, 0-1) pitchers to throw nearly 200 pitches on the night.
Senior catcher Coltyn Kessler went 3-for-3 with a pair of walks, reaching base in all five plate appearances. Senior first baseman T.J. Collett remained hot, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. He put together a 13-pitch at-bat in the first inning that helped fuel the initial rally.
Junior Austin Schultz went 2-for-5 with two runs and a stolen base. Schultz is 9-for-9 on stolen bases this season and is in the midst of a career-best 11-game hit streak. He’s reached base safely in 70 of 75 career games.
Senior outfielder Oraj Anu went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored. It was his sixth multi-hit game of the season.
Gold medal for Tucker
Kentucky sophomore Mary Tucker added to her trophy case Saturday as she excelled on the international stage in winning the women’s air rifle 10m gold medal at the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup in New Dehli, India.
It is Tucker’s first medal on the international stage as the United States also won silver in the event. Former Mississippi star Alison Weisz was the runner-up. Of her 24 shots in the finals, Tucker scored 10.1 or higher 23 times with her only off bullseye being a 9.9 in her 23rd shot.
Last weekend, Tucker was named the most outstanding performer at the NCAA championships. She won the smallbore individual gold, air rifle individual gold and the overall title. All the while, she led the Wildcats to smallbore team gold, air rifle team silver and the overall national championship — the third in program history.
UK swimmer breaks school record
Sophomore Lauren Poole earned a bronze medal in the 400-meter individual medley and broke her own school record with a time of 4:02.73 at the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Greensboro, N.C., on Friday. As a team, UK collected seven All-America honors on the third night of the meet, which was to conclude Saturday.
Poole’s swim, which earned her first-team All-American honors, came one month after she won the 400 individual medley at the SEC championships. Poole’s third-place showing was Kentucky’s highest individual finish — male or female, swimming or diving — since Asia Seidt won bronze in the 200 backstroke in 2018 and silver in the 200 backstroke in 2017.
Riley Gaines also earned her first individual first-team All-American honor on Friday in the 200 freestyle. Gaines also won the event at the SEC Championships. Gaines finished seventh Friday with a time of 1:44.67. Kaitlynn Wheeler finished 16th in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:45.99 and earned honorable mention All-American status.
UK volleyball falls in thriller
Despite a big night from its senior star, the University of Kentucky volleyball team lost for the first time this season on Friday. The third-ranked Wildcats were beaten by No. 7 Florida 3-2 (18-25, 27-25, 17-25, 25-16, 17-15) in Gainesville.
Senior outside hitter Avery Skinner pounded 20 kills for the Wildcats, who won sets one and three and lost set two in extra points. The Gators won the final two sets — the fifth in extra points — to claim the victory.
Kentucky is now 16-1. Florida improved to 17-2 and moved one game back of Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference standings. The two-game series was scheduled to conclude Saturday.
Four Wildcats registered double-digit kills. Azhani Tealer logged a career-high 18, Alli Stumler had 15 and freshman Madi Skinner had 11. Madison Lilley had a season-high 59 assists and Gabby Curry added a season high 23 digs for the Cats.
Florida’s T’Ara Caesar had 20 kills to lead the Gators.