Live Updates: Kentucky Takes On Evansville in Home-Opener

Kentucky baseball is back at Kentucky Proud Park for its home-opener and the first of 10 straight games in Lexington after taking two of three from Elon in the opening weekend of the 2023 season.

The Evansville Purple Aces (0-3) occupy the first-base dugout, concluding their four-game stint away from home after being swept by Troy.

UK bounced back from a loss on Friday to the Phoenix, as the Cats' pitching staff allowed just one run over the final 18 innings. You can read more about the first three games of the season HERE.

You'll find live updates of Tuesday afternoon's showdown below:

LIVE SCORE: B8, 6-3 Kentucky

Top 1st: Smith works himself into a bit of trouble, hitting the leadoff man and walking the three-hole hitter. After a mound visit, he settles in and strikes out Widder on an offspeed pitch, then gets Bergstrom to ground out to Pitre on the right side.

Lengthy, perhaps nervy first inning for the redshirt freshman. No hits allowed, two left on.

Bottom 1st: Kentucky threatens in the first after a Jackson Gray single. He steals second, then moves to third on an errant pickoff attempt. Devin Burkes strikes out looking, then Pitre grounds out to Fougerousse at 2B to retire the side.

Top 2nd: With one down, Eric Roberts singles to right field. He's caught trying to steal second, but a bad throw over allows him to reach second. UK is subsequently punished, as former Wildcat Brendan Hord laces a double to left center, driving Roberts in.

Smith then walks Rumsey, first and second for Evansville with one out. The RS freshman bounces back for a 2-2 punchout, getting Shallenberger looking. With two down, Fougerousse chops one to short, but Grant Smith gets the out at second on a bang-bang play.

Smith limits the damage to one, but has already thrown 52 pitches.

Bottom 2nd: Gilliam pokes a fly ball into short center, but Rumsey stumbles as he's going in for the catch, the ball goes over his head and Gilliam ends up on second base to.

McCoy is first-pitch swinging, hitting a towering fly ball to left field. It hits off the wall, scoring Gilliam, as McCoy hustles to third for a triple.

After a leadoff double by @CaptGIlliam, @j_mccoy2021 spanks the first extra-base hit of his career, a triple off the left field wall. Cats lead 2-1.https://t.co/Cs7pHXxHYC (SECN+) pic.twitter.com/QZikcUp1NJ
— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) February 21, 2023

Stanke strikes out for the first out. Byars then tries to lay down a safety squeeze, but can't get the bunt down. Evansville's Hord throws back to third to get McCoy — halfway down the 3B line — but the throw hits McCoy in the helmet, subsequently going into left field, allowing him to trot home to give UK the lead.

Byars and G. Smith strike out to end the inning.

Top 3rd: Hug saws off a 2-1 fastball the other way to left field for a leadoff single. Smith gets Widder to roll over into a 4-6-3 double play to wipe out the hit. Borgstrom then does the same to get Martin off the mound for his quickest inning of the day.

Top of the order coming up for Kentucky.

Bottom 3rd: Waldschmidt hits a single into left center and aggressively turns it into a double, sliding under a tag at second. He was called out originally, but the call was overturned.

Another bad pickoff attempt goes into CF, allowing Waldschmidt to dash to third. Gray then lays down a successful safety squeeze to the right side of the mound, getting Waldschmidt home.

With two outs, Pitre takes a 1-1 pitch to center for a base knock. Gilliam lines out to CF to end the inning.

Top 4th: Pitching change — RHP Ryder Giles in for Travis Smith

3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K on 61 pitches for Smith. Some good and some bad for the RS freshman's first outing.

Scherry is out in front of a 2-2 pitch, but he pulls it down the left field line for a leadoff double. Roberts then gets his second hit of the day, a base hit to right. Runners on the corners with no outs for the Aces.

Hord hits a sac fly to LF, bringing Scherry home. Roberts advances to second.

Giles works a strikeout, fanning Rumsey on three pitches for the second out of the inning. Shallenberger hits one hard to Gilliam at first, but he fields it to retire the side.

Bottom 4th: McCoy's nice day continues to lead off the inning, he takes a 1-0 pitch on a line to right center for a double, his second extra-base hit of the afternoon.

Stanke follows up with a single up the middle, scoring McCoy then advancing to second after some fielding trouble. Byars then gets his first hit of the season, laying down a beautiful bunt down the 3B line, reaching base and getting Stanke to third.

.@ChaseStanke ropes a single to score McCoy and knock in his first run for UK.

4-2, UK, B4. pic.twitter.com/YZBIORtyPg
— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) February 21, 2023

Runners on the corners — pitching change — RHP John MacCauley in for Shane Harris

Harris' final line — 3 IP, 8 H, 4 R (3 ER), 5 K

Smith lays down another squeeze bunt for UK, getting Stanke home. Byars to third after stealing second before the bunt. Just one out for the Cats.

Waldschmidt walks on four pitches, putting runners on the corners for Jackson Gray. Waldschmidt swipes second, putting two in scoring position. Gray is then hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Burkes is then hit square in the back, sending Byars across home plate to make it 6-2 UK. Pitre opts for another bunt, but send it back to MacCauley at the mound who gets the out.

Gilliam then up with the bases full and two down, he grounds one sharp to third, but Widder makes the play to finally retire the side.

Top 5th: Pitching change — RHP Zach Hise in for Ryder Giles

Hise needs just six pitches to retire the side. Nice plays by Pitre at second and Waldschmidt out in LF.

.@zachhise24 with a quick 1-2-3 inning, aided by this diving catch by @ryanwaldy21.

6-2 UK, B5.https://t.co/Cs7pHXxHYC (SECN+) pic.twitter.com/U3aGNBXzTU
— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) February 21, 2023

Bottom 5th: Pitching change — RHP Jarrett Blunt in for John MacCauley

With two down, Byars chops one to third, Widder charges and makes the barehand play, but his throw is wide of the bag at first. Byars advances to second.

Grant Smith hit by a pitch, the fourth time that's happened to the Incarnate Word transfer in four games. Waldschmidt then draws his second walk of the game to load the bases.

Blunt pulls the string on Gray, leaving the bases loaded for the second inning in a row.

Top 6th: With one out, Scherry gets his second extra-base hit of the game, this time a triple, driving a pitch to the base of the CF wall, over the head of Gray. Roberts then gives UK a taste of its own medicine, laying down a squeeze bunt of his own to bring Scherry across the plate while reaching first.

Hord then rolls into a 6-4-3 double play, ending the inning for the Aces, who cut the lead to 6-3.

Bottom 6th: Burkes gets his first knock of the day, second-pitch swinging his way to a single out to left field.

Pitre slaps an 0-2 pitch into right for a single, advancing Burkes to third. Pitre is caught making the turn for second for the first out of the inning. Gilliam becomes the fourth Wildcat to get hit by a pitch, putting runners on the corners with one down.

Gilliam leaves early trying to swipe second base, but Blunt steps off and gets the first baseman out. McCoy takes a four-pitch walk, again putting runners on the corners for the Cats.

Pitching change — LHP Michael Parks in for Jarrett Blunt

Stanke pops out to short right center, leaving two more runners on base.

Top 7th: Pitching change — RHP Mason Moore in for Zach Hise

Moore gets a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two.

Bottom 7th: Byars opens the inning with a double to right-center, his third hit of the game. Kentucky is unable to do anything with the runner in scoring position, though. G. Smith and Waldschmidt strike out, while Gray flies out to left.

Top 8th: Moore works another scoreless inning, now has three strikeouts. Cats are cruising to their third win in a row.

Bottom 8th: Burkes draws a walk to open the inning. He's then moved to second on a beautiful bunt hit from Pitre that stopped dead halfway up the third-base line.

Pitching change — RHP Nate Hardman in for Michael Parks

Starting lineup for Kentucky:

Ryan Waldschmidt, LF — .333 (3-9)
Jackson Gray, CF — .429 (3-7)
Devin Burkes, DH — .167 (2-12)
Émilien Pitre, 2B — .333 (4-12)
Hunter Gilliam, 1B — .333 (3-9)
James McCoy, RF — .154 (2-13)
Chase Stanke, C — .000 (0-3)
Isaiah Byars, 3B — .000 (0-11)
Grant Smith, SS — .500 (4-8)

Starting: RHP Travis Smith (first start)

Starting lineup for Evansville:

Mark Shallenberger, RF — .167 (2-12)
Kip Fougerousse, 2B — .438 (7-16)
Chase Hug, 1B — .000 (0-12)
Brent Widder, 3B — .091 (1-11)
Danny Borgstrom, LF — .417 (5-12)
Simon Scherry, SS — .333 (4-12)
Eric Roberts, DH — .167 (2-12)
Brendan Hord, C — .333 (4-12)
Ty Rumsey, CF — .231 (3-13)

Starting: RHP Shane Harris (1 IP, 1 ER)

Purple Aces catcher Brendan Hord is a former Wildcat and Lexington native. You can find out more about Hord and the start to the season for Evansville HERE.

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

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