The University of Kentucky baseball team secured a hard-fought series win on the road with a 4-0 victory over Elon on Sunday. The Wildcats took an early lead and remained nearly untouchable on the mound, with UK pitchers allowing just one run over the final 23 innings of the weekend and striking out 32 along the way.
Kentucky (2-1) showed impressive depth and talent on both sides of the ball, with Emilien Pitre recording four hits and Jackson Gray contributing two hits, including a crucial RBI single. Catcher Devin Burkes hit the first Big Blue Bomb of the season, adding to the Cats’ lead in the fifth inning with a towering shot to right that made it 3-0.
Starting pitcher Zack Lee was excellent, striking out seven in five shutout innings, while a quartet of relievers each tossed a scoreless inning to slam the door. Kentucky’s starting pitchers allowed just two runs in 16 innings over the weekend, while the bullpen allowed only one run in 10 innings.
Coach Nick Mingione, now in his seventh season at the helm, has led the Wildcats to an impressive 178-130 career record. Under his leadership, Kentucky is 111-37 in non-conference games and has a record of 97-15 against non-Power Five opponents.
Catcher Devin Burkes, who had UK’s first home run of the season, has reached base safely in 16 consecutive games dating back to the 2022 season. First baseman Hunter Gilliam has started 116 consecutive games at the collegiate level, and infielder Grant Smith has started all 119 games of his collegiate career.
Kentucky will return home for its Tuesday home opener at Kentucky Proud Park. The Wildcats will face an opponent to be determined, with the game scheduled to be streamed on SECN+ and the radio call on the UK Sports Network. After a strong start to the season, Kentucky is sure to bring their A-game to their first home game of the year.
