Kentucky Overcomes 7-0 Deficit to Sweep Auburn

Nick Lopez (UK Athletics Photo)

Down seven runs and looking like a team that had been on the road for a week and could have been content with a series win, No. 8 Kentucky roared back with 13 unanswered runs in the final five innings Saturday on the way to a 13-8 victory at Auburn and claimed its third consecutive Southeastern Conference sweep.

UK (30-5, 14-1) now has won a school-record 10 straight conference games and the 2024 Wildcats are the second-fastest to 30 wins in a season in school history behind only the 2012 team that started 30-3 and ascended to No. 1 in the nation.

James McCoy bashed a three-run home run to breathe life into the Cats and Devin Burkes cleared the bases with a three-run double off the top of the wall to complete the comeback and tie the game in the sixth.

On the next pitch, Nick Lopez greeted an Auburn reliever with a two-run, game-winning shot to left-centerfield. He later added a three-run blast over the UK bullpen in right to put the game out of reach.

Starter Mason Moore had a rare off day as Auburn jumped out to a 7-0 lead through three innings but a parade of UK relievers would allow only a ninth inning solo home run the rest of the way.

Robert Hogan earned the victory with three innings of one-hit baseball and Johnny Hummel earned his fourth save by extinguishing a potential rally in the eighth and striking out the side to close the game out.

Kentucky has now won 18 of its last 20 games and is 9-0 against the SEC West this season. Kentucky’s 10-game SEC win streak is the longest in school history.

Coach Nick Mingione’s team hit 11 home runs in the series sweep.

Senior Ryan Nicholson went 2-for-5 with two runs, three RBI and two home runs. He recorded his 200th career hit and became the first UK player to homer in four straight games since teammate Grant Smith did it to end the 2023 season.

Senior Nick Lopez went 3-for-4 with two runs, five RBI, a walk and two home runs. He is the first UK player to homer from both sides of the plate since Oraj Anu in 2020. He hit a two-run shot right-handed in the 6th and a left-handed shot in the 8th. He also recorded his 150th career hit and had a career-high five RBI.

Junior Ryan Waldschmidt went 2-for-3 with two runs, a RBI and three walks. It was his ninth multi-hit game of the season and 21st career. It was his sixth multi-RBI game of the season and 17th career.