Weekend recap: Kentucky loses series at Auburn
Kentucky fell in a rubber match for the fourth straight weekend.
Kentucky went into a rubber match for the fourth consecutive weekend. And like the three times prior, the Wildcats came up short in taking a series. Auburn run-ruled Kentucky 11-0 on Sunday to claim the series, dropping Kentucky's record to 7-8 in the SEC. Auburn won 12-5 on Friday but the Wildcats bounced back with a 5-4 win on Saturday night.
Still, Auburn had no trouble with Kentucky on Sunday. Here are a few takeaways and notes from the weekend.
Auburn handles Kentucky on Friday and Sunday
The Tigers opened the series with a six-run first inning off starter Jaxon Jelkin. Kentucky trailed 8-0 when Jelkin departed the game after the second inning, though only three of those runs were earned. The Wildcats committed four errors on the night, and despite scoring three runs in the seventh inning, they trailed by at least six runs at every point after the first inning.
On Sunday, Auburn used a seven-run fifth inning to put the game away. Logan Gregorio's grand slam off Burkley Bounds made it 11-0, which wound up being the final score. Auburn starter Alex Petrovic tossed a seven-inning complete game, holding Kentucky to five hits with eight strikeouts and no walks.
It was another short outing from junior lefty Ben Cleaver. Cleaver finally made it to the fifth inning of a start last week against Missouri, but he got the hook in the third inning against Auburn. A two-run homer from Auburn's Bub Terrell made it 3-0 in the first inning. The Tigers tacked on a run in the bottom of the third. Head coach Nick Mingione opted to go with Ryan Mullan to get the final out of the third inning.
Distance remains an issue for Cleaver. He's thrown just 14.1 innings through five SEC starts. His ERA in conference play sits at 8.16.
Connor Mattison, who has started the past two midweek games, came on in the fourth. He put up a zero in his first inning after working around a leadoff single but he ran into trouble in the fifth inning. Auburn opened the inning with three straight hits to make it 5-0. Leighton Harris came on with one out and runners on the corners, but a run scored when he threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt to first. Harris got Terrell to flyout, leading to another pitching change. Ira Austin came on and gave up a single to the only batter he faced. That brought Bounds out of the bullpen. He walked a batter and then gave up a single to load the bases before Gregorio's grand slam. Jackson Soucie came on to finish the inning. In all, Kentucky used five pitchers to get out of the inning.
Offensively, Kentucky was held to 5-26 (.192) hitting and went 1-7 (.143) with runners on base. Ethan Hindle led the way with two hits in the loss.
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Harris and Adcock step up, early offense leads to Game 2 win
Kentucky scored all five of its runs in the first two innings during Saturday's win. After a slow start on Friday night, the Wildcats opened Game 2 with a solo homer from shortstop Tyler Bell. Bell, hitting leadoff for the first time in 2026, collected four hits to lead the Wildcats offensively. Kentucky tacked on two more runs in the first inning courtesy of a Tyler Cerny triple down the right field line.
In the second inning, Hindle and Ryan Schwartz hit no-doubt home runs over the high wall in left field at Auburn's Plainsman Park on back-to-back pitches to give Kentucky a 5-0 lead. That was ultimately enough runs to come away with the victory, but the Wildcats could've done much more damage. Kentucky hit a solid .308 (12-39) for the game but went just 3-15 (.200) with runners in scoring position. Kentucky left runners in scoring position in the second, fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings. The biggest missed opportunity came in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, Kentucky brought up its No. 3 and 4 hitters with only one out. However, Auburn struck out Jayce Tharnish and Carson Hansen to escape danger.
But it was quality pitching that helped preserve the Saturday win. Sophomore right-hander Nate Harris delivered four innings of one-run ball before turning it over to the bullpen. He struck out Auburn's Chase Fralick with the bases loaded in the fourth inning to keep it a 5-1 game. Sophomore Chase Alderman came on and had a shaky outing, giving up two earned runs while collecting just one out. Ryan Mullan got the final two outs of the inning. Soucie entered in the sixth inning but plunked the first two batters he faced, leading to another pitching change. Nile Adcock came in and gave the Wildcats a huge lift for the rest of the contest.
Adcock worked 3.2 innings and didn't allow a hit until the ninth inning, which came on a slow roller in the infield. After the hit, he plunked Terrell to put two runners on with one away. Adcock got a deep flyout to right field for the second out, which ended his night. Leighton Harris came on and got the final out of the game on his first pitch.
Other notes
- As stated on the broadcast, senior catcher Alex Duffey had season-ending surgery on Wednesday. Duffey, a transfer from Elon, played in just five games this season. He went 4-13 with two triples and four RBI.
- It sounds like freshman catcher Owen Jenkins could still be a couple of weeks away from returning from his injury. The Lexington native last played on March 29 against LSU. Kentucky's catching depth is being tested as the top three players are all dealing with injuries. Schwartz, who came in as a catcher but moved to the outfield, started the past two games at catcher and came in for Tagger Tyson on Friday.
- It's a tough blow to be without first baseman Hudson Brown. He's been one of the most productive hitters this season and has also played well defensively at first base. Mingione said after the Louisville game on Tuesday that Brown is out with an illness. The SEC Network broadcast noted that Brown did not travel with the team to Auburn.
- Around the SEC, it was a big weekend for two future opponents. Tennessee and Arkansas both went on the road and earned impressive sweeps. The Vols knocked off No. 9 Mississippi State, and Arkansas took down No. 8 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Arkansas and Tennessee were considered SEC contenders this year, but both teams had underwhelmed up until this weekend. Perhaps a turnaround is in store for both programs. The Vols come to Lexington beginning May 1, and Arkansas will visit for the final weekend of the regular season, beginning May 14.
- Unfortunately for Kentucky, Missouri's surprising series win in Lexington last weekend does not appear to be a sign of a program turning things around. The Tigers were swept at home by South Carolina this weekend and now sit alone at the bottom of the SEC with a 3-12 record.
