Kentucky needed every bit of the three and half hours it took to complete Saturday afternoon's game with Monmouth Universtiy in sunny San Diego. When all was said and done, though, UK's Braden Kapteyn was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the ninth, forcing in the winning run in a crazy 14-13 game.
The game was truly a wild one, and included a couple large changes in momentum. Both teams had significant leads (UK 5-1, Monmouth 13-7), but neither could make them stand up. Kentucky freshman Taylor Rogers was roughed up in his third career outing, going just 2 1/3 innings with ten earned runs and ten hits allowed. The 0.66 ERA Rogers took into the game ballooned to 6.19 by the end of his day.
About the game, UK play-by-play announcer Dick Gabriel admitted, "I can never remember anything like this."
Monmouth won the Northeastern Conference last season, but was held to just one hit during their season-opening loss to San Diego State on Friday. Their bats bounced back quickly, amassing an impressive 13 runs against Kentucky pitching; this coming one day after Logan Darnell's magnificent complete-game shutout against San Diego.
Stats, box scores, etc. to come, as the internet was out during the game's broadcast (Gabriel did his broadcast over a phone line). Kentucky moves to 9-1 on the season, traveling back home to Lexington for a two-game home series with the 2-7 Evansville Purple Aces. The series starts on Tuesday. And for those who didn't know, a 'Purple Ace' is a riverboat gambler.
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