LEXINGTON, Ky. — It was the Patrick Herrera show Tuesday night at Kentucky Proud Park.
The senior infielder drove in a career-high five RBI in Kentucky's 17-5 victory over No. 19 Louisville (28-12, 10-8 ACC) in seven innings, coming a double shy of the cycle in front of 6,415 fans. He went 3-for-3 with two runs, five RBI, a three-run triple, a home run, a HBP and a walk. It was the Wildcats' (23-15, 8-10 SEC) third straight win against a top 20 opponent.
The teams have split this year's Bluegrass Series, as Louisville defeated Kentucky 4-3 April 8 in 10 innings.
Kentucky got the scoring started early, cashing in on a one-out double with a sacrifice fly, before scoring four runs in the second to take a 5-0 lead through two.
Both teams scored one run apiece in the third before Louisville senior outfielder Eddie King Jr. led off the fourth with his eighth home run of the season. The Wildcats then answered with a four-run fourth punctuated by Herrera's home run, taking a 10-2 lead.
After a three-run fifth inning for Louisville narrowed Kentucky's lead to 10-5, the Wildcats scored seven in the bottom half, including a two-run home run from junior outfielder Carson Hansen.
Freshman infielder Tyler Bell and sophomore infielder Kyuss Gargett also led Kentucky's offense, with each driving in three runs. Seven Wildcats scored multiple runs.
Four Cardinals finished with multiple hits, including King, who drove in two.
Junior left-hander Ethan Walker got the win for Kentucky, striking out a season-high six Louisville batters while allowing two runs and six hits over four innings. Sophomore left-hander TJ Schlageter had his first loss of the season, giving up four runs in 1.2 innings.
The Wildcats stay in Lexington for a three-game weekend series April 25-27 against South Carolina. Up next for the Cardinals is a three-game weekend series April 25-27 at home against Florida State.
Connor Smith - Digital Producer
Connor Smith is a digital producer for Spectrum News 1 in Louisville, Kentucky. He joined the team in November 2023 and hails from the Chicago area. In summer 2023, he received his Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern's Medill School in Chicago, where he covered Super Bowl LVII, the Chicago Marathon and other stories around the city.
