Mendoza’s Four RBIs Lead Texas to Win Over Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Ethan Mendoza‘s clutch performance propelled No. 2 Texas to a 6-3 victory over Kentucky on Friday evening at Kentucky Pride Park. The second baseman drove in four runs, including a pivotal two-run double in the seventh inning, helping the Longhorns secure their ninth consecutive Southeastern Conference (SEC) win.

With this victory, Texas improved its season record to 28-4 and maintained a tie at the top of the SEC standings with No. 1 LSU, both holding a 12-1 conference record. Texas’s impressive performance followed a career-high five RBIs from Mendoza in a dominating 12-2 win over Houston Christian just days prior.

The game started in chilly 40-degree weather, with Kentucky taking an early lead after a solo home run from right fielder Shaun Montoya in the sixth inning. The Wildcats were up 2-1 at that moment, having tied the game earlier in the fifth on an RBI single from Hudson Brown.

As Texas looked to respond, Mendoza stepped up in the seventh, delivering a crucial double that brought in two runs and shifted the momentum. Catcher Rylan Galvan followed with an RBI single for a 4-2 advantage before Mendoza capped off the scoring in the eighth with a two-run single, extending Texas’s lead to 6-2.

Max Grubbs earned the win for Texas after pitching 3.1 innings, allowing just three hits and one run, while striking out six batters. Freshman Dylan “The Praying Mantis” Volantis secured his eighth save of the season by shutting down Kentucky in the final inning.

Texas’s head coach emphasized the importance of keeping momentum as they continue their conference push. “We’ve been doing a great job finding our rhythm at the plate, and we need to keep that going,” he said.

Kentucky fell to 18-13 and 5-8 in SEC play but has shown resilience, holding leads in all 13 of their SEC games this season. Coach Nick Mingione noted, “We have to work on closing games. We’ve shown we can compete; now we need to finish.”

Friday’s game was a thrilling contest characterized by strategic pitching changes and timely hitting. Texas outputs came primarily from their top hitters, notably Mendoza and Galvan. The Wildcats’ pitching strategy, with starter Nate Harris going four innings and leaving with one run allowed, was initially effective until the Longhorns broke through in the later innings.

As Texas prepares to face Kentucky in the second game of their series on Saturday, the Longhorns are looking to take another step toward securing the SEC series win. The game is set to begin at 11 a.m. CT, with live updates provided throughout the match.