Jelkin Shines as Cats Roll Past UNC Greensboro in Season Opener
Jaxon Jelkin's debut with the Kentucky Wildcats was nothing short of spectacular. The junior pitcher, who missed the previous season due to Tommy John Surgery, dominated the mound in the team's season opener against UNC Greensboro. In just four innings, he allowed only two hits and struck out an impressive 10 batters, contributing to the Cats' 13-2 victory.
Jelkin, a hard-throwing right-hander, was on a pitch count for his debut. He finished with 58 pitches, 40 of which were strikes. Out of the 14 batters he faced, 12 were struck out on the first pitch. The UNC Greensboro team had no answer for Jelkin's prowess, and his replacement, Connor Mattison, was equally impressive, striking out seven batters in 3.2 innings.
The Cats' pitching staff broke a program record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game with a total of 20. Tristan Hunter closed the game with three punchouts in two innings, and the UK staff didn't walk a single batter. The Kentucky team had more than enough run support, with 14 hits, including five for extra bases.
Senior second baseman Luke Lawrence hit a grand slam as part of UK's eight-run third inning, which saw 13 batsmen come to the plate. Jayce Tharnish, Owen Jenkins, and Ethan Hindle each tripled, and Hudson Brown chipped in with a double. Tharnish and Jenkins each led UK with three hits, and Tharnish also stole three bases and scored a pair of runs.
Noah Chapman started and took the loss for UNC Greensboro. He allowed eight runs on six hits and three hit batsmen over just two-plus innings. The Spartans' staff struggled with command, hitting six UK batters.
The only concern in an otherwise positive win was a potential injury to preseason All-American shortstop Tyler Bell, who had to leave the game in the seventh inning after driving for a ball. He remained down on the field for a few minutes before walking off to get further examination.
Game Ball:
Jaxon Jelkin, Kentucky - Making his debut for the Wildcats and his first start since Tommy John Surgery, Jelkin was sensational. Working on a 65-pitch count, the junior right-hander struck out the first seven batters he faced and finished with 10 punchouts in four shutout innings on the mound.
Up Next:
Kentucky and UNC Greensboro are scheduled to wrap up the series with a Saturday doubleheader due to inclement weather expected in the region for Sunday. Game 2 will begin at 1 p.m. ET, with Game 3 starting approximately 45 minutes after the first game ends. Both will be nine-inning games with a run rule of 10 in place.
