RICHMOND, Ky. (Interstat) — The Kentucky Wildcats used a dominant pitching performance and a second-inning grand slam to cruise past the Eastern Kentucky Colonels 10-0 in a nonconference baseball game Tuesday at Turkey Hughes Field.

Kentucky starter Tommy Skelding was the top star, throwing four perfect innings of relief with two strikeouts to anchor a combined four-hit shutout. The Wildcats’ offense provided more than enough support early, highlighted by Scott Campbell’s grand slam in a decisive second inning.

Kentucky improved to 10-2 overall, while Eastern Kentucky fell to 3-9.

The Wildcats struck first in the opening inning when Jayce Tharnish doubled down the left field line and scored on Hudson Brown’s single. The game’s most important sequence unfolded in the top of the second. Eastern Kentucky starter Cooper Pumphrey loaded the bases by hitting two batters and issuing a walk, prompting a pitching change.

Reliever Anthony Scarpino entered for the Colonels, but Campbell greeted him by launching the first pitch he saw over the left-center field wall for a grand slam, clearing the bases and giving Kentucky a commanding 5-0 lead.

Kentucky extended its lead in the third when Ethan Hindle led off the inning with a solo home run to right-center. The Wildcats added another run in the fourth on an RBI double from Hindle, scoring Luke Lawrence.

The final Kentucky runs came in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, Carson Hansen delivered a two-run single up the middle. In the seventh, Tharnish drove in Ryan Schwartz with a fielder’s choice to cap the scoring at 10 runs.

While the offense compiled 10 hits, the story was Kentucky’s pitching staff. Starter William Coleman worked two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks. Skelding then took over in the third and was flawless, retiring all 12 batters he faced. Ryan Mullan closed the game with a perfect seventh, striking out two.

Eastern Kentucky’s best scoring chance came in the first inning, putting runners on the corners with two outs, but Coleman escaped the jam. The Colonels managed just four singles, with David Alvarez collecting two of them. Phillips Tyler added a double in the second, but Eastern Kentucky could not advance him.

Kentucky’s victory was its fourth straight, continuing a strong start to the season that includes series wins over Saint John’s and UNC Greensboro. Eastern Kentucky has now lost six of its last seven games.

The two in-state rivals are scheduled to meet again Wednesday in Lexington.