March 24, 2012
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — With No. 2 Kentucky owning a 5-0 lead with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning at Tennessee, the game has been postponed, with a resumption slated for 12 p.m. ET Sunday. Following the conclusion of the resumed game, the two teams will finish the weekend with a seven-inning series finale.
Kentucky (22-1, 3-1 SEC) owns a 5-0 lead with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning and runners on second and third and leadoff hitter Will Maddox at the plate.
UK starter Jerad Grundy (3-0) was in the midst of a career outing in the fifth inning, working 4.2 innings, allowing only four hits – two infield knocks – with one walk and two strikeouts.
The Wildcats had been paced by a two-hit, three-RBI game from J.T. Riddle through the first five innings, with Riddle launching a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Senior Thomas McCarthy is 2-for-3 through the first few frames, with UK also getting hits from A.J. Reed, Michael Williams and Matt Reida. Williams hit his second homer of the year in the second inning but the ball was ruled as having been in play.
Tennessee (13-8, 2-2 SEC) starter Brandon Zajac made his collegiate debut in the game, tossing 2.2 innings, allowing three hits and three runs, walking one. He was relieved by Conner Stevens, who worked 2.1 innings, allowing four hits and two runs, walking two without a strikeout.
The games on Sunday will be broadcast live on the UK IMG Radio Network, with Dick Gabriel voicing the action. Fans in Lexington can hear the game live on WGVN 1580-AM, in Louisville on WKJK 1080-AM and online at UKathletics.com. UK will send sophomore southpaw Corey Littrell (2-0, 2.45 ERA) to the mound to face Tennessee sophomore right-hander Nick Williams (2-2, 2.05 ERA), the brother of UK senior catcher Michael Williams.
Kentucky got on the board in the second inning, as Reed extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a single to leadoff. After a fielder’s choice erased Reed and put Cameron Flynn on first, McCarthy singled into the gap to push Flynn to third base. Riddle then smacked a grounder off the glove of Zajac up the middle, allowing Flynn to score from third base. Williams then belted his second homer of the year over the leftfield fence, bouncing off the top of the fence and ricocheting off the railing behind the fence. While in his home run trot, the ball was launched back into play after hitting the railing, with Williams tagged out before reaching second base, and McCarthy scoring before the tag. Williams was tagged out on the throw from leftfield, as no signal was made by the three-man umpire crew on the homer until the tag at second base. Williams finished his home run trot without any doubt on his homer, but after a furious reaction from the UK dugout the three-man crew elected to stay with the call on the field, ending the inning.
UK added a run in the third inning taking advantage of a pair of UT errors. Reida drew a walk to leadoff, with Austin Cousino replacing him at first on a fielder’s choice. Zac Zellers then popped up for the second out, with Cousino stealing second and taking third after a botched pickoff attempt at second base during Zellers’ at bat. Maile then hit a slow roller at third base, going as an error and allowing Cousino to score from third.
In the fourth inning, UK continued to add to its lead, as McCarthy led off with a single up the middle. Riddle then homered over the rightfield fence – his first of the year – giving UK a 5-0 lead.
GAME NOTES: Junior southpaw Jerad Grundy made his first career road SEC start … Freshman A.J. Reed extended his hitting streak to a club-long and career-high 15 games with a single in the second inning … J.T. Riddle hit his first homer of the year and the fourth of his career … Zac Zellers was hit by his SEC-leading 11th time in 2012 … Austin Cousino stole his fifth base of the year in five attempts.
