April 26, 2003
Lexington, Ky. –
The Kentucky baseball team wrapped up its second straight Southeastern Conference series win with a 9-4 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs Saturday afternoon. The Cats (18-23, 6-13 SEC) won the first game of the double header at Cliff Hagan Stadium, 8-1, after resuming play that was suspended Friday night due to inclement weather in the Bluegrass.
UK got on board early, as Joe Naill singled and came around to score the first run of the game with the help of a sacrifice fly from Mike Breyman in the first inning. Breyman put two more runs on the board with a two-run homerun over the right center field wall in the third, brining home Brad Pickrell and giving Kentucky a 3-1 lead.
“I knew I hit the ball pretty well and it was carrying today, so fortunately it went out of the park,” Breyman said of his home run. “Things are clicking right now and we’re having fun, hopefully the momentum will carry on into tomorrow.”
The Bulldogs (21-22, 4-16 SEC) countered with a run in the both the top of the third and fourth. Pinch hitter Kyle Keen rounded the bases first for UGA, after he singled and came home on a RBI double from Justin Holmes. In the fourth, Ned Yost singled for the Bulldogs and Keen grounded out to first for the second out of the inning, scoring Yost to cut in to the Cats lead at 3-2.
Kentucky added two insurance runs in the sixth when Pickrell and Breyman led off with back-to-back singles, and Spencer Graeter walked to load the bases. After a fly out to right, Jake Kungl delivered a sacrifice fly to the same side of the field that drove in Pickrell. Russ Rutherford followed with a single to right that scored Breyman and gave the Cats a 5-2 advantage.
“We’re playing well right now,” Assistant Coach Jan Weisberg said. “We are hitting much better than early in the season and our pitchers are throwing great games. We’re putting ourselves in a position to make a run at the SEC Tournament.”
The Bulldogs scored a run in each of the eighth and ninth innings, while the Cats tacked on four more in their last at bat. With runners on second and third, UGA intentionally walked Rutherford. Aaron Edwards was hit in the head by pitcher Chris Webb on the next pitch, scoring Graeter from third. Casey Gilvin added a sacrifice fly to center to score Brock. Naill juiced the bases again by reaching on an error from the Bulldogs second baseman, and consecutive walks from Pickrell and Breyman brought in two more runs after a pitching change was made.
Heath Castle (5-3) went seven innings for the win, allowing three earned runs while scattering seven hits and striking out five Bulldogs. Kalen Gibson relieved Castle in the eighth, giving up only one hit in the final two innings for his third save. Breyman had an impressive day at the plate, going 2-for-3, driving in four runs and scoring twice.
The Cats and Bulldogs wrap up the three game series Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. EST from Cliff Hagan Stadium. The Cats will send reigning SEC Pitcher of the Week Scott Wade (2-4), who threw three innings Friday night in the first game of the series, to the mound.
–UK–
