March 26, 2003
Lexington, Ky. –
The University of Kentucky baseball team pounded out 17 hits and equaled a season-high 14 runs en route to a 14-1 win over the Kent State Golden Flashes Wednesday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Stadium. With the win, UK completed a two-game sweep over the Flashes, marking the third time this season the Cats (10-14, 0-6 SEC) have won two in a row. Senior Russ Rutherford was impressive at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a single, double and a triple, and driving in four runs on the afternoon.
Brad Pickrell got the Bat Cats off to a fast start, belting a two-run home run over the left center field wall to give UK an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. Spencer Graeter followed with a double to center and an error by Kent State catcher Pat O’Brien allowed Caleb Stewart to reach first. Jake Kungl’s sacrifice bunt to third advanced the runners, and Russ Rutherford’s double to the center field wall brought home Graeter and Stewart to give UK a four-run advantage.
Rutherford added a triple and another RBI in the third, scoring Andrew Levenson, who singled to center with two outs, for a 5-0 Cat lead. UK then batted around in the bottom of the fourth, scoring seven runs in the inning on six hits. Kungl, Levenson and catcher Caleb Brock all doubled for the Cats, and shortstop Joe Naill added two hits and a RBI in the inning.
“It was good to see us hit the ball well for the second consecutive day,” Coach Keith Madison said. “We didn’t field the ball too well today, but defense is one of our strengths, and we’re going to field the ball well. Once we put all that together, with the way we’ve been pitching lately, we’re going to be a solid club.”
The Golden Flashes (7-11, 0-0 MAC) got on the board for the first and only time in the fourth. With two outs, back-to-back singles from Adam Crowder and Eric Holick, two of Kent State’s four hits on the day, and a Kentucky error scored Crowder for Kent State’s only run of the game. Gus Hlebovy (2-2) took the loss for the Flashes, giving up nine runs in three innings before giving way to Pat Frank in the fourth. Frank scattered eight hits and allowed four runs in four innings.
Mark Galvin (2-1) allowed just one run, unearned, on three hits and struck out two in five innings of work to earn the win on the mound for UK. Southpaw Aaron Tennyson went 1 2/3 innings in his ninth appearance of the season in relief, and freshman Jimmy Rose and Matt Scott rounded out the rotation for the Cats. In addition to Rutherford’s offensive outburst, Naill, Levenson and Kungl all finished 2-for-3 at the plate, and Pickrell went a perfect 2-for-2.
The Cats will look to extend their winning streak this weekend with a three-game series against Southeastern Conference foe Arkansas at Cliff Hagan Stadium. The 16th-ranked Razorbacks beat Southwest Missouri State 5-4 yesterday after being swept by No. 9 Mississippi State last weekend in Fayetteville. All the weekend’s action can be heard on WLXO 96.1 FM. Friday’s game will be on a delayed basis, with Saturday and Sunday being broadcast live. Drew Deener provides play-by-play. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. EST on Friday. Saturday and Sunday’s games will start at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.
— UK —
