Game One Box | Game Two Box
GREENVILLE, S.C. – In a game that was resumed from Friday evening, the Kentucky Wildcats baseball team fell to Furman University 4-3 in 11 innings. The two teams were tied at the end of nine innings on Friday. Following the conclusion of the 10th inning, the umpires and coaches from both squads determined that it was too dark to continue the game, and that it would be resumed on Sunday.
Furman (5-1) got on the scoreboard in the third inning. With two out, Paladin second baseman Adam Etherington singled off of UK starter Scott Wade and Clint Hill followed with a double, scoring Etherington and giving the Paladins a 1-0 lead.
The Wildcats evened the score with a run in the fourth. With one out, shortstop Vince Harrison walked, bringing up Caleb Brock. Brock singled to left field and the ball was misplayed by Furman’s left fielder, scoring Harrison all the way from first.
The score remained tied 1-1 until FU scored a run in the seventh by taking advantage of two UK miscues.
UK trailed 2-1 going into the ninth, but staged a late rally, scoring two runs and taking its first lead, 3-2. Taylor McInnis singled to lead off the inning. With one out, Harrison reached on an error, moving McInnis to second. Both players advanced one base on a wild pitch, putting runners in scoring position for Jeff Tolotti. Tolotti came through with a clutch hit, scoring both Harrison and McInnis to give the Cats the lead.
Furman tied the game with a run in the ninth, forcing the game to extra innings. Neither team could push a run across the plate in the 10th, at which time the game was suspended due to darkness.
The teams returned on Sunday. Kentucky was unable to score in the top-half of the 11th and Furman’s Chris Valdes ended the game with a RBI single to center field, scoring Clint Hill.
Furman outhit Kentucky 13-4 and committed five errors to UK’s two. For Kentucky, Scott Wade scattered six hits over five innings, allowing only one run while striking out two. Wade did not figure in the decision. Jon Hooker (0-1) absorbed the loss for the Wildcats.
In Sunday’s originally scheduled contest, Kentucky was unable to even the score with Furman, falling again to the Paladins by a score of 9-2.
UK (1-2) scored in the first inning. Beau Moore reached on an error and advanced to third on a hit from Harrison. Designated hitter Spencer Preston drove home Moore to give the Cats a 1-0 lead.
That lead would be short lived as FU tied the score in the bottom of the first and took a 2-1 lead in the second.
UK starter Mark Michael experienced control problems throughout his 4.1 innings of work, giving up five hits, five runs (three of which were earned) and allowing three bases on balls.
The Paladins pushed four runs across in the fifth, one in the sixth, and two more in the seventh, extending their lead to 9-1. UK would only manage one more run, coming in the bottom of the ninth, with Preston scoring on a groundout by pinch hitter Brent Stephens.
UK could only mange six hits against the Paladin hurlers. Harrison and Preston were the only Cats to manage more than one hit, one of Preston’s going for extra bases.
Michael took the loss for UK, falling to 0-1 on the season. Furman starter Toby David earned the win, going seven strong innings and not allowing an earned run.
With the losses, the UK fell to 1-2 on the season. The Cats will be back in action on Friday, Feb. 16, at 12 p.m., when they travel to Rock Hill, S.C., to take on Appalachian State in the Winthrop Tournament.
