Feb. 15, 1998
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Coastal Carolina Hits Grand Slam in Ninth to Beat Kentucky Sophomore Steve Tylke blasted a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth, his second homer of the day to give Coastal Carolina an 8-7 victory over Kentucky at Coastal Carolina Baseball Stadium in Conway, S.C. The win gave the Chanticleers a sweep of the two-game series, with both teams now 2-2.
Coastal Carolina trailed 7-4 entering the bottom of the ninth inning to face UK closer Matt Borne. Ricardo Ayala reached on a Wildcat error to start the inning. Following a strikeout, Dorian Cameron singled to center field and Aaron Thurston walked to load the bases. Tylke then stepped to the plate and belted the first pitch over the right field wall, his fifth of the season.
UK took a 1-0 lead in the third inning thanks in part to two wild pitches by Coastal Carolina’s Rett Johnson. Senior Andy Bendix drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on Jason Pasero’s single. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Sophomore Andy Green drew a walk and Bendix scored on a wild pitch, giving UK the lead.
Senior Josh Loggins, who led the team with 11 home runs in 1997, led off the fourth inning with his first home run of the season, extending UK’s lead to 2-0. UK took a 3-0 lead in the fifth after an RBI single by sophomore Aaron McGlone.
McGlone, making his first start of the season, allowed four hits and struck out four in four innings of shutout ball. Sophomore Ben Shaffer relieved McGlone in the fifth.
Shaffer allowed the first two runners to reach base in the fifth and Tylke hit a three-run homer to center field to tie the game, 3-3. Coastal Carolina took the lead in the sixth with a RBI groundout by Ayala. UK mounted a comeback in the seventh, plating four runs to take a 7-4 lead. Loggins’ two-run single with bases loaded and and a two-run error by Coastal Carolina accounted for the four runs. It was the third time this season UK has scored four runs in an inning. Borne (0-1) took the loss after giving up four runs on four hits in 2 1/3 innings. Borne, who has two saves this season, struck out four. Kit Kadlec (1-0) picked up the win in one inning of relief. Loggins, who started in right field, went 2-for-5 with three RBIs. Third baseman Jeff Meade had two hits in his first start of the season. David Cheatle, Jason Colemire and Aaron McGlone have hit safely in all four games.
