May 9, 1998
LEXINGTON, Ky.- After pitching a perfect 10th inning of relief, Kentucky sophomore Aaron McGlone led off the bottom of the inning with a solo home run to right-center field to give the Wildcats a 15-14 come-from-behind win over No. 4 South Carolina and a berth in the SEC Tournament next week in Birmingham, Ala.
“Our players wanted to play in the SEC Tournament when the season started and now they get that opportunity,” UK coach Keith Madison said. “We rallied late and made the pitches and got the hits when we needed them. It was an all-around gutsy performance by our team.” It was the second consecutive game that the Wildcats pulled out a win in the final inning with a leadoff homer. Josh Loggins won the series opener on Friday with a leadoff homer in the 11th inning. UK (26-28, 12-17) will play the No. 1 seed on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. (CT) at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Birmingham, Ala. Unlike the series opener, the game featured a barrage of hitting by both teams. UK recorded its best hit total this season in conference play with 19, including a season-high seven home runs. Senior Jason Colemire and McGlone had two homers apiece. Itis the second time this season Colemire has hit two in a game.
South Carolina (41-14, 18-10) took a 12-9 lead into the eighth inning, but UK fought back to take the lead 13-12. Senior Mark Murphy led off the inning with a double to right field and scored on a David Cheatle single. McGlone followed with a homer to right field to tie the game at 12-12. Loggins followed with a towering home run over the left field fence to give the Wildcats the lead.
The Gamecocks regained the lead, 14-13, in the top of the ninth with a two-run homer by Mike Curry off Cheatle. With UK trailing, sophomore Andy Green knocked in pinch-runner Beau Moore with a two-out single to left field to set up McGloneis heroics in the 10th inning. McGlone (2-2) picked up the win in a perfect inning of relief. UK starter Brandon Webb was roughed up for six hits and eight runs in 3.2 innings of work. Sophomore Ben Shaffar allowed four hits and four runs, only two earned, in 3.1 innings of relief. Freshman Jon Hooker and Cheatle pitched one inning of relief.
UK freshman John Wilson had a career-high four hits, including a double. Green, McGlone and Colemire had three hits apiece. Clint Collins (3-2) suffered the loss after allowing the homer to McGlone. Starter Brett Jodie allowed eight hits and seven runs in four innings of work before giving way to Jamie Poston, who also went four innings. Curry led the Gamecocks at the plate, going 5-for-5 with a homer and two stolen bases.
The series concludes on Sunday with Senior Day at 1 p.m.
