Feb. 11, 2000
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Brandon Webb retired the first 13 Charleston Southernhitters he faced, striking out eight, and pitched six scoreless innings tolead the Wildcats to victory in its season-opener, 6-3.
“I’m extremely pleased with our overall team effort today,” UK Coach KeithMadison said. “You get a real good feeling seeing your pitchers walk justone hitter and your defense commit no errors in the first game of the season.”Webb (1-0) was embroiled in a pitcher’s dual with CSU starter Chad Humbertfor most of the afternoon, but in the end out-pitched his counterpart,allowing only two hits while Humbert (0-2) allowed six. Humbert didn’tallow a UK hitter to hit safely until freshman Seth Morris broke thestalemate with his first career hit in the third inning.
The Cats scratched through for single runs in the fourth and fifth as BreckPrice and Andy Green drove in runs without hitting the ball out of theinfield. Webb maintained the Cats’ lead by not allowing a hit until one wasout in the fifth when David Martindale dropped a low-flying base hit intoshort left-centerfield. Webb teamed with relievers Joseph Blanton and BreckPrice to strike out a combined 15 Buccaneers, nine by Webb. Blanton, afreshman making his collegiate debut, struck out four in 2.1 innings, butbattled wildness as his three wild pitches led to all three CSU runs. Pricestruck out the only two batters he faced to close the game.
CSU cut the lead in half with a run off Blanton in the seventh as Kyle Leonwas chased home by a wild pitch and a ground out by Ted Malikowski afterdoubling to left field. But the Cats took back control of the game in theeighth as John Wilson’s second hit of the afternoon was sent far over theright-centerfield fence for the defending SEC home run champion’s firstround-tripper of the season. Two batters later, Vince Harrison followedsuit with Kendrick Shanklin on first base. Harrison’s second hit of the daylanded short of Wilson’s drive in the bushes just beyond the right-fieldfence. Lead-off hitter Beau Moore also collected a pair of hits and scoredtwo runs.
“We had some outstanding individual performances today. Webb had greatcontrol and some great stuff and Jeff Meade helped him out with someoutstanding defensive plays.”
The Cats and Buccaneers will meet again tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. Startingand making his collegiate debut for the Cats will be freshman Scott Wade.
