Feb. 18, 2000
Jacksonville, Fla. – Brandon Webb pitched six strong innings for his secondwin of the season and a home run by Andy Green capped off UK’s six-runsecond inning, leading the Cats to a 10-2 win over Jacksonville and aperfect 5-0 start to the 2000 season.
Senior Aaron McGlone led the UK offense with four hits and three RBI,including a two-run homer, his first of the year, in the fourth inning. Histwo-run shot gave him 131 RBI in his UK career, moving him past Jeff Abbottand into fourth place in school history. His second inning single was the200th of his collegiate career and his eighth inning RBI single, his 203rdhit, tied him for fourth on the UK career hit list with Darin Rieman.
Kentucky fell behind for the first time this season when Jacksonville(4-3) scored an unearned run in the first inning. Green muffed a ball hitup the middle by the Dolphin lead-off hitter Troy Veleber and after asingle moved Veleber over to third, John Vollstedt plated the lead runnerwith another base hit. Webb avoided further damage by firing his first ofeight strikeouts and getting the next two hitters to ground out.
That deficit would not last for long though as the Cats put up theirbiggest inning so far this season, scoring six in the top of the second.With the bases loaded and one out, freshman Seth Morris scorched a singleto left center that drove in two. Jeff Meade then cleared the bases with adouble down the left field line. One batter later, Green chased JU starterpitcher Bryan Williams with his shot over the wall in left-center.
Webb was without his best stuff against the Dolphins, but after a doubleby Veleber in the second drove in the first earned run allowed by Webb thisseason, the junior right-hander settled down and held JU to three hits overthe next four innings.
Freshman JU reliever Ryan Courson held the Cats at bay over the next sixinnings, but gave up the two-run shot to McGlone and hit Meade with a pitchin the eighth, leading to the UK’s final two runs. After Meade scored onMcGlone’s single, Jason Wolfe doubled home McGlone for his second hit ofthe game after coming in for John Wilson in the bottom of the fourth.Wilson came out of the game after injuring his foot running out a groundout in the second inning. The All-American catcher is expected to play onSaturday.
UK freshman Joseph Blanton pitched the final three innings, striking outfive, to earn his first career save. Both Blanton and Webb were helpedalong by several good defensive plays as the UK defense made just the oneerror and turned a double play. The Cats have turned nine double plays inthe five games. Meade was particularly sharp again at shortstop as heflawlessly handled six chances in addition to the double play.
Kentucky last started a season with five straight wins in 1991 when theCats won six straight games. The Cats will have a chance to equal thatwinning streak tomorrow when they meet Jacksonville again at 4 p.m. On themound for UK will be freshman Scott Wade (1-0).
