April 14, 2000
ATHENS, Ga. – University of Georgia starting pitcher Chris Clark allowedjust three runs on five hits as he tossed his third complete game of theseason, beating Brandon Webb and the Kentucky Wildcats, 5-3, in the seriesopening game at UGA’s Foley Field.
In a battle of right-handers, Clark (5-2) out-dueled Webb who tossed hissecond complete game of the season. Webb (5-2) allowed five runs (threeearned) while striking out seven and walking four over eight innings. Clarkstruck out four while walking three and hitting John Wilson twice.
Both teams got on the board in the first inning with the Bulldogs takingadvantage of some UK miscues to take a 3-1 lead out of the frame. BeauMoore gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead in the top of the inning with a solohome run, his third of the season, sailing high over the right field fenceoff Bulldog starter Chris Clark. With UGA’s first two hitters reaching on adouble and a walk, respectively, Gordon Tyler misjudged a routine fly ballin right field that evened the score and put runners on second and thirdwith one out. With the bases loaded and two out, Webb hurt his cause with apair of run scoring wild pitches – the first of which came on strike threeto Brian Rainwater.
Moore got things going again for the Cats in his next plate appearance,collecting his and the team’s second hit of the game with two out in thethird. One hitter later, Aaron McGlone singled sharply through the rightside to plate Moore and bring the Cats within a run at 3-2. The hit byMcGlone tied the senior left fielder with Mike Botkin for the all-time UKhit lead at 241.
Meanwhile, Webb got into a groove allowing just one hit over the next threeinnings, striking out four through four innings. The Bulldogs extendedtheir lead to 5-2 with a pair of runs on four singles in the fifth, butWebb came back to retire the Dawgs on six pitches in the sixth. Webb’sstrong sixth inning came on the heels of Breck Price’s home run with oneout in the top of the inning that brough UK within 5-3. The blast wasPrice’s second of the season and second in the last two games.Four innings after McGlone tied Botkin for the school mark in hits, AndyGreen equaled McGlone and Botkin with his 241st career base hit leading offthe seventh, the first base hit by a right-handed hitter off Clark in thegame.
The Wildcats put a runner on in the ninth inning, but Clark closed out thegame by getting Wilson to fly out to left field.The Bulldogs (23-14, 9-6 Southeastern Conference) and Wildcats (26-9-1,5-9-1 SEC) will meet in game two of the series tomorrow afternoon withfirst pitch at Foley Field scheduled for 2 p.m. EDT.
