May 17, 2000
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Kentucky baseball team stunned tothe nation’s top-ranked team, the South Carolina Gamecocks, in the first roundof the Southeastern Baseball Tournament by a score of 6-4 behind a 3-for-5performance by UK senior Aaron McGlone. The win is UK’s first ever win of ateam ranked number one in the nation.
The Cats now move into the winner’s bracket and will face thefourth-seeded Florida Gators at 8 p.m. tomorrow. The defeated the AuburnTigers, 7-2, earlier in the day.
UK second baseman Andy Green added a 2-for-5 performance for the Cats.
USC designated hitter Trey Dyson’s RBI-single to center field scoredshortstop Drew Myer from second base who reached on a base hit, giving theGamecocks a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Tripp Kelley followed Dysonwith a single to left, however UK left fielder Aaron McGlone fired the ball tocatcher John Wilson who tagged out Brandon Pack trying to score from second toend the inning.
UK’s Seth Morris tied the game in the top of second when he ripped apitch by USC starting pitcher Kip Bouknight, a SEC Player of the Year, toright, scoring Aaron McGlone from second who started the inning with a baseknock to left.
The Gamecocks took a 2-1 lead in the third on Dyson’s secondrun-scoringsingle, this time scoring Brennan Dees from second.
In the fourth, UK’s offense got hot as Robert Newton’s sacrifice fly toright scored McGlone, while Vince Harrison moved to third after reaching on adouble down the right field line. Harrison then scored on a wild pitch byBouknight. After Breck Price walked and Jeff Meade singled, second baseman AndyGreen came to plate and punched his 17th double of the season into left center,scoring Price and Meade to give the Cats a 4-2 lead.
Chris Plummer cut the UK lead to 4-3 when he scored on John Henry’ssacrifice fly to center.
However, UK used a Beau Moore sacrifice fly to center in the top of thesixth as Price tagged from third to give the Cats a 5-3 advantage.
The Cats used a one-out double down the left field line by Moore,scoring Meade from first base to give UK a 6-3 lead.
USC put another run across in the eighth on Dyson’s sacrifice fly toright field as Brandon Pack scored after reaching on a double and advancing onan error.
Jon Hooker pitched the final 1.1 innings for the Cats and picked up hisfourth save of the year. UK starter Brandon Webb improved to 7-3 with the win,while Bouknight earned his first loss of the season. Webb became the UKall-time single season strikeout leader with four strikeouts, bringing hisseason total to 123.
R H EUK 0 1 0 3 0 1 0 1 0 6 11 1USC 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 11 2
WP Webb (6-3), Price, Hooker and Wilson, LP Bouknight (15-0),Poston, Price and Pack. Save Hooker.2B Dees (USC), Plummer (USC), 2 Green (UK), Harrison (UK)Records UK (38-18-1), USC (50-7).
