Feb. 16, 2002
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Junior right-hander Scott Wade threw six scoreless innings and Cory Hahn picked up the save to lead the University of Kentucky baseball team to a 5-4 victory over Birmingham-Southern in the Birmingham Challenge Tournament in Birmingham, Ala. Saturday. UK improves its series record to 2-1 over the Panthers and upped its season record to 2-0.
“I thought it was a great effort by Scott Wade, probably the best I’ve ever seen him pitch,” Coach Keith Madison said. “He really had a good change up, a good slider working and nice pop on his fastball. We also had a great closing performance by Cory Hahn that shut a very good Birmingham-Southern team down.”
The Cats were held hitless through five innings but their bats came alive in the sixth, scoring five runs on four hits. Sophomore right fielder Caleb Stewart continued his hit parade, pounding out his third home run in two days to begin the Wildcats’ rally. Senior Robert Newton followed with a walk and advanced to second on a Seth Morris single. A sacrifice grounder by Caleb Brock moved the runners over and BSC Coach Brian Shoop elected to intentionally walk first baseman Cory Hahn to load the bases. Madison welcomed Russ Rutherford’s second hit of the season as the 2001 Tennessee Junior College Player of the Year from Walters State laced a single to center, scoring Morris and Newton. Shortstop Spencer Graeter kept the inning alive with a base hit to right scoring Hahn, and Brad Pickrell sacrifice flied to center, bringing Rutherford home to give the Cats a commanding 5-0 lead.
Wade, leading the starting rotation in starts (15) and lowest ERA (3.84) in 2001, answered Joseph Blanton’s six-inning, one-run performance in Friday’s 9-1 win over Samford with five strikeouts and one walk in six innings of work.
Pitching coach Greg Goff went to his bullpen in the seventh, handing the ball to junior Rob Corrado, who was recently named the Southeastern Conference’s No. 6 prospect in the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft by Baseball America. The hard-throwing righty from Dayton, Ohio plunked BSC’s Cory Hamrick but found his control to retire the side with three straight strikeouts.
The Panthers, claiming the NAIA National Championship in 2001, clawed their way back by crossing the plate four times in the eighth off Corrado, sparked by a lead off solo home run by catcher Ryan Griffith. UK looked to have an insurance run in their half of the ninth when sophomore Brent Stephens slid home and was called out on a play at the plate, incensing Madison and assistant Jan Weisberg that the catcher missed the tag.
Goff went to his strikeout leader a year ago, Hahn, to close the door on the Panthers. Given the task to preserve a 5-4 UK lead, Hahn struck out first baseman Mac Godwin and after Griffith reached on a strikeout wild pitch, the Louisville, Ky. native earned his first save of the season, as BSC freshman Jonathan Sanford grounded into a double play, sealing the win for the Cats.
The Cats finish up play in the Birmingham Challenge Tournament on Sunday, Feb. 17 as they take on UAB at 2 p.m. ET. Hahn is the probable starter for UK and seniro Ros Dobbins is projected to get the call for the Blazers.
Kentucky 000 005 000 5 6 1BSC 000 000 040 4 7 1Win: Wade, UK 1-0Loss: Griffith, BSC, 0-1Save: Hahn, UK, 1Time: 2:52Attendance: 876
– UK –
