April 20, 2002
Athens, Ga. — David Coffey’s game-winning sacrifice fly scored Kris Edge in the bottom of the ninth as the University of Kentucky baseball team fell 6-5 to Georgia in front of 3,065 fans at Foley Field Saturday afternoon. With the loss, the Bulldogs (22-14, 10-7 Southeastern Conference) claimed the series over the Wildcats (14-24, 3-14 SEC) for the first time at UGA since 1994.
Starters Scott Wade and Brandon Moorhead cruised through four scoreless innings before the Wildcats got to Moorhead in the top of the fifth. Mike Ferris walked to begin the inning and Gordon Tyler reached on a fielding error by UGA second baseman Marshall Szabo. Entering the game batting .079 (3-for-38) in SEC play, Spencer Preston broke out of his slump in a big way when the senior catcher cracked a two-RBI double to the left-center gap to score Ferris and Tyler. Russ Rutherford’s sacrifice bunt advanced Preston to third before Brad Pickrell singled him home to put UK up 3-0. The Cats’ rally continued when Caleb Stewart reached on a fielders choice and Spencer Graeter followed with his team-leading 10th double of the season to put runners at second and third for cleanup hitter Robert Newton. The West Lafayette, Ind. native, came through with a two-RBI single to right to build UK’s lead to 5-0.
The Dogs did not wait long to bite back when Adam Swann blasted a leadoff home run and Jon Armitage followed with a single to right. Armitage’s stay on base path was brief as Preston gunned the UGA shortstop down at second on an attempted steal. Wade worked his way out of the inning and took a 5-1 lead into the sixth.
Georgia’s bats sizzled in its half of the sixth, ripping four consecutive hits to begin the inning to shave UK’s lead to 5-4. Madison called on senior left-hander Bryan Felkel to replace Wade after the junior surrendered a two-run triple to center by Adam Swann. The Bulldogs evened the game at five runs apiece when Justin Holmes executed a sacrifice bunt successfully down the third base line scoring Swann from third.
UK had its chance to bring the winning run home in the ninth after Russ Rutherford and Stewart singled putting runners at first and third with two down, but UGA reliever Matt Woods got Spencer Graeter swinging on strike three to quell the Cats’ scoring threat.
The Bulldogs wrapped up the victory in the bottom of the ninth when Clint Sammons placed a leadoff single to center. Kris edge pinch-ran for the UGA catcher and crossed home on a sacrifice fly to right by David Coffey.
The series concludes tomorrow when the Wildcats send sophomore right-hander Cory Hahn (3-5, 4.70) to the mound, while Georgia challenges with senior right-hander Bill Sharpton at 2 p.m. ET.
Kentucky000 050 000 - 5 9 2Georgia000 014 001 - 6 11 1Win: Woods (2-0)Loss: Felkel (2-1)Time: 2:45Attendance: 3,065
– UK –
