April 21, 2002
ATHENS, Ga. — Senior catcher Spencer Preston went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs but a five-run seventh inning prevented the University of Kentucky baseball team from avoiding a Southeastern Conference series sweep at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs as it fell, 7-6, at Foley Field Sunday afternoon.
The Wildcats (14-25, 3-15 SEC) connected on back-to-back singles in the second by Seth Morris and Mike Ferris and each advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt by Spencer Preston. With runners at second and third Brent Stephens knocked a deep sac fly to center to score Morris and give UK an early 1-0 edge over the Bulldogs (23-14, 11-7 SEC).
UK got busy in the third when Caleb Stewart reached on a fielder’s choice and took third on Spencer Graeter’s team-high 11th double of the season. Stewart crossed home on the Cats’ third sacrifice of the game, this one a fly out to left by Robert Newton to build UK’s lead to 2-0.
Georgia bounced back with to runs of its own in third when Justin Holmes reached first on a hit that deflected off UK starting pitcher Cory Hahn and advanced to third on a two-base throwing error by third baseman Russ Rutherford. Chaz Lytle’s sac fly brought in Holmes and David Coffey followed up with a solo home run that hugged the right field line.
Kentucky reclaimed its lead in the fourth when Spencer Preston blasted his first home run of the season over the wall to left-center and Stephens followed the senior’s lead with a triple to the gap in right. Rutherford’s grounder to short allowed Stephens to cross home to put the Cats up 4-2.
The Cats put the leadoff runner on five straight times as Graeter walked to begin the fifth. Preston delivered again with a looper to right that fell between the UGA second baseman and right fielder allowing Graeter to score. The run increased UK’s lead to 5-2 and was Preston’s fourth RBI on the weekend.
UGA claimed a lead it would not relinquish in the seventh when Justin Holmes ripped a two-run single to right and David Coffey launched a three-RBI home run, his second blast of the day, to give the Bulldogs a safe 7-5 advantage.
Mike Ferris’ third home run of the season tacked on another run in the eighth for UK, forcing UGA coach David Perno to call in ace reliever Jeffrey Carswell to the mound. The Albany, Ga. native, recorded his third save to preserve the sweep for the Bulldogs.
Kentucky will take two days off before traveling to intrastate rival Louisville for a 6 p.m. ET game at Slugger Field on Wednesday, April 24.
Kentucky 011 210 010 - 6 11 3Georgia 002 000 50X - 7 10 1Win: Sharpton (5-3)Loss: Galvin (0-1)Save: Carswell (3)Time: 2:24Attendance: 2,075
– UK –
