May 7, 2002
The University of Kentucky baseball team faced its longest outing of the season Tuesday night as it fell 3-1 in 11 innings to the Eagles of Morehead State at Cliff Hagan Stadium. MSU (23-23) got two runners across in the 11th to seal the win and snap UK’s (16-30) two-game winning streak heading into tonight’s contest.
Back-to-back singles from Will Renaker and Jon Childers put runners on first and third for the Eagles to start the second inning. A sacrifice fly from Bryan Ingram brought home Renaker to put Morehead on the board for the early 1-0 lead.
The two intrastate rivals played three more scoreless innings before the Cats tied the game in the sixth. After walks were issued to Mike Ferris and Brad Pickrell, a single from Caleb Stewart loaded the bases for Spencer Graeter. The sophomore, who is hitting .333 with the bases loaded, earned a walk from MSU starter Augie Cabral to bring in Ferris. Morehead head coach John Jarnagin elected to go with Casey Campbell out of the bullpen who went the rest of the way for the Eagles. With the bases still juiced, Campbell wasted not time getting out of the inning as he forced pinch-hitting Brent Stephens to ground to first ending UK’s scoring threat.
The Wildcats found themselves in similar position again in the eighth. AFerris walk and Spencer Preston hit gave the Cats a runner in scoring position, and a fielding error by Campbell allowed Pickrell to load the bases once again with only one gone in the inning. Campbell worked himself out of the jam, getting Graeter and Stewart to pop up to catcher Jon Childers to end the inning. For the game, UK stranded 15 runners and left the bases loaded three times.
Neither team got anything going in the ninth, forcing the Cats to extra innings for the fourth time on the season. Junior Scott Wade, who came on in relief of UK starter Mark Galvin in the sixth, sat all three batters down in the first extra frame.
The Eagles wouldn’t stay scoreless for long. In the top of the 11th, Ingram started the inning with a single to left field. Lance Seasor’s chopper to Pickrell at short went through the junior’s legs, giving the Cats four errors on the day and the Eagles a runner in scoring position. A single to the right field wall from Casey Gilvin scored Justin Seiter who pinch ran for Ingram, and a sacrifice fly from David Hughes gave Morehead a two-run cushion heading into the Cats half of the inning. Campbell (3-4) sat down the last three Cats to give Morehead the victory.
Kentucky will resume Southeastern Conference play this weekend in Nashville, Tenn. with a three-game series against Vanderbilt. Sophomore Cory Hahn (3-6, 4.58) will take the mound for UK in Friday’s 8 p.m. ET opener at VU’s Hawkins Field.
Morehead State 010 000 000 02 - 3 9 1Kentucky 000 001 000 00 - 1 8 4Win: Campbell (3-4)Loss: Wade (3-9)Time: 3:10Attendance: 521
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