March 18, 2003
Lexington, Ky. –
Kentucky (8-11, 0-3 SEC) scored eight runs in the bottom of the third inning and five more in the eighth en route to a 14-1 victory over the visiting Thundering Herd (5-10-1, 0-0 MAC) from Marshall. The Bat Cats pounded out 18 hits, including eight in the decisive third inning in which they sent 12 hitters to the plate.
Kentucky led 1-0 after Casey Gilvin started the first inning with a single and came in to score on Caleb Stewart’s single, the first of two run-scoring singles for him. Spencer Graeter led off the third with a single and was followed by consecutive singles from Mike Breyman and Stewart. Gordon Tyler and Jake Kungl were hit by a pitch and walked, respectively, before Brad Pickrell delivered a single down the left field line to score two. After Joe Naill singled, Casey Gilvin blasted his second home run of the season over the scoreboard in right center. Graeter then doubled for his second hit of the inning and scored on Breyman’s second base knock in the frame, a single to right. The Cats led 9-0 at the end of the inning and cruised to the victory.
“We felt like we hit the ball well in our last game at Ole Miss and we banged out 18 hits today, so it’s good to see the offense coming around,” Coach Keith Madison said. “We’ve worked really hard on hitting the last couple of weeks and it’s starting to pay off.”
The UK pitching staff held the Herd at bay all afternoon, with eight different pitchers holding Marshall to just five hits and one run. The lone blemish came on a Corie O’Bryan solo home run to lead off the fourth. Mark Galvin (1-1) earned his first win of the season. The UK starter threw three scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out one. Conrad Fritz (0-2) was saddled with the loss for Marshall.
The Cats tacked on five more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning when Michael Bertram started the inning by reaching base on an error and Steve Deaton singled to right for his first career hit as a Bat Cat, in his first at-bat. Bertram scored when Russ Rutherford scorched a double to the wall in left center and Deaton crossed the plate on a Caleb Brock frozen rope to center. Rutherford came in on a David Waespe fielder’s choice before J.B. Schmidt rounded out the scoring with a single to right field to score both Brock and Waespe.
Kentucky moves on to host Auburn this weekend at Cliff Hagan Stadium. The Cats are in search of their first conference win after losing three games to Ole Miss last weekend in Oxford, Miss.
“Auburn has a great team,” Madison said. “Coming into the season the Atlantic Coast Conference was rated the best baseball conference in the country, and Auburn is 8-2 against the ACC so far this spring. They have a very deep and talented pitching staff and they hit the ball well, so it’s going to take our best effort this weekend to beat them.”
The first game of the three-game set between the two schools is set for Friday, March 21st, at Cliff Hagan Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. EST. Game two will be played on Saturday, March 22nd, at 2 p.m. EST, and the series will wrap up on Sunday, March 23rd, at 1 p.m. EST.
– UK –
