April 2, 2003
Lexington, Ky. –
Russ Rutherford’s sacrifice fly with two outs in the eighth inning proved to be the game winner, as the University of Kentucky (11-17, 0-9 SEC) baseball team beat the Bearcats of Cincinnati, 10-9, Wednesday night at Cliff Hagan Stadium. The RBI, which scored Caleb Stewart, put the Cats on top for the first time since the third inning of play when UK led 4-2.
Cincinnati (8-19, 2-1 Conference USA) scored two runs before the Cats got on the board in the bottom of the third. Two-run homers from both Mike Breyman and Jake Kungl put the Cats up two early in the third.
The Bearcats didn’t stay down long, pounding out six runs on as many hits in the fourth, to retake the advantage, 8-4. UK closed the gap in the fifth, as Justin Scutchfield and Joe Naill put together consecutive hits with two out on the inning. Casey Gilvin then reached on an error by the UC left fielder, scoring the base runners and cutting the lead to 8-6.
UC added another to go ahead, 9-6, heading into the bottom of the seventh. After a Rutherford walk, Andrew Levenson was hit by UC pitcher Justin Minges. A double steal attempt caught Rutherford out at third and advanced pinch runner J.B Schmidt to second. Naill then singled to left, and Gilvin’s fly ball scored Schmidt to cut to the lead to two. RBI singles from Brad Pickrell, who ended the night with three hits, and Graeter rounded out the inning, bringing home Naill and Pickrell to tie the game.
After Stewart’s go-ahead run, UC got no more than two groundouts and one strikeout in the ninth, courtesy of UK pitcher Seth Stanley (2-1) to give the Cats the win.
Next up for UK is a three-game SEC series with No. 5 Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss, this weekend, April 4-6. Live action can be heard on WLXG 1300 AM and in-game scoring can be accessed at www.ukathletics.com.
– UK –
