Lexington, (Ky.) ? Kentucky and Wright State split a double header on Saturday at Cliff Hagan Stadium. The Wildcats won the first game, 7-6, and the Raiders took the nightcap, 7-4. The two teams will play the rubber match on Sunday at 1 p.m. (ET).
In game one, UK senior starting pitcher Seth Stanley (4-0) was terrific, going the distance and allowing six runs, none of them earned however, on five hits. The Henderson, Ky., product struck out nine Raider batters to pick up his fourth win of the season. Errors plagued the Wildcats as Wright State scored five unearned runs in the third inning, but a ninth-inning rally saved UK.
Miscues in the field by Wright State were the story as UK clawed back to win in the bottom of the ninth when Caleb Stewart hit a ball down the first base line that Wright State first baseman Pat Masters got to, but was unable to make a play at first, and Casey Gilvin came around to score from second base on the error, with the winning run. The Cats scored three times in the ninth to pull out the victory. Billy Grace started the rally with a single. After a strikeout, Michael Bertram singled to put runners at first and second. Gilvin lofted a fly ball to center field that was dropped by WSU centerfielder Justin Wilson, allowing Grace to score and Bertram to advance to third. Bertram scored on Jesse Barber?s sacrifice fly to center before the game?s final play.
Mike Breyman got the scoring started in the home half of the first inning with his first home run of the season, over the fence in center field. Jesse Barber scored in front of Breyman and UK was up, 2-0.
The third-inning error cost the Cats five runs as Wright State?s Masters capped off the inning with a three-run home run to left field to put the Raiders on top, 5-2.
Breyman went deep again in the third inning, this time launching a long home run over the scoreboard in right center field to cut UK?s deficit to 5-3. A Stewart bomb in the fifth inning brought the Cats one run closer at 5-4.
The Wildcats suffered another costly error in the seventh, allowing a sixth unearned run to score and give WSU a 6-4 lead.
Breyman led the Wildcat offense in the opening contest, going 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Barber and Stewart also drove in runs.
Kentucky scored first in the second game of the double header when Breyman singled and later came around on a sacrifice fly from John Shelby. Wright State tied the game at 1-1 on a Chris Coleman single to score Ross Oeder.
The two teams traded runs in the fourth inning before Kentucky took a 3-2 lead in its half of the fifth as Stewart singled and later scored on Shelby?s triple. The Raiders would take the lead right back, though, in the sixth. Errors hurt the Cats again as the Raiders scored two unearned runs with two outs in the inning to go on top, 4-3.
Each team put a run up in the seventh, but Wright State scored twice in the eighth on a two-run home run by Masters to take a 7-4 advantage. UK was unable to answer and its ninth-inning rally fell short when Graeter?s line drive to right field was caught by Ross Vagedes with his back on the wall.
Breyman, Barber, Stewart, Graeter and Andrew Levenson all had two hits each for Kentucky in the second game. Craig Snipp (1-2) suffered the loss for Kentucky. He threw 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs, two earned, on nine hits and striking out nine. Kyle Kearcher (1-0) picked up his first win for Wright State. UK will send sophomore Kalen Gibson (0-0) to the mound in Sunday?s matchup.
— UK —
