Lexington, (Ky.) ? After trailing, 6-0, early in the game, Kentucky?s Mike Breyman delivered a bases-clearing double to tie the score at 8-8 in the bottom of the seventh inning, but it wasn?t enough as the Wildcats fell to the nation?s fifth-ranked LSU Tigers on Saturday at Cliff Hagan Stadium. The two teams will play the series rubber match on Sunday at 1 p.m.
LSU (35-13, 13-10 SEC) jumped out to a 6-0 advantage after two innings, scoring twice in the first and four more times in the second. Ivan Naccarata, Ryan Patterson and Jon Zeringue each had two-run singles to give the Tigers a cushion.
Kentucky (21-24, 6-17 SEC) came back with two of its own in the bottom of the second. Justin Scutchfield walked with the bases loaded to force in the Wildcats? first run and Michael Bertram?s single later plated Billy Grace. The Cats cut the deficit to one at 6-5, with three more runs in the bottom of the third. Grace did the damage this time, going opposite field with a three-run home run. The freshman?s second blast of the season scored Caleb Stewart, who had doubled, and Breyman.
?One thing we?ll never do at Kentucky is give up,? UK head coach John Cohen said. ?Our team really battled back and stayed in the game today. Our effort was there and we gave ourselves a chance to win.?
The Tigers put two more runs on the board in the fifth inning on J.C. Holt?s single to score Matt Liuzza and Nick Stavinoha.
After Breyman?s double tied the game, LSU got three runs in the eighth. Two of those came on Stavinoha?s home run to left-center field. UK was unable to mount any kind of rally in its last two trips to the plate and the Tigers went home with the 11-8 victory.
Bertram and Breyman had three hits each to lead the Kentucky offense. Grace was 2-for-4 with three runs driven in and two runs scored. Patterson and Zeringue both posted three-hit days for LSU. Kentucky reliever James Rodriquez (2-5) was saddled with the loss after allowing three earned runs in 3 2/3 innings. Jordan Faircloth (2-3) earned his second victory of the year in relief for the Tigers.
UK won Friday night?s series opener, 10-3, setting up Sunday?s series-deciding game. The Wildcats have already won two series this year over teams ranked in the top ten.
On Sunday, UK will send Andy Myette (1-1) to the mound, where he will be opposed by LSU?s Nate Bumstead (7-2). All the action can be heard live on 96.1 FM in Lexington. Live audio and stats are available at www.ukathletics.com, as well as live video for users with ?Extreme Access.?
— UK —
