LEXINGTON ? The Kentucky baseball team overcame a nine-run deficit to take the lead going into the ninth inning, but Georgia responded with four runs to steal a 14-11 victory from the Wildcats on Saturday at Applebee?s Park.
The loss was the seventh straight for Kentucky, which fell to 12-9 overall and 0-5 in the Southeastern Conference. The Wildcats have dropped nine straight decisions in league play dating back to last year. Georgia improved to 13-9 and 2-3 in the conference.
The game looked over early as the Bulldogs raced out to an 9-0 lead through the first four-and-a-half innings. However, the excitement was just beginning as Kentucky clawed back over its next four at bats and took an 11-10 lead heading into the final frame.
In the ninth, Wildcat reliever Adam Revelette put himself in a jam by allowing a leadoff single and a pair of one-out walks to load the bases. However, he rebounded to strikeout Brandon Lowe and induced a slow roller to short from Joey Side that could have ended the game. Shortstop Ryan Wilkes and third baseman Russ Smithson, playing the hot corner for the first time, both charged and a miscommunication led to the ball bouncing off Wilkes glove to let the tying run score.
The next batter, Josh Morris belted a deep fly ball to the warning track right-centerfield that centerfielder Antone DeJesus couldn?t make the over-the-shoulder grab on. The play resulted in a bases-clearing triple and a Georgia victory.
Kentucky had rallied from 9-0 down to take the lead by scoring two in the fifth, one in the sixth, five in the seventh and three in the eighth. John Shelby?s two-out two-run single in the fifth opened the floodgates for the Wildcats offense.
Shelby?s hit was just the fourth of the game for Kentucky, but it led to 12 more over the next three innings as UK posted a season high in hits and outhit Georgia, 16-13. Five Wildcats recorded at least two hits, led by Shelby, who finished the game 5-for-6 with three RBI and two runs scored. He raised his batting average 38 points to .337.
Shaun Lehmann manufactured the run in the sixth as the Wildcats began to empty their bench, thinking the game was out of reach. He led off with a single, stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Pinch-hitter Jesse Barber brought Lehmann home on a fielder?s choice. Barber finished 0-for-2 with a pair of RBI groundouts.
The big rally came in the seventh for Kentucky as it plated five runs to cut the lead to 10-8. Five straight hits led off the inning, in which the Wildcats batted around. The scoring was capped by Justin Scutchfield?s two-out RBI single to center.
In the eighth, Shelby went back to work with a one-out single before stealing second. With two outs, Collin Cowgill came to the plate as the tying run. He grounded toward the hole on the right side and first baseman Josh Morris ranged right to make the play. Sprinting toward the base, Cowgill dove head first and beat the throw to pitcher Rip Warren.
The ball scooted loose from Warren and Shelby, never slowing as he rounded third, raced home from second and beat the throw to cut the lead to one. DeJesus followed with a double that hugged the left field line and scored Cowgill for the tying run. DeJesus scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch on the next batter.
Will Startup, who earned the save on Friday night, entered to prevent anymore damage in the eighth. He would remain in the game for the ninth and earned the win to improve to 2-1.
Georgia built its lead off Kentucky starter Andrew Albers, who had been the team?s most reliable starter entering the game. The Bulldogs tagged Albers for four in the first, one in the second and three in the third.
The big blows were back-to-back two-run doubles in the first by Jason Jacobs and Bobby Felmy and a three-run home run by Derek Smith in the third that chased Albers. He allowed eight runs on seven hits while walking two in two innings of work.
Four relievers, led by Aaron Tennyson, kept Kentucky in the game heading into the ninth. Tennyson worked five innings and gave up two runs ? one earned ? on two hits. Matt Robinson and Brock Baber each worked 1/3 of an inning before handing the game over to Revelette in the eighth.
Notes: Kentucky lost its seventh straight game ? Kentucky has lost eight straight in SEC play dating back to last year ? Kentucky lost for the first time this year and fell to 30-2 under John Cohen when leading after eight innings ? Kentucky?s 11 runs were the most for the Wildcats in 10 games ? Kentucky?s 16 hits were the most for the Wildcats this year ? Kentucky scored 10+ runs and lost for the first time since May 16 of last year (Alabama: L, 12-11) ? Shelby?s five-hit day was a career high and a first for a Wildcat in two years ? Matt Robinson made his first career appearance ? Andrew Albers had gone at least 6 2/3 innings in each of his previous five starts.
Georgia 14, Kentucky 11
Mar 26, 2005
Lexington, Ky.
Georgia – 413 011 004 – 14 13 0 (13-9, 2-3 SEC)
Kentucky – 000 021 530 – 11 16 3 (12-9, 0-5 SEC)
Pitchers: Georgia Bulldogs – Hyle; Fields(6); Brown(7); Warren(8); Startup(8). Kentucky – A. Albers; A. Tennyson(3); M. Robinson(8); B. Baber(8); A. Revelette(8).
Win-Startup(2-1) Loss-A. Revelette(1-2) T-3:25 A-646
HR UG – Smith, D. (4).
A. Albers faced 3 batters in the 3rd.
