LEXINGTON, Ky. — Sawyer Carroll?s three-run homer ? his sixth of the season ? highlighted a season high 22-hit afternoon, as the No. 4 Kentucky baseball team pounded Eastern Michigan, 18-5, in game one of a doubleheader at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Carroll, a member of the Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year Watch List, had a 3-for-5 opening game, with a club-high four RBI. UK also got three-hit performances from Collin Cowgill and Spencer Korus, with Korus going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and two walks. Cowgill tallied a 3-for-5 game, with his second triple of the season, as well as swiping his ninth bag of the year. Chris McClendon, Bryan Rose, Chris Wade, and Troy Frazier each added two hits. Wade ripped his ninth and 10th double of the season, bringing his average on the season to .365 with 23 RBI.
On the mound, UK got three innings from starter Mike Kaczmarek, who struck out three and allowed two earned runs. Tommy Warner got the win, working four innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs. Jonathan Huff closed out the game, working two hitless innings. EMU starter Bobby Henderson took the loss, lasting 3 1/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and 11 runs.
EMU got the scoring started in the first inning, as Zach Leonard reached with a one-out single and Steve Bradshaw followed with a single through the left side, just out of the reach of UK shortstop Chris Wade, who was moving towards the second-base bag to cover for a potential pickoff attempt. Todd Graves drew a walk to load the bases, setting the stage for the EMU leading hitter, Jeff Davis, to hit a hard-liner at UK?s first baseman Brian Spear. The ball skidded under Spear?s glove, allowing Leonard to score. The error was the first in seven games for the Wildcats. With one out, UK trailing 1-0 and the bases juiced, EMU catcher Andrew Marshall roped what looked like a run-scoring single into right field, but Carroll came charging into shallow right-field to make a diving play to save multiple runs from scoring.
In the top of the second, Eastern Michigan added to its lead, as Kaczmarek started the inning off with a strikeout, before allowing the on-out base runner, as Jim Gulliver drew a walk. Rhoad drove in Gulliver with a double into left-center field. Steve Bradshaw completed the EMU scoring in the second inning, laying down a bunt single that scored Rhoad from third.
Kentucky answered in the bottom of the second inning, beginning with Carroll?s leadoff single into centerfield. Korus followed with a double into deep centerfield, moving Carroll to third. McClendon lofted a fly ball deep into right field, allowing Carroll to score with a sacrifice fly. After a Marcus Nidiffer walk, Wade scored Korus with his club-high ninth double of the game, a shot off the wall in left field. Troy Frazier, UK?s left-fielder got under a deep fly ball to centerfield for a sacrifice fly, easily scoring Nidiffer from third. With the speedy Wade on second, UK?s extremely aggressive third-base coach Brad Bohannon waved Wade home, beating the throw to the plate to give the Wildcats an early 4-3 lead.
In the third, UK added three runs on three hits and two EMU errors. Spear reached on a one-out walk and Korus followed a quick out with a single to left field. McClendon plated to two with a single into left field, with Korus coming around to score after the EMU left fielder bobbled the ball. Nidiffer ripped a single deep in between second and third and EMU shortstop Jim Gulliver threw high of the first baseman, allowing McClendon to score from second.
UK added five runs in the fourth inning, on four hits and an error. Frazier led off the frame with a single to left field, advancing to second after the EMU pitcher misfired on a pickoff attempt. Cowgill ripped a single through the left side and then promptly stole second, his ninth steal of the year. With Frazier on third, Wilkes drove him in with a sacrifice fly to center. Spear drew his second consecutive walk of the game putting two runners on for UK?s slugging cleanup hitter, Carroll. Carroll boosted the ball towering off the very top of the 30-foot monster in left field, rounding the first base bag while watching the ball bounce off the top of the wall and over the fence for his sixth homer of the year.
EMU tacked on a run in the sixth inning, as Gulliver and Rhoad each led off with singles. Leonard followed, ripping a line-drive that was snagged by Wilkes behind second base. Wilkes flipped the ball back to Wade, covering the bag, who completed the double play. Bradshaw got EMU on the board in the inning, with an RBI double down the left-field line.
In the seventh, UK added to its lead, plating four runs on five hits. Keenan Wiley got it started with a single to left field, extending his hit streak to a team-best 12 games. Chris Bisson doubled down the left-field line and Carroll scored Wiley with an RBI single up the middle. Korus singled and Bryan Rose emptied the bases of two runners with a triple deep into centerfield.
