March 25, 2009
LEXINGTON, Ky. — For the first time since the 2007 season, the Kentucky baseball team lost a home non-conference game – snapping a school-record 29 game winning streak – falling to the Cincinnati Bearcats, 12-6 on a rain-soaked Wednesday night at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Kentucky (15-7) had not lost a home non-conference game since a 2007 setback on April 18 to Morehead State. The Wildcats, who posted a 28-1 non-conference record in 2008, had ran up a streak of 29 consecutive games without a home loss, eclipsing the previous school-record of 24 straight home, non-conference wins, set in 1982-83.
UK returns to action with its third Southeastern Conference series of the year, hosting No. 28 South Carolina in a three-game set, beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET at Cliff Hagan Stadium. The game can be heard live on the Big Blue Sports Network (radio), with the Voice of UK Baseball, Neil Price, calling the action. Fans in Lexington can hear the game live on WLAP 630-AM and in Louisville on WKJK 1080-AM.
Cincinnati (12-8) was led in the game by All-American third baseman Mike Spina and first baseman Lance Durham, son of MLB veteran Leon Durham. Spina was 3-for-5 in the game with three singles and three runs scored. Durham, was also 3-for-5 posting a double and two singles while driving in four and scoring a run.
The Bearcats also got great pitching performances from a host of different pitchers. The win went to junior Dan Glozer who went one inning, giving up no runs and no hits, while striking out one batter. Cincinnati started the game with sophomore Nick Johnson, then turning to junior Tyler Smith, Glozer, sophomore Brian Sand, senior Billy Welsh, junior Andrew Burkett, sophomore Dan Jensen and senior Jake Geglein.
Kentucky posted five runs on seven hits in the game. The Wildcats we led offensively by junior William Campbell who had two hits, both singles, going 2-for-4. Chris Bisson charted a 1-for-3, two-walk game, extending his hit streak to a career-high 12 games.
The Wildcats started the game with junior Clint Tilford on the mound. The righty lasted three innings giving up two earned runs on two hits while striking out two batters. Tyler Henry took the loss for the Wildcats, going 1.2 innings and giving up four earned runs on five hits while striking out three batters. Kentucky also threw freshman Chase Greene (0.2 innings, two walks, no hits, no runs, one strikeout), sophomore Logan Darnell (2 innings, three hits, three runs and three strikeouts, freshman Braden Kapteyn (1 inning, two hits, two runs, two walks and two strikeouts) and ended the game with junior Gunner Glad (0.2 innings, no runs, no hits, no walks and two strikeouts), whose pitching appearance was the first of his career.
The Bearcats got on the board early, posting two runs on two hits in the top of the first inning. The inning started with a leadoff walk to shortstop Chris Peters who advanced to second on a hard-hit single up the middle by Spina. Both runners came home to score when Durham drove in his 17th and 18th runs of the year, giving Cincinnati a 2-0 lead going to the bottom of the first.
Kentucky tied the game in the bottom of the first inning also getting two runs on two hits. This time the Wildcats were the benefit of a leadoff walk, getting Bisson on base to start the inning. After Chris Wade grounded into a fielder’s choice, reaching first base, Keenan Wiley hit an infield single to third base putting runners on first and second. A wild pitch put both runners in scoring position and a Braden Kapteyn ground out to third easily scored Wade for Kentucky’s first run. With two outs and Wiley at third, freshman Cory Farris stepped to the plate and sent a screaming line drive off the second basemen’s glove, tying the game at two.
The Wildcats rallied again in the second inning when Johnson started the inning on back-to-back walks. With freshman Andy Burns up and runners on second and third because of a wild pitch, Cincinnati turned to Tyler Smith who struck out Burns for the first out. The second out of the inning came when Smith threw a wild pitch that got past the catcher but the catcher made a great play getting back to the ball and throwing to Smith who tagged out Bryan Rose trying to score from third. Kentucky did get a run in the inning when catcher Brian Suerdick scored on a fielding error by the pitcher, giving the Wildcats a 3-2 lead going to the third.
Cincy tied the game in the top of the third when Burns made two errors in the inning, allowing the Bearcats to plate a run. Tilford made quick work of the first two batters, but then let three straight runners reach the first on an error, then a walk, then another error, which allowed Cincinnati to score a run and tie the game. Tilford got out of the inning by striking out the designated hitter, Beach Brooks.
The Bearcats grabbed the lead in the fifth inning when they posted four runs on four hits. The inning started with Henry getting out the first two batters he saw quickly, but then got into serious trouble giving up a single to Riddell and hitting Brooks with a pitch. Cameron Satterwhite gave the Bearcats the lead with a sharp single through the left side of the infield. With runners on first and third and two outs, T.J. Jones sent a deep drive to right center field that was kept in the park by Wiley who could not make the catch for the out though. Both runners scored and Cincy scored their final run of the inning when Nick Rohlfs doubled down the right field line to give the Bearcats a 7-3 lead heading to the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Wildcats cut the lead to two in the bottom of the seventh inning, although they did not record a hit. The inning started when Bisson drew a leadoff walk and then Wade, who was showing bunt got hit by a pitch. With runners on first and second, Wiley grounded a ball to third fielded well by the third baseman but his throw was off target and off the glove of the second baseman, scoring Bisson and advancing Wade to third. Kentucky scored their second run of the inning when Burkett threw wildly behind the batter, easily scoring Wade from third and advancing Wiley to second base. Kapteyn then grounded into a fielder’s choice when he sent a chopper back to the pitcher who turned and threw a strike to third base to get out Wiley. After a pitching change by the Bearcats, Kentucky’s rally ended on a pop up and a groundout to first.
Cincinnati made sure to put the game out of reach in the top of the eighth inning when it scored four runs. The rally started when Darnell got into trouble giving up three consecutive singles. Darnell struck out the first batter of the inning, but then gave up a single to Jamel Scott who advanced to second on the single by Spina and later scoring on the single by Durham. With runners on the corners, one out and Riddell up, Henderson turned to Kapteyn to try to close the inning. The first pitch that Kapteyn threw hit Riddell and loaded the bases for Brooks, the next pitch of the game hit Satterwhite, giving the Bearcats a four run lead. After a strikeout, Kapteyn walked in the Bearcats third run and threw a wild pitch on the next pitch giving Cincy a six run lead.
The Bearcats added another run in the top of the ninth inning, getting a RBI single by Durham.
Kentucky posed a small rally in the ninth inning when Wade lead off the inning on a double to center field later scoring on the first career hit and RBI from freshman Michael Williams.
