Oct. 5, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky baseball wrapped up the first scrimmage of a weekend three-game series with the Black squad earning the win, on a spring-like Friday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
The Black squad jumped out on left-hander Jerad Grundy and the Blue squad early as senior Zac Zellers led off the game with a walk. With one out, junior J.T. Riddle knocked a double to bring Zellers home before scoring on a single by sophomore AJ Reed. Reed would get thrown out attempting to advance to second. Sophomore Max Kuhn recorded a double of his own with two outs but Grundy left him stranded and kept it a 2-0 ballgame.
Sophomore Taylor Martin started the game for the Black squad and retired the side in order in the bottom of the first. Junior Matt Reida led off the top of the second for the Black team with an infield single, hustling out a slow-rolling groundball to second base. Reida’s leadoff single led to nothing in the bottom top of the second as Grundy got his feet beneath him and settled in.
A Lexington Ky., native, Martin returned to the mound in the bottom of the second and allowed little from the Blue team as he kept them scoreless for a second consecutive inning. Grundy came back out in the top of the third and kept his groove going, throwing a scoreless inning to end his day. Grundy’s work was complete through three, allowing just two early runs.
Freshman Dorian Hairston led off the bottom of the third for the Blue team with a line-drive single into rightfield. A sacrifice moved Hairston to second and smart baserunning allowed him to advance to third on a strike three in the dirt. Hairston’s smart play gave the Blue team a runner on third with two outs but Martin ended his day on a positive note, throwing a scoreless three innings.
Senior Walter Wijas came on to pitch for the Blue team in the top of the third and threw an efficient first inning of work. Reida reached first but was caught attempting to take second by catcher Micheal Thomas. Freshman lefty Dylan Dwyer took the hill for the Black team and got some help defensively during his scoreless first inning. With UK centerfielder Austin Cousino on first, Dwyer forced a ground ball to Reed, who stepped on first and then threw to second to tag Cousino for the 3-6, inning-ending double play.
The Black team tallied another run in the top of the fifth as freshman Kyle Barrett got it going with a one-out walk before stealing second. Fellow Freshman Storm Wilson delivered an RBI single into right to score Barrett and increase the Black squad’s lead to 3-0. Zellers singled up the middle but Cousino saved a run for the Blue team, gunning Wilson at home to end the inning.
Dwyer came back out and retired the side in order in the bottom of the fifth.
Junior Lucas Witt led off the top of the sixth with a deep home run over the leftfield wall for the Black team. The solo shot gave the Black team a 4-0 lead in the final inning of play.
With his team holding onto a 4-0 lead, Dwyer came out and finished the game, keeping the Blue team scoreless on the day.
Kentucky will continue its fall action Saturday morning with a 9:45 a.m. ET. The final game of the series will take place Sunday, with expected first pitch to come at 1:05 p.m.
