UK WINS FIRST SERIES AT NO. 9 ARKANSAS IN 10 YEARS
Wildcats Sweep Arkansas at Baum Stadium in Doubleheader for First Time Since 1999
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. --
Cameron Flynn launched a two-run homer in the fourth inning and
starting pitcher Corey Littrell turned in his fourth consecutive
winning effort in a rubber match, leading No. 1 Kentucky to its first
series victory at No. 9 Arkansas since 2002, with UK posting a 2-1 win
over the Razorbacks on Sunday in front of 9,575 at Baum Stadium. Kentucky
(32-5, 11-4 Southeastern Conference) won its first series at raucous
Baum Stadium since the 2002 season and just its second in program
annals. The Wildcats posted a 5-4 win in the second game of the series
and the first of the Saturday doubleheader, before the thrilling 2-1
win in the finale of the doubleheader. UK’s twinbill sweep at Baum
Stadium is the first time Arkansas has lost both games of a
doubleheader at its home park since the 1999 NCAA Tournament. Arkansas
had not lost both games of a doubleheader to one team since Tennessee
swept a twinbill in 1996. The series loss in Fayetteville was the first
time in a span of nine three-game weekends that Arkansas had lost a set
at Baum Stadium. The Wildcats extended their lead in the
SEC standings with the series win, owning the best start to a season
and the best start to a conference slate in school history. The
Wildcats have opened up the first half of SEC play with series wins
over No. 2 South Carolina, at Tennessee, at No. 18 Georgia and at No. 9
Arkansas. UK start in the first half of conference play is a staggering
accomplishment, as the Wildcats won the league in 2006 with an 8-7
start to league action. UK now boasts a staggering 11-2
record in one-run games in 2012, with both its losses coming in
series-openers on the road at top-20 foes. UK also owns a 9-4 record
against top-25 teams, with all but one loss on the year coming to a
ranked opponent. A native of Louisville, Ky., Littrell
(6-0) worked 6.1 innings, allowing eight hits and one run, walking one
and striking out three. The quality start was his sixth of the year and
the 10th of his two-year career. Littrell’s clutch outing was his
fourth consecutive series finale rubber-match victory, as the lefty has
won vs. UT, Georgia, Ole Miss and Arkansas in pressure-laden finales.
He was relieved in the seventh inning by Tim Peterson, who got UK out
of a one-out jam with a runner in scoring position. Peterson,
who worked two innings for his first career save in game one, worked
one inning, allowing one hit and one walk, before senior Alex Phillips
got a crucial out in the eighth inning with a strikeout. Trevor Gott
replaced Phillips with two runners on base and two outs in the bottom
of the eighth inning, retiring all four hitters he faced for his eighth
save of the season. Gott’s eighth save of 2012 is now tied for the most
saves in UK single-season history, equaling the eight saves Paul Morse
notched in 1993. Flynn’s blast was all the offense UK
needed behind Littrell, as the rightfielder belted his team-leading
ninth homer of the year in the fourth inning. Freshman A.J. Reed
recorded UK’s lone multi-hit game with a 2-for-4 outing, with Thomas
McCarthy, Zac Zellers and Michael Williams each notching hits. Arkansas
(25-10, 8-7 SEC) starter DJ Baxendale (6-2) worked eight strong inning,
allowing six hits and two runs, walking two and striking out seven.
Colby Suggs worked the finale frame for Arkansas. The
Wildcats got on the board with some two-out hitting in the top of the
fourth inning, as McCarthy led off the frame with a double down the
opposite-field line, his 13th double of 2012. After a pair of outs,
Flynn launched a two-out, two-run homer over the rightfield wall,
sailing into the stiff wind blowing straight in from rightfield. The
homer was Flynn’s team-high tying ninth of the year. Arkansas
got on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Dominic
Ficociello led off with a single through the right side, taking second
on a wild pitch during Matt Reynolds’ at bat. After Littrell got an
infield pop-up of Reynolds and a groundout of Jimmy Bosco, pinch hitter
Brian Anderson checked into the game. Anderson ripped a line drive at
Riddle, UK’s 6-foot-3 second baseman, with Riddle leaping high into the
air and getting the ball in his glove, with the ball bouncing out after
his feet landed on the infield dirt, with the ball going as a RBI
single. GAME NOTES: Cameron Flynn hit his team-leading
ninth homer of the year in the fourth inning … Zac Zellers stole his
fourth base of the year … Thomas McCarthy recorded his 13th double of
the year … Corey Littrell tossed his sixth quality start of 2012 and
the 10th of his two-year career … Trevor Gott recorded his eighth save
of the year, evening him for the most saves in UK baseball
single-season history … UK’s series win in Fayetteville was just the
second in program history and the first since 2000 … UK is now 11-2 in
one-run games and 12-2 in one or two-run games in 2012 … The Wildcats
have a 9-4 record against top-25 foes in 2012 … Gott’s 10 career saves
in his two seasons ranks tied for seventh-best in UK career history …
UK’s doubleheader sweep at Arkansas was the first sweep the Razorbacks
had allowed at Baum Stadium in a twinbill since Southern Miss and
Clemson ended Arkansas’ 1999 season … Arkansas had not lost both games
of a doubleheader to one team since the 1996 season, falling to
Tennessee … UK’s series win at Baum Stadium snapped Arkansas’ streak of
nine consecutive series wins at home. SHEPHERD, PETERSON LEAD UK TO SERIES-EVENING WIN Freshman Chandler Shepherd Works 3.2 Shutout Innings in SEC Debut for Win FAYETTEVILLE,
Ark. -- Top-ranked Kentucky got dominating bullpen outings from
freshman Chandler Shepherd and junior Tim Peterson, leading the
Wildcats to a 5-4 series-evening win at No. 9 Arkansas in the second
game of the three-game series and the first game of a doubleheader, on
a pleasant Saturday afternoon at Baum Stadium. Kentucky
(31-5, 10-4 Southeastern Conference) evened up the series with a 5-4
win, riding the dominating outings in relief from Shepherd (3-0) and
Peterson, with Shepherd working 3.2 shutout innings in his first career
SEC outing and Peterson notching his first save of the year with a
perfect final two frames. The Wildcats jumped out to a 3-0
lead in the first inning, taking advantage of three errors charged to
veteran shortstop Tim Carver. After the Razorbacks rallied with four
runs in the first two frames, UK answered with two runs in the top of
the fourth, with the UK bullpen then springing into action in relief of
starter Jerad Grundy, with Shepherd and Peterson combining to allow
only one baserunner over the finale five frames. Grundy worked 3.1
innings, allowing two hits and four runs – three earned, walking five
and striking out four. The Wildcats pounded out nine hits,
a game after collecting 11 knocks, with UK getting two hits and two
runs from senior Thomas McCarthy. UK got hits from eight of nine hitter
sin the lineup, with Austin Cousino scoring two runs at the top of the
order, going 1-for-3. A.J. Reed, Cameron Flynn, Zac Zellers, J.T.
Riddle, Michael Williams and Matt Reida each collected hits for the
Wildcats, with Luke Maile drawing a walk. Arkansas (25-9,
8-6 SEC) starter Barrett Astin (2-3) worked over four innings, allowing
seven hits and five runs – two earned – walking two and striking out
eight. He was replaced with two runners on and no outs in the fifth
inning by Brandon Moore, who helped save the Razorbacks bullpen by
working five shutout innings, allowing only two hits without a
strikeout or a walk. Kentucky took an early lead in the
top of the first inning, taking a 3-0 advantage of two hits, a walk and
three errors on Arkansas shortstop Tim Carver. Cousino led off the
inning with a four-pitch walk and McCarthy reached on a high chopping
infield single to third base. After Reed struck out, Maile lined a ball
into the hole on the left side, reaching on a fielder’s choice with
McCarthy safe at second on the first error of the frame on Carver.
After Flynn struck out with the bases loaded and one out, Zellers
reached on an error charged to Carver on a line-drive up the middle,
coming on the ninth pitch of the at bat to Zellers, with Cousino
scoring. Riddle followed and singled to Carver, but his throw to second
went into rightfield for his third error of the inning, allowing Maile
and McCarthy to score. Arkansas answered in the bottom of
the first, as Joe Serrano reached on a high-chopping single over
McCarthy’s leaping glove at third base. After a nice diving snag in
rightfield from Flynn, Matt Reynolds launched a two-run homer into the
Hog Pen in leftfield, his fourth homer of the year. The
Razorbacks took the lead in the bottom of the second inning, plating
two runs on no hits and three walks, including a UK error and a balk.
Bo Bigham led off with a walk and Brian Anderson followed with a walk.
Jake Wise tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt but the throw from third
base went into the base line, hitting Wise in the back and allowing
Bigham to score. Grundy then walked Jacob Morris, before getting a nice
out in foul ground and leaving them loaded, with a run scoring on a
balk during Serrano’s at bat. Serrano then laid down the bunt, with
Grundy getting a nice barehanded out at the plate on the bunt attempt. UK
regained the lead in the top of the fourth inning, as the Wildcats
mounted a two-out rally. Cousino was hit by the first pitch of his
two-out at bat, scoring after McCarthy ripped his 12th double of the
year down the leftfield line. Reed followed and pounded a double of his
own – his eighth – into the left-centerfield gap, scoring McCarthy for
a 5-4 UK lead. GAME NOTES: With a leadoff walk in the
first inning, freshman centerfielder Austin Cousino has reached base
safely in 33 of his 35 career games … Cousino recorded his SEC-leading
15th double of the year … Luke Maile stole his team-leading eighth
bases of the year … Thomas McCarthy recorded his 12th double of the
year … Cousino was hit by his third pitch of 2012 … A.J. Reed notched
his eighth double of the year … Luke Maile has now reached base safely
in a team-high and season long 12 games … Chandler Shepherd made his
first career SEC appearance, working 3.2 shutout innings … Tim Peterson
recorded his first career save … UK improved to 10-2 this year in
one-run games with the win and is now 11-2 in one or two-run games in
2012.
|