UK falls to Missouri in series opener
April 12, 2014
By Joshua Huff
Ten strikeouts, one double, a home run and four runs batted in by junior A.J. Reed could not save UK from another loss to a sub-.500 team Friday as the Cats fell to Missouri 8-7.
No. 12 UK (22-12, 6-7 SEC) fell short again as their SEC leading offense stumbled out of the gate. Though the Cats ended the game with seven runs on 11 hits, they did not mount a substantial rally until the seventh inning, when they scored five runs to briefly take the lead.
And brief that lead was, as the Tigers responded with a senior Eric Anderson three-run home run in the eighth to take the lead, and the win, 8-7.
Reed (6-1) pitched seven innings for the Cats, allowing five runs on nine hits while striking out a career high 10 batters. Despite the hit totals, Reed thought the game one was of his best.
“I felt like tonight was my best night command wise with all my pitches, said Reed. “It was a good step forward, the first pitch strike was a lot higher than it has been, so it’s progress.”
Reed pitched against the Tigers junior and MLB prospect Brett Graves who held the Cats to two runs in the first six innings. Graves went six innings, giving up five runs on seven hits.
At the plate, the Cats were once again lead by Reed who went 3-for-5 and hit his 13th home run of the season.
Not being able to get off the field doomed the Cats as Missouri (16-16, 5-8 SEC) scored four runs and had eight hits with two outs.
Coach Gary Henderson acknowledged the difficulty his defense had at ending innings.
“Anytime you give two out runs makes it hard,” said Henderson. “That’s something we’ve been good, as an offense, at doing. Clearly tonight we weren’t near as good at shutting down an inning and getting off the field as we like to be and as we have been.”
UK will have a chance at redemption against Missouri at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
