Kuhn’s first career home run helps Cats defeat Michigan State
March 9, 2013
By Tom Hurley | @TomHurleyKernel
Seven innings from sophomore left-handed pitcher A.J. Reed and the first home run of sophomore infielder Max Kuhn’s collegiate career helped No. 7 UK baseball defeat Michigan State, 2-1, Friday at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
“I was just out there trying to throw strikes, keep the ball down,” Reed said.
Sophomore center fielder Auston Cousino gave the Cats a perfect start when he homered in UK’s first at bat of the game, putting the Cats up, 1-0.
Cousino was back at the plate in the second inning with the bases loaded, but both he and senior right fielder Zac Zellers were unable to bring any runs home, keeping the Cats lead at 1-0 after two innings of play.
Michigan State used small ball to trying and get back on even terms, twice beating out UK’s defense for a pair of bunt singles.
A pair of double plays and two pickoffs helped the Cats preserve their 1-0 lead through the meat of the game as Reed and Spartans’ senior pitcher Andrew Waszak continued their pitching duel.
Cousino denied the Spartans the tying run in the top of the seventh with a diving catch in center field with a runner on first. Reed rounded out the inning with 86 pitches to his name, sitting down with five strikeouts and five hits allowed in his seven innings of work.
“I like the fact that he keeps getting better,” UK head coach Gary Henderson said of Reed’s performance. “When the game got tight and they got guys in scoring position he made his best pitches. Obviously (he) got some help defensively there in the sixth and the seventh (with) a great outfield play.”
Waszak was taken out of the game with two runners on and one out in the bottom of the seventh, having thrown 62 strikes in 93 pitches, giving up eight hits.
Senior pitcher Walter Wijas replaced Reed on the mound to begin the top of the eighth and immediately gave up a single to MSU’s junior infielder Joel Fisher.
A sacrifice bunt from MSU’s freshman infielder Justin Hovis moved Fisher to second. UK freshman pitcher Dylan Dwyer replaced Wijas with two outs, but that wasn’t enough to prevent Spartan’s sophomore first baseman Ryan Krill from tying the game with an RBI single.
UK didn’t have to wait long to retake the lead as Kuhn drilled a pitch 15 feet over the left field wall to put the Cats up, 2-1, in the bottom of the eighth.
“First pitch he threw a fastball pretty much down the middle of the plate, then he came with another fastball and I figured (he) might as well try and challenge me again,” Kuhn said. “So I was ready for that fastball and I put a good swing on it.”
The Cats threatened to extend their lead by loaded up the bases, but Witt hit into a 6-4-1 double play to close the inning.
Junior right-handed pitcher Trevor Gott then came in to close the game in the top of the ninth to claim the save and finish off the Cats’ 2-1 win.
UK and Michigan State are back at Cliff Hagan Stadium at 2 p.m. Saturday for the second game of the three-game set.
Henderson will send senior left-handed pitcher Jerad Grundy to the mound against MSU’s junior right-handed pitcher David Garner.