05-19-2006, 11:10 PM
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - Kentucky, the team with the Southeastern Conference's worst record annually from 2001 to 2004, claimed at least a share of its first SEC baseball title with an 8-3 win over Georgia Friday.
The Wildcats thrive on power, as exhibited by a two-run homer by Sean Coughlin and a three-run drive by Collin Cowgill. But Georgia's pitchers were generous. Kentucky managed just five hits, but four Wildcats who scored either walked or were hit by a pitch. In all, Georgia pitchers walked 10 Wildcats.
Meanwhile, Kentucky (42-12, 20-9 SEC) starter Craig Snipps struck out 11 and kept Georgia (37-17, 17-12) hitters off balance with a steady diet of breaking balls.
Alabama can still tie Kentucky, but Friday's decision eliminated Georgia from the race.
When John Cohen took over the Kentucky program in 2004, he assumed the reins of a program that had finished above .500 in league play once since 1991. The Wildcats were the only SEC team without a conference title in baseball. Kentucky finished runnerup in the Eastern Division last year, but with a 13-17 record. The Wildcats were on the verge of claiming a share of the title Thursday night before blowing a 6-run lead to Georgia, which rallied for a 10-9 decision. There was no comeback this time. Kentucky scored its first run without the benefit of a hit as Georgia starter Brooks Brown walked the bases loaded in the third, setting up Cowgill's sacrifice fly.
Georgia rapped out three singles in the fourth to score twice, but the hits were almost incidental to the rally.
Georgia's Josh Morris advanced from first to third on Snipp's wild pitch because catcher Coughlin could not find the baseball, sitting camouflaged atop the white chalk in the front of the lefthand batter's box. He scored on Matt Olson's single.
Coughlin tried to pick off Olson at first, but his throw sailed into right field, allowing Jason Jacobs to score from second. Gordon Beckham doubled into the left field corner to score Jonathan Wyatt in the fifth. That proved to be Georgia's last offensive effort.
After flailing at Brown's pitches for the first five innings, the top of the Wildcat order dialed in on him in the sixth. Joey Side robbed Cowgill with an over-the-shoulder grab in front of the 404-foot sign in center. But Side could only leap in vain as Coughlin's two-run drive cleared the wall.
Cowgill's two-out, three-run homer in the seventh highlighted a four-run rally, nearly snuffed at its inception. Before Cowgill batted, Billy Grace barely beat Jonathan Wyatt's throw to the plate on Antone DeJesus' single.
Georgia coach David Perno watched the game from the training room underneath the stands because he was suspended for touching the umpire during an argument in Thursday's game that led to his ejection.
Pitching coach Roger Williams followed Perno's lead Friday night and was ejected in the eighth inning for arguing balls and strikes, an automatic ejection. Williams kicked dirt on the plate for good measure as he left.
The game was played before a crowd of 3,241.
The Wildcats thrive on power, as exhibited by a two-run homer by Sean Coughlin and a three-run drive by Collin Cowgill. But Georgia's pitchers were generous. Kentucky managed just five hits, but four Wildcats who scored either walked or were hit by a pitch. In all, Georgia pitchers walked 10 Wildcats.
Meanwhile, Kentucky (42-12, 20-9 SEC) starter Craig Snipps struck out 11 and kept Georgia (37-17, 17-12) hitters off balance with a steady diet of breaking balls.
Alabama can still tie Kentucky, but Friday's decision eliminated Georgia from the race.
When John Cohen took over the Kentucky program in 2004, he assumed the reins of a program that had finished above .500 in league play once since 1991. The Wildcats were the only SEC team without a conference title in baseball. Kentucky finished runnerup in the Eastern Division last year, but with a 13-17 record. The Wildcats were on the verge of claiming a share of the title Thursday night before blowing a 6-run lead to Georgia, which rallied for a 10-9 decision. There was no comeback this time. Kentucky scored its first run without the benefit of a hit as Georgia starter Brooks Brown walked the bases loaded in the third, setting up Cowgill's sacrifice fly.
Georgia rapped out three singles in the fourth to score twice, but the hits were almost incidental to the rally.
Georgia's Josh Morris advanced from first to third on Snipp's wild pitch because catcher Coughlin could not find the baseball, sitting camouflaged atop the white chalk in the front of the lefthand batter's box. He scored on Matt Olson's single.
Coughlin tried to pick off Olson at first, but his throw sailed into right field, allowing Jason Jacobs to score from second. Gordon Beckham doubled into the left field corner to score Jonathan Wyatt in the fifth. That proved to be Georgia's last offensive effort.
After flailing at Brown's pitches for the first five innings, the top of the Wildcat order dialed in on him in the sixth. Joey Side robbed Cowgill with an over-the-shoulder grab in front of the 404-foot sign in center. But Side could only leap in vain as Coughlin's two-run drive cleared the wall.
Cowgill's two-out, three-run homer in the seventh highlighted a four-run rally, nearly snuffed at its inception. Before Cowgill batted, Billy Grace barely beat Jonathan Wyatt's throw to the plate on Antone DeJesus' single.
Georgia coach David Perno watched the game from the training room underneath the stands because he was suspended for touching the umpire during an argument in Thursday's game that led to his ejection.
Pitching coach Roger Williams followed Perno's lead Friday night and was ejected in the eighth inning for arguing balls and strikes, an automatic ejection. Williams kicked dirt on the plate for good measure as he left.
The game was played before a crowd of 3,241.