University of Georgia Athletics
Bulldogs Defeat Wildcats 8-6
May 21, 2010 | Baseball
The Bulldogs (15-36, 4-22 SEC) snapped a 13-game conference losing streak on a night they fell victim to a hidden ball trick in the third inning. Kentucky (30-24, 12-16 SEC) pulled the stunt with runners at the corners and got sophomore Levi Hyams, who still had a productive night, going 2-for-5 with two RBI. Georgia ended up scoring four runs in the frame to build a 5-0 advantage and chase Alex Meyer. The Kentucky right-hander allowed five runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings to fall to 5-3. Meanwhile, Grimm improved to 3-7, scattering six runs on 10 hits with four walks and five strikeouts. He was gunning for his first complete game but allowed a two-run home run in the ninth to Taylor Black that ended his outing. Senior Justin Earls came on and collected his first save. It was his 107th career appearance, which ranks second in school history.
"I thought our guys did a great job tonight and Grimm was fantastic; he worked ahead all night and just continued to fight out there," said Georgia coach David Perno. "He gave us everything he had, and he's really done a great job down the stretch for us."
Grimm tasted victory after his third consecutive strong SEC start. Two weeks ago, he struck out a career-high 11 in seven innings against Tennessee but lost 4-1. Last week against fourth-ranked Florida in Gainesville, he got a no decision after pitching seven innings and giving up just two runs with six strikeouts as the Gators rallied for a 4-3 victory.
"We put together a couple big innings and our guys swung the bats pretty well tonight," Perno added. "We had nine hits from our first four hitters and, usually, you'll be in good shape if that's the case. I'm proud of these guys for hanging in there and they continue to play hard. They're playing good baseball right now and hopefully this will give us some momentum heading into next year."
Georgia extended its lead to 8-1 with three runs in the fourth. Hyams had a run-scoring double and Cone (3-for-5, 4 RBI) added a two-run single to highlight the scoring. The Wildcats pushed across five runs over the final three frames before Earls closed it out in the ninth.
The series continues Friday with first pitch slated for 6:30 p.m. Georgia will start senior Jeff Walters (1-6, 8.80 ERA) while the Wildcats counter with freshman right-hander Jordan Cooper (4-4, 5.11 ERA).
