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February 29, 2004
Kentucky Wins Service Academies Classic 2-1 over Memphis in 12 Innings

MILLINGTON, TENN. – Kentucky second baseman Spencer Graeter doubled to left field, driving in J.B. Schmidt with the winning run in the 12^th inning as the Wildcats won the 2004 Service Academies Spring Classic with a 2-1 victory over Memphis.

Memphis (3-2) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Ryan Martin RBI single.  Kentucky (7-2) answered with a run in the top of the second on Mike Bertrum’s run-scoring single.

Neither team scored a run in the next nine innings.

Kentucky senior Matt Scott (3-0) picked up the win with 6.2 innings of five-hit relief.  He struck out four and walked one.

Memphis’ Bill Edwards (0-1) gave up the hit to Graeter and suffered the loss.  He pitched 4.0 innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out two.

Graeter earned tournament most valuable player honors, going 5-for-9 with five runs, three doubles, three runs batted in, and six walks.

Memphis had several chances to take the lead, but stranded 11 runners.  The Tigers also had three runners picked off, two thrown out stealing, and hit into two double plays.

Kentucky’s Service Academies Classic win was their second.   The Wildcats also took the title in 1995 and have a perfect 7-0 record at USA Stadium.

All-Tournament Team
Spencer Graeter, Kentucky (MVP)
Mike Breyman, Kentucky
Matt Scott, Kentucky
Seth Stanley, Kentucky
Josh Payne, Memphis
Derek Hankins, Memphis
Ryan Martin, Memphis
Nathan DeRohan, Air Force
Clayton Couch, Air Force
Corby Heckman, Indiana
Derrick Newton, Murray State
Jeff Lange, Navy

February 29, 2004
Heckman Single Sends Indiana Past Navy in 11 Innings
MILLINGTON, TENN. – Indiana junior Corby Heckman laced three hits including the game-winner in the 11^th inning to lead the Hoosiers to a 5-4 victory over Navy at the 2004 Service Academies Spring Classic at USA Stadium.  

Tied 4-4 entering the 11^th, Kurt Weigle led off the inning with a walk.  Rashard Graves pinch ran and advanced to second on Reggie Watson’s sacrifice bunt.  Two batters later, Graves scored the eventual game-winning run on Heckman’s single line drive to right center.

Hoosier reliever Steve Neilsen (1-0) earned the win with 2.1 innings of hitless relief.  He struck out one and walked four.  Tom Van Dam (0-1) gave up the hit to Heckman and suffered the loss, pitching 1.2 innings with one strike out and three walks.

Craig Candeto keyed the Navy offense with three of their nine hits.

The teams combined for 10 errors defensively and stranded 25 baserunners.  The game lasted 3:57 and saw 380 pitches thrown.

Indiana improved to 2-5 with the victory, while Navy fell to 1-9.

February 29, 2004
Seven-Run Fifth Leads Air Force over Murray State, 11-2
MILLINGTON, TENN – Freshman third baseman Karl Bolt lined a grand slam down the rightfield line in the fifth inning to lead Air Force to an 11-2 victory over Murray State on day three of the 2004 Service Academies Spring Classic at USA Stadium.

Air Force (4-5) had eight hits by eight different players in the game and moved to 2-1 during the Classic.  The Falcons will likely finish third in the tournament.  Murray State (1-5) fell to 1-2 in the Classic.

Sophomore righthander Paul Vignola (1-1) earned the win for Air Force, going 6.0 innings and allowing four hits and two runs (one earned).  He struck out seven and walked two, throwing 101 pitches.

Senior Bart Peach (0-1) took the loss, surrendering three hits and four runs (two earned) over 3.0 innings.

With the victory, Memphis moves to 3-1 on the season and 2-0 in the Classic.  They will meet Kentucky at 3 p.m., Sunday in the championship game.  Murray State fell to 1-4 overall and 1-1 on the weekend.  The ‘Breds meet Air Force on Sunday at 9 a.m.

Hankins (1-1) struck out at least two hitters in each of his 7.0 innings of work and struck out the side on three occasions.  He fanned the side in the first despite allowing two hits and the ‘Breds only run.  Murray State did not have a hit over the game’s final eight innings.  Hankins tied the record set by current Oakland Athletic reliever Chad Harville, who struck out 17 against Cincinnati in 1997.

Josh Payne and Kurt Welch led the Tiger offensive attack with two hits each.  Payne scored twice and drove in another, and Welch scored a run and drove in two with a triple.  Memphis also got a home run from Ryan Martin in the top of the second.

The win improved Air Force to 3-5 overall and 1-1 in the Classic.  The Falcons take on Murray State in their final game of the weekend, tomorrow at 9 a.m.  Navy fell to 1-8 overall, losing their second straight matchup.  The Midshipmen conclude play against Indiana, Sunday at noon.

Couch (2-0) allowed only a single in the second and seventh innings and a leadoff double in the sixth.  He struck out six and walked three.

Air Force broke the game open in the third inning, parlaying four singles and two Navy errors into five runs.  The Falcons scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

Four Falcons had two hits each in the game.  Josh Wolfram, Nathan DeRohan, Jason Brown, and Karl Bolt each had a pair of basehits.

Matt Lukevics had two of Navy’s three hits.

February 28, 2004
Kentucky Rallies to Defeat Indiana, 10-2
MILLINGTON, TENN - After Indiana took an early lead, Kentucky scored 10 unanswered runs and defeated the Hoosiers 10-2 on day two of the 2004 Service Academies Spring Classic on Saturday at USA Stadium.

The win for the Wildcats was their second straight at the Classic and moved them to 6-2 on the season.  Kentucky takes on Memphis on Sunday at 3 p.m.  Indiana dropped their second straight and fell to 1-5.  The Hoosiers conclude their three Classic games with Navy at noon Sunday.

Trailing 2-0, Kentucky cut the lead to one in the fifth.  John Shelby doubled to left to lead off the inning and moved to third on Michael Bertrum's sacrifice bunt.  Indiana catcher Cody Wargo bobbled the bunt and threw wildly to first allowing Shelby to score from third.

One inning later, IU reliever Chris Behrens (0-1) walked Graeter to lead off the inning.  With one out, Mike Breyman doubled down the left field line to score Graeter and tie the game at 2-2.  Breyman went to third on Jesse Barber's bunt single and scored the go-ahead run on Shelby's infield grounder.

Indiana starter Nick Vitielliss pitched well, going 5.0 innings and allowing only three hits and one earned run.

Scott Stanley (3-0) fanned 10 Indiana hitters and walked only one over 7.0 innings for Kentucky.  He gave up four hits and two earned runs.

The Wildcats continued their assault on Indiana relievers in the seventh and eighth innings.  The Hoosiers used four different pitchers in the two frames.  The Wildcats used a pair of hits and another Indiana error to score three in the seventh and Graeter's two-run single highlighted Kentucky's four-run eighth.  Graeter was 2-for-3 with three runs scored.

Indiana shortstop Seth Bynum drove in two runs with a single in the third to give the Hoosiers a 2-0 lead.

February 27, 2004
Grube Solid in Memphis' 5-2 Win over Navy
MILLINGTON, TENN. - Senior righthander Jarrett Grube allowed only four hits and one unearned run over 7.0 innings to lead Memphis to a 5-2 win over Navy on day one of the 2004 Service Academies Spring Classic at USA Stadium.

Memphis improved to 2-1 with the win, while Navy dropped their fourth straight to fall to 1-7.

The Tigers scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the first with two outs.  Bill Moss reached on an error and came home three batters later when Ryan Martin walked with the bases loaded.  Josh Payne's infield hit later brought in another run.

Trailing 2-1, Navy got on the board in the third when Matt Gonabe scored on a passed ball.  Gonabe had two of the Midshipmen's six hits.

Memphis extended its lead in the sixth with two more runs.  Adam Amar, one of four Tigers with two hits, drove in Payne with a single and came around to score on Chad House's sacrifice fly.

Payne's sacrifice fly in the seventh gave Memphis a 5-1 lead.

Lefthander Rob Molinaro (0-2) suffered the loss for Navy despite not allowing an earned run in 5.0 innings.  He gave up three hits and struck out three.

Memphis takes on Murray State at 4 p.m., Saturday, and Navy battles Air Force at 1 p.m.

February 27, 2004
Kentucky Downs Air Force, 11-1
Gilvin Slam Highlights Six-Run Third

MILLINGTON, TENN. - Casey Gilvin's grand slam home run highlighted a six-run third inning as Kentucky cruised to an 11-1 victory over Air Force in the second game of the 2004 Service Academies Spring Classic at USA Stadium.

With the win Kentucky improved to 5-2 on the season, while Air Force fell to 2-5.

Mike Breyman had three of Kentucky's 11 hits, including a triple, and Jesse Barber drove in four runs, two coming on sacrifice flies.

Craig Snipp (1-1) earned the win on the mound for the Wildcats, going 5.0 innings and allowing only five hits and one earned run while striking out five.  Andy Myette picked up the three-inning save, striking out four.  Ken Hodgson (1-2) took the loss for the Falcons, surrendering nine runs (six earned) on seven hits over 6.0 innings.

Air Force pounded out four hits in the first inning, with Nathan DeRohan scoring on a Mike Rose single.  The Falcons managed only three hits the rest of the way.

Kentucky meets Indiana on Saturday at 10 a.m., and Air Force takes on Navy at 1 p.m.

February 27, 2004
Kirksey Homer Lifts Murray State over Indiana, 2-1

MILLINGTON, TENN. - Junior first baseman Geoff Kirksey's ninth-inning home run gave Murray State a 2-1 victory over Indiana in the opening game of the 2004 Service Academies Spring Classic.

The blast was Kirksey's second of the season and gave the 'Breds their first victory of the season following three losses.

Indiana reliever Adam Pegg (0-1) gave up the home run and took the loss.  Murray State's Jon Ross Shelton (1-1) earned the win with 2.0 innings of one-hit relief.  Shelton struck out four.

Both teams' starting pitchers were very effective, going 7.0 innings each.  Junior right-hander Craig Kraus allowed only five hits and struck out eight for Murray State, and Indiana sophomore Josh Lewis surrendered only one unearned run and three hits while fanning four.

Murray State (1-3) got on the board first in the third inning when Scotty Scott's sacrifice fly plated James Akin.  Indiana (1-4) tied the game in the sixth on Joe Kemp's RBI double.