Freshman Ryan Anetsberger went 2-4 and hit his first collegiate home run, however that was the only run Illinois State would score on the day as the Redbirds dropped the opening game of their spring trip 7-1 to the University of Kentucky. The game was played at Robert C. Wynn Field on the campus of Manatee Community College in Bradenton, Fla.
Taking the loss for Illinois State (4-7) was sophomore Dan Frega (1-3). The right-hander went six innings and gave up seven earned runs while striking out six. Frega was touched for six runs in the first two innings; however he allowed only three hits and one run after the second. One bright spot on the mound for the 'Birds was the pitching of sophomore Brad Puntney. In 1.2 innings of relief, Puntney did not give up a hit and struck out four consecutive Wildcats.
Picking up with win for Kentucky (11-2) was freshman Andrew Albers (3-0), who lasted eight innings and gave up six hits and only one run. Albers also struck out a season-high eight batters.
Kentucky got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning as the Wildcats got all of their runs in the inning with two outs. After Frega retired the first two batters of the inning, he then hit the following two. With runners on first and second, Kevin Caldwell tripled in both runners to give UK a 2-0 lead. The Wildcats would extend that advantage to 3-0 when John Shelby singled in Caldwell, giving Kentucky a 3-0 lead after one.
The Wildcats would tack on three more in the second as Antone DeJesus led off the inning with a solo shot to right-center field. Later in the inning, Brian Hastings would double in two more runs, moving UK's advantage to 6-0 after two innings of play.
The Redbirds would get on the board in the top of the fourth, as Anetsberger would send an Albers pitch well over the leftfield wall for his first collegiate home run, cutting the deficit to 6-1. The Wildcats would get that run right back in the bottom half however and after four innings of play Kentucky led 7-1, which is where the score stood when the game ended.
Illinois State will play its second game of the eight-game trip tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. CST, when the Redbirds take on Fairleigh Dickinson at the IMG Academy Baseball Fields. Ned Schauff (1-2) will make the start for ISU.
