NASHVILLE — Pedro Alvarez?s two-out RBI double into the right-centerfield gap in the bottom of the eighth inning broke open a 2-2 game and gave No. 10 Vanderbilt a series-opening 3-2 win over the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats ? the Commodores 12th win in its last 13 games – on a beautiful Friday night in front of 2,545 fans at Charles Hawkins Field.
After Rusin forced the first two hitters of the eighth inning into ground-ball outs ? getting diving plays from infielders Chris McClendon and Chris Wade ? Alex Feinberg singled up the middle. Alvarez followed, getting his first hit of the night, a hard double into the right-centerfield gap, scoring Feinberg from first with the eventual game-winning run. With a one-run lead, Vandy closed the door on a potential Wildcat rally, getting the UK 7-8-9 hitters to sit down in order in the ninth to preserve the win.
Wildcat junior starter Chris Rusin was masterful for eight complete innings, allowing seven hits and three runs, striking out eight without issuing a walk, dropping to 4-2 on the year with a hard-luck loss. Rusin was perfect through four innings, allowing the first Vandy hit of the game with one out in the sixth inning.
Vanderbilt sophomore southpaw Mike Minor, the 2007 SEC Freshman of the Year, matched Rusin pitch for pitch, going six innings, allowing five hits and one unearned run, striking out nine and walking two.
Kentucky (31-11, 9-10 Southeastern Conference) got one multi-hit performance, coming from Wade, a freshman from Lexington. In addition to going 2-for-4 at the dish, Wade made several dazzling defensive plays from the shortstop position. Keenan Wiley extending his hit streak to a team-best 14 games and Sawyer Carroll, Brian Spear and Ryan Wilkes notched hits for UK, part of a six-hit attack.
Vanderbilt (30-11, 11-7 SEC) has claimed 12 of its past 13 games, including series wins over Mississippi State and Auburn.
The Wildcats have played four games during the week, three coming as one-run games.
Kentucky and Vanderbilt resume the series on Saturday, with a 3 p.m. ET first pitch. UK will send sophomore southpaw James Paxton to the hill to face off with Vanderbilt right-handed freshman Caleb Cotham (6-2, 3.02 ERA). The game can be heard live on the Big Blue Sports Network (radio) with the Voice of UK Baseball, Neil Price calling the action. In Lexington, the game can be found on WLAP 630-AM and in Louisville on WKJK 1080-AM.
Brian Harris broke up the pitchers duel with a solo home run over the left-field fence in the sixth inning, a line-drive shot ? his second of the year. Harris? homer came as the first pitch of the sixth inning from Rusin, who had allowed only one hit through the first five frames.
Kentucky got a run in the seventh inning to tie the game 1-1. Brian Spear and Ryan Wilkes led off the frame with walks, putting runners on first and second. Chris McClendon, playing in his first game in 12 days, laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Vandy catcher Shea Robin?s throw to first was errant, allowing Spear to score from second with an unearned run.
Vanderbilt took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh getting one run on two hits. After Rusin got Ryan Flaherty to strikeout swinging, Dominic de la Osa bounced a ball off the plate, beating it out for an infield hit. After Rusin got Andrew Giobbi to groundout, moving de la Osa to second, Shea Robin belted a double down the left-field line, scoring de la Osa.
The Wildcats tied the game up with a run in the eighth, as Cowgill reached on a one-out walk and Carroll roped a single into right field, allowing the speedy Cowgill to scamper to third. Spear connected on a slow roller off the handle of the bat, keeping UK out of the double play and scoring Cowgill with the tying run.
