LEXINGTON, Ky. – John Wilson hit his SEC-leading 21st home run of the year and VinceHarrison had six RBI as the Kentucky Wildcats (23-28) defeated the MurrayState Thoroughbreds (28-23-1), 10-9 in the first game of a three-team doubleheader at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Murray opened the game with three runs in the first inning. A questionablecall at third base kept the Thoroughbreds in the game and second basemanTodd Fox capitalized on the call by hitting a three-run blast over the leftfield wall.
UK chipped away at the lead, scoring one run in the second afterback-to-back walks to John Wilson and Robert Newton and a RBI single byVince Harrison. The Wildcats allowed one MSU run in the fourth but scoredtwo runs in the bottom of the inning as Newton doubled to drive in a runand Harrison picked up his second RBI of the game by reaching on an error.
Kentucky could not stop Murray’s bats as the Breds scored one run in thefifth. Chris Williams led off the inning with a double and scored on anerror by UK starting pitcher Aaron Wilson. Right-hander Austin Madisonrelieved Wilson in the fifth but gave up a two-run home run to JustinVaritek and a solo shot to Dan Loyd to give Murray an 8-3 lead.Back-to-back doubles scored another run, and the Wildcats went into thebottom of the seventh inning with a six-run deficit.
A four-run seventh inning kept UK in the game. Three walks, a single, anda three-run double by Harrison pulled Kentucky to within two runs. TheWildcats entered the ninth inning two runs down, but home runs by JohnWilson, his team-leading 21st of the year, and Harrison, tied the ballgameat nine-all to send it into extra innings.
Kentucky threatened in the tenth inning. Taylor McInnis doubled to rightcenter, Wilson was intentionally walked, and Nate Linder walked to load thebases with two outs. No Wildcats crossed the plate and the game went intothe eleventh.
Jon Hooker held the Breds scoreless in the top of the eleventh, andKentucky battled for the victory. A lead off single by Breck Price andanother single by Andy Green put men on first and second with two outs.McInnis singled and drove in Price from second to give the Wildcats thevictory, 10-9, in the first game of the afternoon.
UK returns to action tonight at 6 p.m., playing host to the ButlerBulldogs in the season finale at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
