LEXINGTON ? Western Kentucky broke a tie game with two runs in the ninth and then held off Kentucky in the bottom of the inning to hold on for a 7-6 victory on Tuesday night at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
With Kentucky (9-3) trailing by two in the bottom of the eighth, Michael Bertram led off with a single and moved to second on a sac bunt. Ryan Wilkes singled to put men on the corners for Antone DeJesus, who singled in a run. Collin Cowgill followed with a RBI single to tie the game at 5-5.
However, the play turned out to cost Kentucky dearly as DeJesus was gunned down trying to take third. With two outs and a runner on first, Sean Coughlin struck out to end the inning.
In the ninth, Corteze Armstrong singled to lead off and took second on a wild pitch. A groundout moved him to third before Jordan Newton was intentionally walked to set up the double play. Before Dennis Winn could get the bat off his shoulder Wildcat closer Zach Dials balked in the go ahead run.
Winn grounded deep in the hole but Wilkes made an amazing off-balance throw to get him at first. Casey Hamilton followed with a line drive up the middle just below the glove of a diving Wilkes to plate Newton for a 7-5 lead.
In the home half of the ninth, an error on the second baseman allowed UK a baserunner with one out. In the ensuing at bat, John Shelby roped a ball down the left field line to make it 7-6. Bertram and pinch hitter Brian Hastings each flied to center to end the game. Hastings ball required a diving catch by Armstrong to prevent the tying-run from scoring.
Dials took the loss to fall to 0-1 after allowing two runs on two hits in 1 1/3 innings. Chris Rusin started and worked five innings but did not factor in the decision. He gave up five runs ? four earned ? while striking out two and walking two.
Garrett Stembridge picked up the win despite allowing the two eighth inning runs. Chad Adcock worked the ninth to earn his second save.
Western Kentucky (6-4) took a 5-3 lead with a three-run fifth inning. Matt Ransdall tied it with an RBI double and Newton gave the Hilltoppers the lead with a single that scored Ransdall and Armstrong, who had been hit by a pitch.
The Wildcats took an early 2-1 lead after the first. Shelby laced a two-out, two-run single to center to send DeJesus and Cowgill home. The two had drawn back-to-back walks to start the game. Bertram followed Shelby?s single with a walk that loaded the bases, but Justin Scutchfield struck out to end the inning.
It was a sign of things to come for Kentucky as UK left 11 men on base. The Wildcats left the bases loaded in three of the first four innings.
Kentucky returns to action on Wednesday at 4 p.m. against Marshall.
Notes: Kentucky had its three-game win streak snapped ? It is the third time this season the Wildcats have lost after winning three games ? Kentucky lost its second one-run game of the season ? With a single in the eighth, Antone DeJesus extended his hitting streak to 18 games dating back to last year ? Michael Bertram ran his hitting streak to six with an eighth inning single ? John Shelby had a season-high three RBIs ? Sean Coughlin drew two walks, giving him seven in the past three games ? Freshman Chris Rusin made his first career start.
