LEXINGTON, Ky. – Marcus Nidiffer and Sean Coughlin combined for five RBI as the Black squad topped the Blue 8-5, to force game seven in the Kentucky baseball Fall World Series, Friday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Stadium.

For the first time all fall, the team put down the wood bats and swung aluminum and the hitters displayed a pop in the bat, plating a total of 13 runs.

Nidiffer got the Black on the board in the first, driving in the first of his three RBI with a two-out single to give the Black an early 1-0 advantage.

Blue answered in the top of the third when freshman catcher Brian Suerdick ripped a double, scoring Michael Seaborn and evening the score 1-1.

Nidiffer continued the hot hitting, with a two-out two RBI double to give the Black a 3-1 advantage in the bottom of the third.

The Blue plated one more run in the fourth as Billy Grace hit into Chris Wade fielding error, allowing a run to score to narrow the Black margin to 3-2.

With the Black facing the potential of a Blue series victory, the bats came alive as Coughlin belted a two RBI double to give the Black a 5-2 lead in the fourth inning.

Black scored its final three runs in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by a Mike Brown RBI single, a Chris Wade RBI double and a Jason Kipnis RBI two-bagger to make it 8-2.

The Blue made a rally in the sixth with a three-run home run off the bat of Ryan Wilkes. After a single and a walk put runners on first and second, Wilkes stepped to the plate and ripped a monstrous three-run home run over right field. Wilkes, one of the best defensive shortstops in the Southeastern Conference, hit one home run last season.

Junior Tommy Warner got the win and Chris Craycraft took the loss for the Blue. Freshman Jason Chowning earned the save, tossing the final two innings of the contest.

The team’s will compete for the Fall World Series Championship in the final game of the series, slated for 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Cliff Hagan Stadium.