LEXINGTON, Ky. — No. 1 Vanderbilt scored two runs in the top of the 12th inning Friday to rally for a 10-8 victory against No. 19 Kentucky in front of a season-high 2,625 fans at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
The Wildcats (25-8-1, 5-7-1 Southeastern Conference), who trailed 5-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, exploded for five runs in that frame to take an 8-5 advantage. The Commodores (31-5, 8-5 SEC) scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to take an 8-7 lead before Kentucky tied the game in the bottom of the eighth. The two teams played scoreless ball through the extra innings, until Vanderbilt came across with two runs in the top of the 12th.
The Commodores’ Ryan Flaherty doubled up the middle to open the 12th inning and advanced to third base on a wild pitch. Designated hitter Jonathan White doubled to right field on the next at-bat to plate Flaherty. Flaherty later scored on an RBI ground out by second baseman Alex Feinberg to give Vandy the decisive 10-8 advantage.
Kentucky received a stellar performance from starting pitcher Chris Rusin, who worked 7 1/3 innings, striking out five batters and throwing 101 pitches. Scott Green worked 1/3 of an inning, allowing two runs before relievers Brock Baber and James Paxton combined for 1 1/3 frames of one-hit baseball. Aaron Lovett took the loss to fall to 3-2 on the season, pitching two innings and surrendering two runs.
Vanderbilt’s standout pitcher David Price allowed six runs over six innings of work with nine strikeouts before being chased from the game by Kentucky’s seventh-inning offensive barrage. Casey Weathers, regarded as one of the best closer’s in college baseball, earned the victory to improve to 7-2 on the year, no-hitting the Wildcats over the game’s final four innings, hurling 61 pitches.
Three Wildcats notched multi-RBI games, as Sawyer Carroll, Matt McKinney and Ryan Wilkes each drove in two runs. Right fielder Keenan Wiley, making just his second start, went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and performed solid in the outfield, making a diving catch early in the contest.
Kentucky trailed 5-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning before its first five batters in that inning reached base came around to score to put the Wildcats ahead 7-5.
Vanderbilt re-claimed the lead in the top of the eighth inning as Flaherty reached on a fielder’s choice and Andrew Giobbi followed with a single. Flaherty scored on Shea Robin’s RBI ground out to shortstop. Matt Meingasner drew a walk on the next at-bat and then Alex Feinberg and pinch hitter Ryan Davis followed with singles. Feinberg’s single scored pinch runner Jonathan White and Davis’ hit plated Meingasner to put the Commodores ahead 8-7.
Brian Spear lead off the eighth inning with a walk and pinch runner Brock Wright stole second base. Wilkes grounded out to second base on a high chopper, sending Wright to third before he was sent home and slid around the tag of Robin, Vanderbilt’s catcher, to knot the score at 8 heading into the final frame.
Kentucky, playing its longest game since going 12 innings against Alabama on May 15, 2004, was limited to just eight hits in the game. The contest lasted five hours and 10 minutes, making it the longest game time-wise in the John Cohen era.
The Commodores struck first in the second inning as Vanderbilt opened the frame with three consecutive hits. Flaherty led off with a single up the middle and Giobbi followed with a single through the right side. A double down the left-field line by Robin drove in Flaherty and Giobbi scored on a double play to give Vandy an early 2-0 advantage.
The Commodores added to their lead in the third inning when Pedro Alvarez was hit by a pitch with one out and Dominic de la Osa followed with a double down the left-field line. They were both drive in by Flaherty’s two-run single up the middle to extend Vanderbilt’s lead to 4-0.
Kentucky responded in the bottom of the sixth inning with a pair of runs. Wiley singled through the left side with one out and Carroll later singled to right field with two outs. The duo was driven in on a bloop double to center field by first baseman Matt McKinney to cut UK’s deficit to 4-2.
Vanderbilt tacked on a run in the top of the seventh as Feinberg launched his second home run of the season to left field to put the Commodores ahead 5-2.
Kentucky and Vanderbilt resume the series Saturday at 6:30 p.m. EDT. A pair of undefeated left-handers take the mound as the Wildcats’ Andrew Albers (5-0, 3.30 ERA) squares off with the Commodores’ Mike Minor (5-0, 1.88 ERA). The game will be carried live on WLAP 630 AM with Neil Price.
Post-Game Notes
Team Records and Series Notes
Kentucky falls to 25-8-1 on the season and 5-7-1 in Southeastern Conference play, while Vanderbilt improves to 31-5 and 8-5 in league play.
The Wildcats still lead the all-time series with the Commodores 134-123-5.
Last season, Kentucky dropped its Friday night opener before coming back to take the series from Vanderbilt.
Kentucky and Vanderbilt resume the series Saturday at 6:30 p.m. EDT. The game will be carried live on WLAP 630 AM with Neil Price.
Team Game Notes
Kentucky played its most innings since going 12 innings with Alabama on May 15, 2004.
The game lasted five hours and 10 minutes, which marked the longest game in the John Cohen era.
Individual Game Notes
Right fielder Keenan Wiley made his second career start, recording a career-high two hits.
Starting pitcher Chris Rusin threw 101 pitches in the game, marking the second-most pitches thrown in his career. He tossed a career-high 123 pitches against Arkansas on March 16.
Antone DeJesus made his team-leading 66th consecutive start in center field.
Mike Brown was Kentucky’s leadoff batter for the 11th game of the season and the first since facing Western Kentucky on March 21.
Designated hitter Sawyer Carroll started in the second slot in the lineup for the first time since the season opener against Furman.
Ryan Wilkes extended his hitting streak to a team-leading 10 games.
