LEXINGTON, Ky. — Brian Suerdick?s RBI single through the left side of the infield in the top of the final inning, gave the UK Black team a 11-10 win over the Blue team, in game three of the annual Kentucky baseball Fall World Series.
The Black win gives them a 2-1 series advantage in the seven-game series. Black took the first game of the series in dominating fashion, 12-1, before the Blue squad evened up the series with a 4-2 win on Saturday. Chris Rusin and Greg Dombrowski battled in a pitchering duel through the first five innings Saturday morning, with Dombrowski allowing only one earned run and Rusin not allowing an earned blemish. The fourth game of the series will be held on Wednesday at 2:45 p.m. EDT at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
On the mound, both starters were booted prematurely, with James Paxton starting for the Blue and working only two innings and fellow southpaw Tommy Warner lasting 2 2/3 innings for Black. Among the arms working for Black included Tyler Henry, who worked three innings, allowing one run and only three hits. Freshman hard-throwing lefty Logan Darnell earned the decision, working one inning and allowing one run for the win. Sidewinding closer Brock Baber closed out the game for the Black, hurling the final scoreless inning for the save. Freshman righty Josh Weninger took the loss for Blue, working 1 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and the one decisive earned run.
Senior Sawyer Carroll, who batted .350 with an SEC leading 23 doubles last season for the Wildcats, got the inning started in the top of the first inning with a two-out single, setting up a Troy Frazier RBI double to the right center field gap.
In the bottom half, Blue opened up the game in what appeared to be the big inning of the contest, plating five runs to take a 6-1 lead. Outfielder Keenan Wiley led off with a bunt dingle and promptly stole second base. Senior middle infielder Ryan Wilkes drove in Wiley with a triple into the right-center field gap. Outfielder Collin Cowgill, a Cape Cod Summer League All-Star this past summer, gave the Blue squad an early 2-1 advantage with an RBI double, scoring Wilkes. Infielder Spencer Korus got hit by a pitch, beginning what ended up being a very productive day. Brian Spear unloaded the bases, hitting the videoboard in left centerfield with a line-drive three-run shot.
Black team catcher Marcus Nidiffer delivered one of three home runs on the day to lead off the second inning, an opposite field jack into the right-center field deck.
After the Blue answered with a run in the bottom of the second frame, the Black offense erupted for a seven-run inning, taking a 9-7 lead in the top of the third. Sophomore outfielder Brock Wright singled to get the offense started, infielder Kevin Carby drew a walk, and Carroll drove in the two with an RBI double. After a throwing error, Nidiffer and Suerdick hung sacrifice flies, each driving in a run. With the Black team batting around, Wright ended the big inning with a two-run double down the left line.
Korus lead off the bottom of the fourth inning for the Blue with an opposite field home run to narrow the Black advantage to 9-8.
After a scoreless fifth inning, freshman outfielder Navarro Hall doubled down the left field line and immediately swiped third base. Carroll was intentionally walked and pinch ran for by Wright, who stole second. Frazier drove in Hall with a sacrifice fly, giving Black a 10-8 lead. With Wright on third and the Black team sensing a big inning, the Black team coaches, consisting of the veterans on the team, call for Wright to attempt to steal home plate. Wright took off immediately before the pitch, meeting the ball at home and sliding feet first into a tag from catcher Dan Killian.
Down two runs, the Blue team mounted a two-run rally to tie the game up entering the final inning. Cowgill drew a one-out walk and Korus drew a walk, setting up the two for a double steal, putting them in scoring position. Cowgill scored on a throwing error by the catcher, evening up the game.
With a tie game and only three outs left, the Black team designated hitter Tyler Howe singled up the middle and Wright pinch ran for the senior, stealing second. Third baseman Chris McClendon notched a productive out, grounding out and moving Wright to third. Suerdick gave Black the lead for good with a single under the glove of the diving freshman shortstop Chris Bisson.
Frazier leads all hitters with a .556 average (5-for-9) in the series, scoring five runs, adding two doubles, and three RBI in three games. Korus paces the Blue squad with a .500 average (3-for-6), scoring four runs, walking twice, earning a hit by pitch, and boosting one home run.
