LEXINGTON, Ky. — Junior southpaw Chris Rusin hurled seven scoreless innings, striking out a career-best nine batters, to lead the No. 17 Kentucky baseball team to a 14-1 pummeling of the Butler Bulldogs, on Friday evening at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Kentucky (6-0) got multi-hit performances from seven Wildcats, highlighted by Sawyer Carroll?s two-run home run in the second inning ? his second homer of the season. Leadoff man Keenan Wiley charted a team-high 3-for-4 day, driving in a squad-best four RBI, scoring three runs. Brian Spear, Collin Cowgill, Troy Frazier, Tyler Howe, and Chris Wade all contributed multi-hit games. Carroll finished the day 2-for-2 with three RBI and a walk.
Rusin (2-0) got the starting nod for the second time this season, working seven spectacular innings, at one point retiring 12 consecutive batters. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Canton, Mich., native allowed only four hits – equaling his previous career high for strikeouts, sitting down nine Butler hitters. In 14 innings this season, Rusin has struck out 13, walked none, and earned a 0.64 ERA.
For the season, the UK pitching staff has struck out 56 in 52 innings, walking a Southeastern Conference best five batters and earning a 1.73 ERA. As typical with a John-Cohen coached offense, UK is batting .358, with 74 runs scored in six games, ripping 20 doubles, four triples, and six home runs.
Butler (0-1) starter Ryan Kruszka took the loss, working just three innings, allowing nine hits and seven earned runs. Joe Ochs and Ben Trimbur closed out the contest with Ochs allowing the other seven runs.
The Wildcats return to action with a twin-bill on Saturday, with first pitch of game one coming at Noon ET at Cliff Hagan Stadium. Fans can catch the action live on WLAP 630-AM in Lexington, on the Big Blue Sports Network with Neil Price calling the action. UK right-hander Scott Green, a member of the USA Baseball Golden Spikes National Player of the Year Watch List, gets the starting nod in game one tomorrow. In his first start since April 1, 2005, Green worked five innings, striking out 10 batters in a win at the Coca-Cola Classic in Mobile, Ala., last week.
Kentucky got the scoring started at its first opportunity, jumping on the Bulldogs for two runs in the bottom of the first. Spear ripped a full count, one-out offering off the top of the 30-foot high monster in right field, legging out a triple. Carroll followed, ripping the second pitch he saw into left field for an RBI single. Cowgill, a Lexington native and preseason All-American, reached on a fielders choice, promptly stealing second base and moving to third on a balk. Frazier, who is now batting a team best .533 (8-for-15) with 11 RBI this season, drove in Cowgill with an RBI single.
UK made its lead unreachable in the second inning, plating five runs on five hits and a Butler error. Chris McClendon led off the inning by getting plunked by a pitch and Ryan Wilkes, the UK season and career record holder for sacrifices, laid down a sacrifice bunt to move McClendon to second. Howe followed with a single to the gap and Wade drove in McClendon with an RBI into center field. Wiley ripped a 0-2 offering off the wall in left field for a two-RBI triple, scoring Wade and Howe. That set the stage for Carroll to boost a 1-2 pitch deep over the right-field wall, landing midway into the outfield parking lot for his second homer of the season.
In the fourth, UK built upon its lead, as Wiley led off with a single to the shortstop, advancing to second on a fielding error. Carroll drew a walk and Cowgill scored Wiley with a single through the left side. Frazier singled and Neiko Johnson hit into a fielders choice that scored a pinch-runner, Bryan Rose. Wilkes lifted a double off the right-field wall, scoring one run before Johnson was gunned down at the plate attempting to score, ending the inning.
In the seventh, UK tacked on its final four runs, as Frazier led off getting hit by a pitch. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, pinch hitter Brian Suerdick got hit by another pitch. Wade doubled into the left-center field gap, scoring Kevin Bishop, who had pinch ran for Frazier. Wiley knocked in his third and fourth RBI of the game with a single into center field. Spear connected on a 1-1 pitch, sending it deep into center field for a double, plating Wiley.
Butler got a lone run in the bottom of the bottom of the ninth, as UK?s third baseman booted a ground ball with a runner on third and two out, allowing one unearned run to cross the plate.
