LEXINGTON, Ky. — Despite centerfielder Collin Cowgill reaching base in all five attempts, Mississippi State utilized six runs in the sixth and seventh innings, erasing a 4-0 lead, handing the No. 10 Kentucky Wildcats its first home loss of the season, a dramatic 6-5 setback in game one of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
The Bulldogs got multi-hit games from Jason Nappi, Tyler Moore and Connor Powers, as MSU utilized big middle innings to claim its first road SEC win of the year. MSU starter Chad Crosswhite worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and four runs, striking out four. John Lalor got the win, working 1 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and one run. Closer Aaron Weatherford notched his third save of the year, working the final two innings of hitless baseball, striking out two.
MSU erased a solid pitching performance from southpaw Chris Rusin, who again put UK in a position to win the game. Rusin worked six innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs, striking out six. Brock Baber took the loss, allowing the decisive two runs on three hits, getting just one out. Aaron Lovett and Andrew Albers combined to blank the Bulldogs through the final 2 2/3 innings.
Cowgill finished the game 2-for-2 with three walks, two runs scored and one RBI. Cowgill hit his 11th homer of the season, a towering bomb to the opposite field, sailing high above the 30-foot monster in right field. Chris McClendon had an excellent day at the plate, batting 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI, adding his fifth double of the season and his second homer, a shot sent flying into the party deck in right field. Sawyer Carroll charted a 2-for-5 day with his team-high 11th double of the season, joining Ryan Wilkes and Chris Wade as Wildcats to show something in the hit column.
McClendon got UK on the board first in the bottom of the second, belting a leadoff 0-1 offering from Crosswhite over the part deck in right-centerfield, his second home run of the season. Wilkes followed with a single of his own, a hard-hit grounder up the middle. After Tyler Howe got hit by his SEC-leading 15th pitch of the season, Wade avoided the double play, legging out a fielders choice. With Marcus Nidiffer at the plate and one out, the UK catcher went down swinging, with Wade attempting to steal second. The throw was in time to get Wade, who delayed the tag until Wilkes could touch home for the second run of the inning.
In the third, UK added a run, as Keenan Wiley got hit by a pitch and Cowgill drew a walk to lead off. After advancing to third on a throwing error, Wiley scored after Brian Spear hit into a double play.
In the fifth, UK went up 4-0, scoring a run on one hit. Cowgill led off with a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. McClendon scored him with a single into left center.
The Bulldogs struck for its big inning in the sixth, getting four runs on three hit, a passed ball and two wild pitches. Ryan Collins drew a one-out walk and Nappi scored him with a homer over the right-field fence. Powers followed with a single and Rusin got Jet Butler to strike out swinging what would typically end the frame. Nidiffer could not hang on to the ball however, as Butler reached first on a passed ball, moving to second as Nidiffer had a hard time finding the ball. Tyler Moore scored Powers with an infield single, moving Butler to third. Rusin threw a waste-pitch in the dirt, but Nidiffer could not block it, allowing the ball to go scooting away, scoring Butler.
In the seventh, MSU got two runs, beginning with Ryan Duffy led off with a pinch-hit home run over the scoreboard in left-centerfield. Collins drew a walk and Nappi singled, setting the stage for Powers to score Collins with a double to left field.
The Wildcats cut the lead in the seventh, getting a leadoff homer from Cowgill, a 2-1 offering sent to the opposite field.
