Cats top Florida, still alive in SEC

Vandy loss takes season to final day

Special to the Herald-Leader

Next game
Kentucky at Florida
When: 4 p.m. Saturday (end of regular season)
Radio: WLAP-AM 630

Chris Rusin and the Kentucky offense did their part Friday night.

The Cats got help from Tennessee a few hours later to send the battle for the final spot in the SEC Tournament to the last day of the regular season.

With Kentucky nursing a four-run lead with no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Florida freshman Preston Tucker appeared to hit a game-tying grand slam to left field.

Instead, UK freshman Chad Wright climbed the wall to rob Tucker of the homer, helping the Wildcats escape with an 8-7 victory Friday night in Gainesville.

Tennessee's 7-6 extra-inning win over Vanderbilt later Friday night got the Cats to within a half-game of the Commodores for the eighth and final spot in the SEC Tournament. UK needs a win over Florida on Saturday and another Vandy loss to Tennessee to qualify. Should one of the games be rained out and UK and Vandy finish in a statistical tie, the Cats hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.

UK senior starter Chris Rusin made the final regular-season start of his career. Rusin pitched eight-plus innings, giving up three runs through eight before loading the bases without getting an out in the ninth.

Rusin (7-4) picked up his 23rd win as a Wildcat. That tied him with Greg Dombrowski and Lorhn Frazier for the second-most in school history. Only Jay Ray, who won 24 games between 1982 and 1985, has more wins among UK pitchers.

The Cats chased Florida starter Anthony DeScalfani early. DeScalfani went 22⁄3 innings, allowing six hits and seven runs. UK catcher Marcus Nidiffer's two-run homer capped a third inning that saw all eight of the Wildcats runs.

Florida opened a 2-0 lead before UK took complete command of the game with its eight-run third. The inning was highlighted by two-run homers from Nidiffer and right fielder Cory Farris. Keenan Wiley and Braden Kapteyn also had two-run hits in the innings.