The rally caps were don, the tying run was at the plate and the fans were on their feet. Unlike past performances though, the Cardiac Cats were unsuccessful in their attempt at late-inning theatrics.

In a game where confusion and oddity was almost as common as runs, Vanderbilt came out on top 4-2 to avoid the series sweep from UK (15-5, 3-3 Southeastern Conference).

The confusion and oddity struck early at Cliff Hagan Stadium as each of the first three UK batters reached base without hitting the ball out of the infield. That facet was trumped by what happened later in the first, when UK grounded into a fielder’s choice triple play. With the bases loaded and one run already in, junior catcher Marcus Nidiffer grounded into the triple play that went from the shortstop, to the catcher, to the third baseman, to the pitcher, and finally to the second baseman. The Cats were confused on the play and where to go because the call from the umpire wasn’t definitive, UK head coach Gary Henderson said.

“Because we didn’t get an accurate call initially, the kids didn’t know what to do,” Henderson said. “They assumed it was a catch so they didn’t run, because there was not a safe call they don’t run. Then they say it wasn’t a catch so now you have forces all the way around. It’s a tough spot for our kids … It’s very disappointing.”

After loading the bases and scoring a run with zero outs, the Cats left the first inning with only one run to show. Vanderbilt responded with a run in the third inning and two runs in the sixth inning to take a 3-2 lead. The Commodores tacked on their fourth and final run in the ninth inning.

Despite the loss, UK was pleased with their overall performance and competitiveness in earning their third series win in the last four years against the Commodores.

A bright spot for the Cats throughout the series was the starting pitching and play of freshman outfielder Chad Wright. The Cats’ pitching held Vanderbilt to seven runs combined throughout the series, despite the Commodores entering the series averaging over eight runs per game. Meanwhile, Wright reached base safely in every appearance on Sunday afternoon and has been a spark for UK rallies throughout the season.

“Recruiting is not an exact science, and the people that know that are the people that recruit,” Henderson said. “He wasn’t one of the more highly touted (recruits) coming in, but I had seen him play for a long time and felt very good about him … he’s certainly done it a little bit earlier than we might have anticipated but he’s not scared. He’s very talented and we’re just really glad he’s here.”

The series was especially difficult for Nidiffer who started all three games despite a fracture in his catching hand which he sustained in the eighth inning of the 11-inning victory on March 17 against New Orleans. Nidiffer said he was passed to play by the trainer and it was only a matter of playing through the pain, something Henderson said he was very pleased to see.

The Cats were close to avoiding their first home loss of the season by tallying 10 hits on the afternoon. In the last five innings, the Cats left eight runners on base. Henderson said the base hits show their competitiveness, but they need to get those runs home.

“That’s not a new frustration for baseball coaches,” Henderson said. “You’ve got to get pitches when it matters and you’ve got to get hits when it matters. It’s just something that we have to address and they’ll get better at it. They’re getting better at everything and we’ll get better at that.”