The Canisius College baseball team took a one-run lead in the seventh inning but couldn't hold on, losing 5-4 at No. 23 Kentucky on Sunday afternoon. The Griffs dropped all three games to the undefeated Wildcats and are now 7-8 on the season.

The Wildcats (16-0) scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings before Canisius took its first lead of the game with a three-run sixth inning. Junior Chris Gruarin led off the inning with a single, the first of five hits in the inning for the Griffs. A walk to sophomore Shane Zimmer and a single from Jimmy Luppens loaded the bases with nobody out. Junior Manny Hernandez singled up the middle, scoring Gruarin but Zimmer was thrown out at the plate for the first out of the inning. Junior Brooklyn Foster then had a pinch-hit, two-RBI double to put Canisius ahead 3-2.

Kentucky tied the game with a run in the sixth, but the Griffs came right back with a run in the top of the seventh to take a 4-3 lead. Zimmer started the two-out rally with a double down the right-field line and Luppens had his second RBI single of the day, scoring Zimmer to put Canisius ahead 4-3.

The Wildcats scored in the bottom of the seventh - their fourth consecutive inning by scoring a single run - taking advantage of a leadoff double, an ensuing walk and two hit batters, to tie the game at 4-4. Canisius would be retired in order in the eighth and ninth innings after recording 12 hits in the first seven innings of the game. Kentucky won the game in the bottom of the ninth. Matt Reida was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a walk to Zac Zellers, Luke Maile had a walk-off single to score Reida.

Freshman Devon Stewart went 6.2 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits. Redshirt junior Nathan Linseman (3-1) took the loss by putting the winning run on base in the ninth.

Canisius continues its Spring Break trip with two mid-week game at Miami University. First pitch in Oxford, Ohio on Tuesday, is set for 4 p.m.

Notes: Sophomore Ronnie Bernick saw his team-high eight-game hitting streak come to an end... Foster has a hit in each of the last four games and has six RBIs in that stretch... Gruarin extended his hitting streak to five games... Hernandez had five hits in the two weekend games... In the four games on the week, Luppens went 12-for-19 with three doubles, a home run and eight RBI... The 6.2 innings pitched were a career high for Stewart, who has gone at least six innings in each of his last three starts... Zimmer reached base in four of his five plate appearances and has now reached base in 22 consecutive games.