Kentucky baseball forces winner-take-all NCAA regional final with rout of Indiana
Kentucky baseball forced a winner-take-all game for the NCAA Tournament Lexington Regional in dominant fashion with a 16-6 thrashing of Indiana on Sunday.
The blowout win followed a 10-0 victory over West Virginia earlier in the day, bringing the combined score to 26-6 in two elimination games for the Wildcats. Thanks to the offensive outburst, Kentucky was able to hold back many of its best relievers for Monday’s region final.
Here is what you need to know about the game.
Turning point
One day after Indiana sent Kentucky to the loser’s bracket, the Wildcats wasted little time in proving Saturday’s result would have no bearing on Sunday’s outcome. Right fielder Nolan McCarthy opened the scoring with a three-run home run in the second inning. Five batters later, the Wildcats added a fourth run in the inning when shortstop Grant Smith scored on a wild pitch.
The home run was McCarthy’s second of the day. Prior to the West Virginia game, he had hit just two home runs in the first 62 games of his UK career. McCarthy had been benched for most of May, tallying just one at-bat and two appearances in the month.
On the mound
When Nick Mingione and pitching coach Dan Roszel elected to start Logan Martin, the Wildcats’ former Friday night starter who had pitched just one inning since April 22 due to injury, it was apparent the staff would need to piece together nine innings with multiple pitchers.
Martin surrendered two runs in three innings, throwing his most pitches in an appearance (57) since March 4. Left-handed reliever Evan Byers surrendered one run in one inning of work. With the score out of hand, Mingione elected to ride reliever Ryan Hagenow, who did not surrender a run in his first 12 appearances this season but had surrendered eight runs in his last 4 1/3 innings. Hagenow pitched around multiple jams to hold Indiana to three runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings. Two-way player Ryder Giles moved from shortstop to the mound to record the final out.
At the plate
Much of Kentucky’s offensive success has been built around playing small ball this season, but the Wildcats erupted for four home runs on the afternoon.
Catcher Devin Burkes, first baseman Hunter Gilliam and left fielder Ryan Waldschmidt joined McCarthy in the home run barrage. The big inning came in the seventh when Kentucky plated seven runs with Gilliam’s and Waldschmidt’s blasts coming in the inning.
Gilliam, Waldschmidt and center fielder Jackson Gray tallied multiple hits in the game. Gray, Burkes, Gilliam, designated hitter Reuben Church and third baseman Jase Felker scored multiple runs.
Kentucky also reached base nine times via hit-by-pitch. Felker and Church were each hit three times. Opponents have hit 21 Kentucky batters in the regional.
What’s next
Kentucky and Indiana will meet for the third time in the regional in a winner-take-all championship game Monday. Star relievers Darren Williams and Mason Moore are both expected to be available for Kentucky. Former Saturday starter Tyler Bosma, who has not pitched since being removed from the weekend rotation after his May 13 start, should be available, too.
NCAA TOURNAMENT LEXINGTON REGIONAL
When: Friday through Monday
Where: Kentucky Proud Park
Tickets: UKBaseballTix.com
Teams: Kentucky, Ball State, Indiana, West Virginia.
Format: Double-elimination
At stake: Winner advances to NCAA Tournament’s 16-team super-regional round next week.
LEXINGTON REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday
Game 1: Kentucky 4, Ball State 0
Game 2: Indiana 12, West Virginia 6
Saturday
Game 3: West Virginia 13, Ball State 5
Game 4: Indiana 5, Kentucky 3
Sunday
Game 5: Kentucky 10, West Virginia 0
Game 6: Kentucky 16, Indiana 6
Monday
Game 7: Kentucky vs. Indiana, 6 p.m. (TV TBA)