Kentucky drops NCAA Tournament opener vs. West Virginia, faces elimination
For the third time in five games Kentucky baseball lost a game in walk-off fashion, this time in the ninth inning of its NCAA Tournament opener against West Virginia on Friday.
The 4-3 loss forces Kentucky into an elimination game Saturday. Here is what you need to know.
KEY MOMENT
After blowing two ninth-inning leads in the final regular season series at Vanderbilt, Kentucky entered the ninth inning tied at 3. The Wildcats put two runners on in the top half of the inning but were unable to score. West Virginia shortstop Brodie Kresser led off the bottom of the ninth with a double then moved to third base on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field from third baseman Armani Guzman.
AT THE PLATE
Kentucky was unable to score in the first inning after loading the bases with one out, but broke through in the fourth inning when designated hitter Kyuss Gargett drove in the first run of the game with a squeeze bunt. Gargett and third baseman Patrick Herrera then scored on a throwing error by Kresser to stretch the lead to 3-0.
No Kentucky player tallied more than one hit in the game. Shortstop Tyler Bell did walk twice but appeared hampered by a foul ball off his knee in the first inning.
ON THE MOUND
Mingione’s decision to move normal Sunday starter Ben Cleaver, who has been UK’s best pitcher throughout the season, to Game 1 of the regional paid off with six strong innings from the sophomore left-handed pitcher, but Cleaver’s defense let him down over his final two innings.
West Virginia scored two runs in the fifth inning with the help of throwing errors by Herrera and second baseman Luke Lawrence then tied the game at 3 in the sixth inning on an RBI groundout following a leadoff double and sacrifice bunt.
Cleaver was charged with three runs, only one of which was earned, in six innings while striking out five batters and walking one.
Right-handed reliever Simon Gregerson pitched two scoreless innings before surrendering the leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth that eventually became the winning run. Left-handed reliever Jackson Nove came on with a man on second and no outs in the ninth inning. His wild pitch allowed the runner to move to third before the game-winning sacrifice fly.
WHAT’S NEXT
Kentucky returns to action in the double-elimination regional in a must-win game Saturday at noon. The Wildcats will play the loser of Friday’s game between regional No. 1 seed Clemson and No. 4 seed South Carolina Upstate. To advance out of the regional, Kentucky will now need to win four games in three days without a loss and without Cleaver available to pitch again.