UK baseball halts two West Virginia rallies to stay on winners’ side of regional
Kentucky baseball led by six runs after two innings against West Virginia on Saturday, but nothing about the rest of the game was easy.
West Virginia, the No. 16 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and Morgantown regional host, twice rallied to tie the game, but Nick Mingione’s squad did not relent. A three-run eighth inning finally provided enough breathing room for the Wildcats to remain on the winners’ side of the regional with an 11-9 victory.
Kentucky now needs just one win to advance to a super regional for the third time in four years.
Key moment
One day after being forced to leave Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament opener after fouling a bunt attempt off his knee, Luke Lawrence, UK’s usual second baseman, was back in the lineup at designated hitter. His presence proved crucial with a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the eighth inning that plated two runs.
Kentucky had loaded the bases on two hit-by-pitches and an infield single. First baseman Hudson Brown followed with a single to right field that plated Kentucky’s third run of the inning for an 11-8 lead.
At the plate
Kentucky jumped out to an early lead with a four-run first inning that was aided by a West Virginia fielding error on what looked to be a tailor-made double-play ball. Second baseman Ethan Hindle drove in two with a bases-loaded single, and right fielder Braxton VanCleave launched a two-run home run to right field. Kentucky added two more runs in the second inning on a double from designated hitter Luke Lawrence and a fielder’s choice from Hindle.
After blowing the six-run lead, Kentucky went up 8-6 on a two-run single from catcher Owen Jenkins in the fifth inning.
Center fielder Jayce Tharnish was 2 for 4 with three runs scored. Lawrence and Hindle also tallied multiple hits. Shortstop Tyler Bell also scored three times.
On the mound
Mingione elected to start regular Sunday starter Nate Harris, who had thrown just 4 1/3 innings since April 11 because of injury, rather than usual Saturday starter Ben Cleaver. Harris retired the side in order in the top of the first inning, but struggled from there. He allowed two baserunners in a scoreless second before surrendering two runs in the third and three runs in the fourth before being pulled.
Right-handed reliever Jack Sams surrendered the lead in the fifth inning on an unearned run that scored on a throwing error from Jenkins. Right-handed reliever Jack Bennett, who leads the team with seven saves but entered the game with a 6.19 ERA, also surrendered a lead by allowing single runs in the seventh and eighth inning, but recorded the final 12 outs to secure the win.
What’s next
Kentucky will face the winner of West Virginia vs. Wake Forest at 5 p.m. Sunday in the regional final. West Virginia and Wake Forest play the first game of the day at noon and will have to earn multiple victories Sunday to remain alive. If Kentucky loses Sunday, the two teams would play Monday in a winner-take-all game in the double-elimination regional.
The television broadcast for the game will be set after the conclusion of Saturday’s tournament games.
This story was originally published May 30, 2026 at 8:54 PM.