Kentucky wins chaotic battle over West Virginia, advances to Morgantown Regional final
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Kentucky’s game against West Virginia was blackout drunk from first pitch to final out. Amid the chaos, the Wildcats are one win away from hosting a Super Regional after downing No. 16 national seed West Virginia, 11-9.
The Wildcats would find it tough to start a game better than they did Saturday evening. The Wildcats jumped to a 4-0 lead, then added to it in the 2nd inning with a pair of runs to make it 6-0 early.
Then Kentucky‘s pitching issues began to rear its ugly head once again.
West Virginia took just three innings to completely erase Kentucky’s 6-0 lead, a scoring run that included a 2-run shot by Mountaineers batter Gavin Kelly. Then, in the 4th inning, Tyrus Hall smacked an RBI double to score Ben Lumsden before being balked home by Kentucky’s Nate Harris.
Kentucky’s pitching woes continued after Jack Sams hit a West Virginia batter with bases loaded, scoring another unearned run for the Mountaineers. Next, it was Kentucky’s fielding that gave itself trouble as Owen Jenkins’ throwing error allowed another West Virginia run to cross the plate.
Like I said, chaos.
Jenkins made up for his error in the 5th inning with a single to center field, which ended up bringing 2 home as Hudson Brown scored and Ethan Hindle reached following yet another throwing error, this time by West Virginia.
Perhaps the most important hit of the day came in the 8th inning, when Luke Lawrence drove in a run with a ball placed just above the outstretched glove of a Mountaineers fielder. Kentucky’s lead would hold after a pair of insurance runs off the bat of Hudson Brown.
The Wildcats will face the winner of West Virginia vs. Wake Forest following Sunday’s elimination game.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
