Kentucky Can't Overcome LSU, Ending Historic Season in Baton Rouge Super Regional
BATON ROUGE, La. — Baseball is often referred to as "a game of inches."
Never was that more true than on Sunday evening at Alex Box Stadium, as a matter of inches separated Kentucky baseball's season from continuing or ending on two plays that occurred within moments of one-another.
In a 5-3 game that saw LSU ahead of UK, Wildcat designated hitter Reuben Church stepped up to the plate with two outs and runners on the corners. On the fifth pitch of his at-bat against Tiger righty Gavin Guidry, Church smoked a line drive down the left-field line.
The hit would've at least scored one run, possibly two to tie. Instead, third-base umpire Scott Letendre raised his hands to signal a foul ball. Letendre and the rest of the crew gathered for a moment, then confirmed the call.
Two pitches later, Guidry dropped a 3-2 pitch around the inside corner and at Church's knees. Home plate umpire Perry Costello punched out the batter, much to the chagrin of Church, but even more to the delight of the LSU faithful.
Kentucky notched 10 hits and brought the tying run to bat in the eighth, but 11 runners left on base snake-bit the Cats, who fell 8-3, ending a historic 2023 season.
"Congrats to LSU on a well-played game," UK head coach Nick Mingione said postgame. "They played great. Really proud of the group of men that I have in our program."
LSU used a four-run third inning, capped off by a Cade Beloso three-run home run, to build an early lead that ultimately held, despite the Cats belting three homers and receiving a lights-out relief performance from Mason Moore, who hurled 4.1 scoreless innings.
The UK bullpen fell apart in the top of the ninth, as a host of arms conceded three insurance runs, headlined by a poetic two-run double off the bat of LSU superstar Dylan Crews in what was his final at-bat at home.
Neither team scored in innings five through eight, though the Cats put at least one runner on base in each frame. UK batters went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position in the season-ending loss.
"That's a really long lineup. And those guys at the bottom -- (Brayden) Jobert, (Jordan) Thompson and (Josh) Pearson -- have done really well for them. If you go back and look, they were responsible, even last night, I counted, I think it was seven of the 14 runs, half of their runs. That bottom of that lineup is really good. It's hard to exploit much of them. They're a super well-rounded team. And there aren't many weaknesses there," Mingione said.
UK starter Austin Strickland was able to duck damage in the top of the first, despite a couple of walks and deep fly balls that caused the smattering of Big Blue Nation that made the trip to The Box to hold its breath. He got Beloso to fly out harmlessly to right field with runners on the corners to retire the side.
He was swiftly rewarded for his finessing his way back to the dugout with a goose egg, as it took Kentucky one batter to get on the board. Following an errant breaking ball from LSU starter Ty Floyd that sailed to the backstop, UK leadoff man Jackson Gray remained ready in the box and pounced on a fastball, sending it well over the wall in right-center field for a home run.
LSU managed a run in the top of the second, though it could've easily been more. A hit batsman, infield single and another base knock loaded the bases with one out. Up stepped Crews, who whacked a grounder to the right side. UK 1B Hunter Gilliam dove to his right to spear the ball, then threw to second for one out, allowing the lead runner to score.
With runners on the corners and two down, Tommy White, who hit two home runs on Saturday, rolled one in the hole between third base and shortstop. Grant Smith ranged over to his right, retrieved the roller and fired a strike to first base to record the slick out to end the threat.
There was nothing Smith could do about the top of the third, however. LSU mounted three hits in a row to open the frame, capped off by a monstrous three-run homer off the bat of Beloso. Strickland made a mistake pitch on 0-2 and paid a heavy price. After walking two more batters in the inning, he was pulled in favor of Moore.
White added another run on an infield single, as 3B Jase Felker couldn't make a charging play in time with the bases loaded. Moore induces a groundout to stop the bleeding and kickstart his shutdown performance.
Kentucky proceeded to pull a run back in the third and fourth, both on solo homers. Devin Burkes hammered his ninth of the season to the left of the batter's eye in center field, just clearing the wall. Nolan McCarthy followed by leading the bottom of the fourth off with a no-doubt moonshot to the back of the left-field bleachers to make it 5-3.
Floyd was relieved of his duties with one out in the fourth, having allowed seven hits and three earned runs, all of which came via the long ball. In came hefty left-hander Riley Cooper, who proceeded to halt the momentum that was in UK's favor.
He and Moore traded donuts, keeping both offenses off the board in the fifth and sixth. Smith doubled with one out in the bottom of the sixth, but Cooper worked a lineout and fly out to keep the two-run lead in-tact. Moore finished his game with a four-batter top of the seventh, capping 14.1 innings of scoreless postseason baseball for the Morehead, Ky. native.
"He's as good a arm as I feel anyone's coming out of anyone's bullpen," Mingione said of Moore. "I feel that highly of him. That guy had a chance to come back, a lot of opportunities. And give them credit; they denied him. Super talented. He's a guy obviously we're going to need back next year, and be counting on in a big way."
Cooper made way for Guidry in the bottom half, who eventually wiggled out of a jam with the game-breaking strikeout of Church. Despite hitting Smith in the next frame, he pitched a scoreless eighth.
UK head coach Nick Mingione used five pitchers in the final two innings, which ultimately spelled implosion. Darren Williams surrendered two earned, while lefty Magdiel Cotto couldn't find the strike zone and was charged with the final run of the evening. Three pitchers recorded an out in the ninth for the Cats.
"They're one of the most talented teams i've seen in my seven years," Williams said of LSU postgame. Kudos to them, they played a heck of a two ballgames offensively. Good luck to them the rest of the way out."
Kentucky remains winless in Super Regional games, having been swept in both of its appearances, in 2017 against Louisville and now this season against the Tigers. The Wildcats finish the season with a 40-21 record, its best since that 2017 campaign.
How Division-III roots are pushing Jackson Gray to the finish line in a special season HERE.
Roommates, Kentuckians, Brothers: More on Darren Williams and Mason Moore HERE.
The King of Work: More on catcher Devin Burkes and his MVP honors HERE.
Game recap of Kentucky's Regional-clinching win can be found HERE.
How getting hit in batting practice helps Kentucky HERE.
How hard conversations molded RHP Austin Strickland HERE.
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