West Virginia Falls Short Against Kentucky

Morgantown, WV - The West Virginia Mountaineers (40-15) were toppled by the Kentucky Wildcats (33-21) Saturday evening on day two of the Morgantown Regional 11-9.

West Virginia starting pitcher Yehl struggled to find control from the outset and the opportunistic Wildcats jumped out to a significant lead. Kentucky junior Jayce Tharnish drew a leadoff walk and a routine ground ball to second from sophomore Tyler Bell was bobbled by senior Brodie Kresser to put two aboard. After scraping the first out on a ground ball, Yehl beaned redshirt sophomore Hudson Brown to load the bases, setting up a two RBI single from Ethan Hindle. Then, Braxton VanCleave blasted a two-run home run for a 4-0 advantage.

Yehl hit Carson Hansen on the 3-0 pitch and his afternoon was done after a brief visit to the mound from WVU head coach Steve Sabins and the training staff.

Sabins handed the ball to Ian Korn and the senior got the Mountaineers out of the inning.

Kentucky added to its lead in the third when Tharnish and Bell opened the inning with consecutive singles before Luke Lawrence one-hopped an RBI double off the right field wall. Then, after Hudson was hit for the second time in the evening, Hindle brought in a run on with a fielder's choice to short for a 6-0 Wildcats' lead.

West Virginia sophomore Gavin Kelly put the Mountaineers on the board in the third with a two-run home run to cut the deficit to four, 6-2.

West Virginia closed the gap in the fourth and did all the damage with two outs on the board. Senior Ben Lumsden kept the inning alive with a single through the right side and Hall followed with a double into the heart of right centerfield as Lumsden raced around the base paths to score. Then, Hall moved to third on a wild pitch and a balk added another run. Sophomore Matt Ineich received a walk, effectively ending Kentucky starting pitcher Nate Harris' evening.

Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione turned to junior Ryan Mullan and after walking Kelly and beaning Schoenfield, Mingione called to the bullpen for freshman Jack Sams with the bases loaded. then, on the 0-2 pitch, Smith was hit by the pitch to pull the Mountaineers within one, 6-5.

West Virginia tied the game in the fifth when junior Armani Guzman worked a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Kresser. Guzman swiped third and the throw went wide as Guzman raced home to tie the game at six.

In the bottom of the frame, Kentucky loaded the bases after Brown reached on an uncharacteristic errant throw from Kresser and Hindle lined a single to put two aboard. Hansen laded the bases with a slow roller to short, beating the throw for a one out infield single. Sabins called out to his bullpen for senior Reese Bassinger.

Bassinger recorded the second out of the inning with a strikeout, but on the 3-2 pitch to redshirt freshman Cameron Owens, placed a line drive out of the reach of a diving Ineich at short, scoring two, then after a high throw to second, Hansen darted for home, but the recovery and throw from Guzman in front of the WVU bench was in time at the plate to get out of the inning and limit the damage to two runs as the Wildcats regained the lead, 8-6.

Kelly pulled the Mountaineers back within a run with a 360-foot solo home run over the left field wall.

West Virginia tied the game in the seventh when Guzman hit a fly ball to shallow left field for a double and Kresser, again, moved Guzman with a sacrifice with a bunt. Then, with two outs, Tyrus Hall fought off the 0-2 pitch and dropped an RBI double down the right field line.

In the eighth, after recording the first out of the frame with a pop fly, Bassinger beaned freshman Owen Jenkins and Tharnish followed with a blooper down the third base line for an infield single. Bassinger then loaded the bases with his second hit Kentucky hitter of the inning, settin gup an RBI single from Luke Lawrence into right field.

Sabins handed the ball to senior Ben McDougal and with the count sitting at 1-and-1, Brown singled through the right side for a pair of runs for an 11-8 Kentucky advantage.

West Virginia put two on in the ninth, but a double play put two outs on the board with a man on third. Lumsden kept the inning alive with a grounder to third freshman Caeden Cloud could not reel it in. Nonetheless, the game ended on a pop fly as Kentucky advances in the winner bracket with an 11-9 decision.

West Virginia will meet Wake Forest on Sunday at noon in an elimination game. Television and streaming options is to be determined.

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