Kentucky Experiences Deja Vu in Regional Final Loss to West Virginia

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — Kentucky and West Virginia have performed as the perfect foils for each other in college baseball. Each matchup between the two in the postseason has resulted in miraculous wins, and head scratching losses. The most recent of those battles saw the Mountaineers post five runs in the 9th inning to claim a 11-9 win over the Wildcats forcing Monday's decisive game seven.

It was Deja Vu for the Wildcats, who for the second straight season see their season end in the regional final to West Virginia. This time, a 6-5 10 inning loss to the Mountaineers.

It was a slow start to the evening by the standard built by this weekend's previous matchups. Jackson Soucie got the start for the Wildcats and was dealing from the jump. Kentucky's left-handed reliever collected three strikeouts in his first start of the season. West Virginia was able to scratch one run across, though, in the bottom of the first after a passed ball strike three to go up 1-0.

Soucie's strong start continued from there. He pitched a scoreless second inning, and nearly got through the third without a blemish. He executed a perfect pick-off attempt to first base, but Tyler Bell was unable to get the tag down in time. The Mountaineers would later double their lead off a fielders choice and take a 2-0 lead.

Soucie exited the game after throwing three innings and allowing just one earned run with five strikeouts.

In the top of the 4th inning, Hudson Brown broke the streak of donuts on the scoreboard for Kentucky. He blasted a line drive solo home run to left center field to put the Wildcats on the board.

Jaxon Jelkin came in to pitch in the bottom of the fourth inning, and worked a scoreless three up, three down frame. But in the next inning, Jelkin ran into trouble.

Following a lead-off double from Armani Guzman, Paul Schoenfeld struck a single into left field to score one. Then, Matthew Graveline took a pitching wedge down the right field line to score one more Mountaineer. West Virginia led 4-1 after five innings.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Gavin Kelly took Jelkin's delivery over the fence for his third home run of the tournament. Jelkin would exit the game later that inning after going 2.2 innings and allowing three earned runs with three strikeouts.

Kentucky had nothing going by way of momentum as the innings got late, but these two teams don't play normal games against each other.

With two outs in the bottom of the 8th inning, Bell and Luke Lawrence got back-to-back singles. Brown stepped into the batters box, and took liftoff for the second time on Monday night. Next batter, Ethan Hindle left the yard as well. In just two swings, West Virginia's seven innings of dominance we erased in favor of more mayhem in Morgantown.

The score didn't change in the 9th inning, which triggered free baseball in Morgantown.

Kentucky got a runner in scoring position in the top of the tenth inning, but couldn't capitalize. West Virginia did the same, but the Mountaineers were able to drive home the game-winning run off an Armani Guzman single.

West Virginia moves on to the Super Regionals and will host Cal Poly. Kentucky's season ends the same way it did a year ago: a regional final loss to the Mountaineers.

LEX 18

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