LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The University of Kentucky baseball team played 27 innings over three days in the NCAA Regional in Lexington this weekend.
The second-ranked Wildcats did not trail after any of those innings.
Kentucky’s reward for that kind of dominance was two-fold:
*The Wildcats won the regional, handling Indiana State, 5-0, in the final game Sunday night at Kentucky Proud Park. Reliever Cameron O’Brien ignited the UK celebration by throwing out Josue Urdaneta for the final out.
*The Wildcats (43-14) will return home next weekend and host a Super Regional for the first time in program history.
Kentucky will play either perennial power No. 7 Oregon State or No. 21 California-Irvine while trying to win the program’s first trip to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska June 14. The Super Regional format is best two-of-three games.
Kentucky outscored Western Michigan, Illinois and Indiana State 21-9 over three games.
Mason Moore pitched six gritty, scoreless innings to earn the victory, his ninth this season. Moore, a native of Morehead, Ky., allowed four hits (three singles) and three walks but only two runners reached third base.
Jackson Nove and O’Brien covered the final three innings of the shutout, the first time the No. 20 Sycamores were shut out this season.
For the second time in three games, the Wildcats scored in the first inning without hit. Emilien Pitre walked and then raced to third on a wild pickoff throw. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Devin Burkes.
For the second consecutive day, first baseman Ryan Nicholson homered. A product of St. Xavier High School, Nicholson drove one 435 feet over the right center field fence.
Kentucky added its third run in the third when Nolan McCarthy was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Pitre put the game way with a two-run home run in the seventh inning.
Moore did his best and most difficult work in the fifth. After walking the first two hitters, he retired the top three guys in the Indiana State batting order on a strike out, pop out and ground out.
UK shortstop Grant Smith raced into left field, diving in front of outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt to make the catch for the second out.
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