Late home runs send Kentucky baseball to walk-off win in College World Series debut

Kentucky baseball brought its magic to Omaha.

Trailing for the first time in six NCAA Tournament games, UK first baseman Ryan Nicholson blasted an opposite-field, game-tying home run to lead off the ninth inning. Third baseman Mitchell Daly then gave the Wildcats a 5-4 win with a walkoff home run with two outs in the bottom of the 10th.

Here is what you need to know from Saturday’s game in Nebraska.

KEY MOMENT

Catcher Devin Burkes led off the top of the 10th with a walk but was thrown out trying to steal second base with one out. Just as it looked like the game was headed to an 11th inning as Daly faced a 1-2 count, the Texas transfer, who likely would have been bunting if not for the risk of an intentional walk to Nicholson behind him that would have followed with first base open, launched his seventh home run of the season into the left-field bullpen.

Daly is the only Kentucky player with College World Series experience. He played in Omaha as a freshman and sophomore at Texas.

AT THE PLATE

The star of UK’s super regional-clinching win, center fielder Nolan McCarthy shined again with a two-run home run to left field in the fourth inning to give Kentucky 3-1 lead. The blast came despite McCarthy’s status being uncertain entering the World Series because he had to leave the final super-regional game early with hamstring tightness after scoring the winning run from second base on a wild pitch.

Kentucky’s first run came in the first inning after second baseman Émilien Pitre launched a double to cap an 11-pitch at-bat then moved to third base on an errant pickoff attempt. Designated hitter Nick Lopez drove Pitre home with a two-out single up the middle.

Nicholson was 3-for-4 in the game. His ninth inning home run was his 22nd of the season and fourth in the NCAA Tournament. Nicholson needs one more home run to tie UK’s single-season record, which has been set by three Wildcats (John Wilson, Jeff Abbott and AJ Reed).

ON THE MOUND

UK ace Trey Pooser was not quite as sharp as he was in his first two NCAA Tournament starts, but he still managed to effectively work around trouble. He looked on the verge of turning in another one-run, seven inning start before surrendering a game-tying two-run home run on his 100th pitch of the game with two outs in the seventh inning.

Pooser finished the game having allowed three runs on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out three batters and walked two.

The seventh-inning home run from N.C. State third baseman Alec Makarewicz was the first extra-base hit Pooser had allowed in the tournament.

N.C. State put the leadoff batter on in four of the first seven innings. Pooser did not have a 1-2-3 inning until the sixth, when he also recorded his first strikeout of the game. Even after the seventh inning home run, Pooser’s NCAA Tournament ERA sits at 1.74 in 20 2/3 innings.

Right-hander Cameron O’Brien relieved Pooser, getting out of the seventh inning with a strikeout. He recorded the first two outs in the eighth inning before giving way to left-hander Jackson Nove, who walked the first batter he faced to put men on first and second with two outs before escaping the jam with a lineout to second base.

For perhaps the first time all postseason, Kentucky looked affected by the moment in the top of the ninth inning.

Right-hander Robert Hogan, the Wildcats’ best reliever over the last month, opened the frame with a walk, then gave up a one-out single to put runners on first and third with one out. UK coach Nick Mingione replaced Hogan with saves-leader Johnny Hummel, who had sent Kentucky to the College World Series with a three-pitch strikeout in a similar situation last week, but Hummel spiked his first pitch, and Burkes was unable to keep it in front of him, allowing the runner from third to score the go-ahead run.

That sequence came immediately after Kentucky failed to cash it its own leadoff walk in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Hummel was able to record the final two outs to keep the game within one run, setting up Nicholson’s ninth-inning blast.

WHAT’S NEXT

No. 2 seed Kentucky was the third consecutive team to record a walk-off win in the world series, keeping the Wildcats on the winners’ side of its four-team bracket. Mingione’s team will face the winner of Saturday night’s game between No. 4 overall seed Texas A&M and unseeded Florida at 7 p.m. Monday.

Unlike in the NCAA Tournament regional, the off day between games should allow Kentucky full use of its bullpen again on Monday. Pooser will not pitch in that game after throwing 106 pitches in the opener, but O’Brien, Nove and Hogan should all be available. Hummel threw 30 pitches in 1 2/3 innings, so his availability is less certain for game two.

Mason Moore (9-3, 4.93 ERA) is expected to start game two for Kentucky.

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