Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Despite two home runs from Gavin Kelly and multiple comeback efforts, top-seeded West Virginia fell to No. 3-seed Kentucky, 11-9, in the Morgantown Regional on Saturday.
Kelly had his third multi-home run game of the season, and drove in three runs. Tyrus Hall had two hits, two RBI, and two runs scored for the Mountaineers (40-15).
Maxx Yehl ran into trouble in the first inning before exiting the game with an apparent injury. He gave up four unearned runs in two-thirds of an inning. Ian Korn came in to relieve Yehl and surrendered four runs, two earned in 3 2/3 innings. Reese Bassinger (4-3) suffered the loss, giving up three runs in three innings of work.
Jack Bennett picked up the win for the Wildcats (33-21).
Kentucky scored four runs in the first, including a two-run home run from Braxton VanCleave. The Wildcats tacked on two runs in the second to take a 6-0 lead.
Gavin Kelly blasted a two-run shot in the third to pull WVU within 6-2. In the fourth, WVU scored three more runs as Hall hit an RBI double before coming home to score on a balk. Sean Smith drove in a run after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to cut the deficit to one, 6-5.
In the fifth, Guzman walked to lead off the inning before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt. He then stole third before coming home to score as the throw got away.
Kentucky retook the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, but the Mountaineers came back to tie it with a run in the sixth and another in the seventh when Kelly hit a solo home run before Hall hit a game-tying double.
In the eighth, the Wildcats put up three runs to go back in front. WVU scored a run on an error and brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth but could not complete the rally.
The loss dropped the Mountaineers into the elimination bracket, meaning WVU must defeat No. 2-seed Wake Forest on Sunday to keep their season alive. First pitch is at noon.
Photo Credit: Shanna Rose
