How Kentucky baseball won crazy NCAA Tournament game vs West Virginia

MORGANTOWN, WV — There probably were moments Saturday evening Kentucky baseball wished games ended after one inning. UK led West Virginia, the top seed in the NCAA Tournament's Morgantown Regional, 4-0 after the opening frame.

>The Wildcats might also have hoped contests wrapped up after two innings: They had extended their advantage over the Mountaineers to 6-0 at that point.

>Yet Kentucky and coach Nick Mingione also had to be thankful they had nine innings at their disposal, as WVU rallied back to tie multiple times.

>In a tense tilt that saw emotions running high in both dugouts — and in the stands at Kendrick Family Ballpark, where Kentucky fans had a sizable contingent to support their team away from home — and numerous swings in momentum, it was the Bat Cats that emerged victorious, walking away with an 11-9 win.

>Knotted at 8-all heading into the eighth, Kentucky loaded the bases.

>Luke Lawrence, whose status was in doubt after a scare in Friday's win over Wake Forest, singled to right field for the go-ahead RBI that scored Owen Jenkins. UK tacked on two more runs for insurance to seal the victory.

>The Wildcats (33-21) remain unbeaten in the regional. It also gives them more rest heading into Sunday. They'll take the field at 5 p.m. against the winner of the elimination bout between the Mountaineers (40-15) and Demon Deacons (39-20), which starts at noon.

>Here's a takeaway from Kentucky's two-run win in its second game of the double-elimination regional.

Script straight out of Hollywood: Luke Lawrence the hero

>In the most apprehensive sequence of Kentucky's regional so far, Lawrence tried to bunt Friday. After the ball hit off his bat, it struck his knee. He crumpled to the ground and stayed down for an extended period. He got up, drew a walk and went on to score.

>After that win, Mingione said Lawrence would have an X-ray done to ensure nothing was broken.

>

style="display: flex;">

style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 14px; width: 60px;">

style="padding: 19% 0;">

style="padding: 12.5% 0;">

style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 14px;">

style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">

style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px;">

style="margin-left: 8px;">

style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent;">

style="margin-left: auto;">

style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12px; width: 16px;">

style="width: 0; height: 0; border-left: 8px solid transparent;">

style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 24px;">

style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 14px; width: 144px;">Courier Journal Sports (@courierjournal_sports) • Instagram photos and videos

So there he was Saturday. No, not at his usual spot at second base. But he still started, manning the Wildcats' designated hitter role. Lawrence had a double earlier in the game. It wasn't nearly as important as the single in the eighth, though.

>To be sure, he's not 100% health wise.

>But he was good enough to deliver the biggest hit of Saturday's game.

>This story will be updated.

>

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

>This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky baseball vs West Virginia score, how UK won NCAA Regional game