Needing a few more wins to bolster its postseason chances, Kentucky has seen its momentum curbed this week.
After dropping a mid-week game at Western Kentucky leading up to its league series at Mississippi State, the Bat Cats dropped a doubleheader to the Bulldogs on Saturday night in Starkville.
Kentucky was run-ruled in the opener, losing 14-4 in seven innings, and suffered a walk-off loss in the nightcap as MSU won 6-5 in the bottom of the 11th.
The losses dropped the Cats to 25-19 overall and to 10-13 in SEC play. With just seven league games remaining -- one on Sunday to wrap up the MSU series and three-game sets against Oklahoma and Vanderbilt -- UK is seeking to record that 14th win which traditionally leads to an NCAA berth for SEC teams.
Dropping a doubleheader to a proud but struggling Bulldogs team that just fired its head coach made their work a little harder.
In the opener, Kentucky jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning but was outscored 14-1 the rest of the way. Mississippi State battered the UK pitching staff with 15 hits to go along with six walks and a hit batter issued by the Cats.
Bryce Chance and Joe Powell each had three hits to lead the Bulldogs at the plate. Powell also homered and drove in three runs.
That duo would loom large again in the nightcap. Chance reached on a leadoff double in the 11th innings, and Powell drove him home with a game-winning RBI single one out later.
Their heroics overcome a UK attack that included a home run by Tyler Bell and triples from Cole Hage and Ryan Schwartz.
Nate Harris and Nic McCay started the games for the Cats, but neither factored in the decisions. Relievers Nile Adcock (1-2) and Simon Gregersen (0-3) took the losses for UK on the mound.
Pico Kohn (5-2) and Luke Dotson (1-1) earned the pitching wins for Mississippi State (28-19, 9-14 SEC). The Bulldogs' staff held the Cats to just 11 hits in the two games, striking out 21 batters while walking eight.
Kentucky will attempt to salvage Game 3 on Sunday with a 1 p.m. ET start at Dudy Noble Field.
