LEXINGTON, Ky. — For the first time in school history, UK baseball will play in a super regional. The Wildcats beat NC State 10-5 in front of a stadium record 5,005 fans who stuck around after a 2 hour and 16 minute rain delay before the game ever started.
UK used a four-run 4th inning, a three-run 7th inning and a three-run 9th inning,along with a couple of gutsy pitching performances, to advance out of the Lexington Regional. It will face Louisville in a three-game series for a chance at the College World Series.
"If you were to ask me, 'hey, what's your favorite thing as a coach as far as on the field goes?' It's to watch my players celebrate a championship," UK coach Nick Mingione said. "They just did something that's never been done before in the history of the baseball program."
Trailing 5-4 entering the 7th inning, UK tied the game when Luke Becker hit a hard ground ball to shortstop. Joe Dunand botched the ball, allowing the tying run to score. Kole Cottam put UK ahead in the next at-bat when he hit a two-run double off the wall in right field.
"Coach (Roland) Fanning from the first pitch was like 'we're going to go into your two strike approach right away.'" Cottam said. "Trying to get everything going. I saw (the ball) up. I hit it and saw the right fielder, once he stopped running I was like 'all right, let's turn the burners on and try to get to second.'"
Sean Hjelle, the SEC Pitcher of the Year who threw 107 pitches on Friday against Ohio, came into the game and recorded the final out in the 6th inning. He retired the side in the 7th inning and induced an inning-ending double play in the 8th after shortstop Connor Heady made a throwing error.
Two NC State errors helped UK add three important insurance runs in the top of the 9th. Hjelle, the winning pitcher, started the 9th inning and finished the Wolfpack in order.
"I thought he was better tonight,” NC State coach Elliott Avent said. “I think he threw 107 pitches on Friday. I was surprised he was that good. He was outstanding actually.”
With a depleted pitching staff, UK started regular weekend starter Zach Logue. Logue worked 3.1 innings before being pulled after NC State’s Will Wilson doubled down the left field line to score Joe Dunand to make it a 4-3 game. Logan Salow, typically the closer for UK, entered the game and threw a wild pitch, moving Wilson to third. Evan Mendoza hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 4-4.
Salow, throwing on fumes after throwing 32 pitches on Sunday night, pitched 2.1 innings, struck out four batters and walked four.
"Everything we've set out to do we've kinda done or gotten very close," Salow said. "Now that we have a chance to move on to a super regional and then Omaha, we're in place to do everything now we wanted to do."
The Wolfpack took the lead in the 5th inning on a fielding error by Marcus Carson, but NC State never led again after UK's 3-run 7th inning.
