With pitching staff depleted, 'best-case' scenario led UK to regional win
LEXINGTON, Ky. — With a pitching staff nearly in shambles after pitching 36 innings in three days, UK baseball coach Nick Mingione met with his staff in the locker room prior to Monday’s game and thought of the best-case scenario.
Regular weekend starter Zach Logue, closer Logan Salow and SEC Pitcher of the Year Sean Hjelle were the three names the coaches settled on to give the Wildcats their best chance to advance to a super regional for the first time in school history.
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“That’s exactly what we talked about, but we didn’t know that’s how it was going to go,” Mingione said.
For Mingione and his staff, the decisions worked out perfectly. All three pitchers had pitched earlier in the weekend, but they provided enough to preserve UK’s 10-5 win over N.C. State in the early hours on Tuesday.
Logue started the game and allowed four earned runs over 3.1 innings. He gave way to usual closer Logan Salow in the 4th inning. Salow allowed one unearned run over 2.1 innings. Hjelle, pitching on two day’s rest after throwing 107 pitches on Friday against Ohio, took over with two outs in the sixth inning and UK trailing 5-4. A line drive out by Brock Deatherage ended the frame.
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Hjelle, UK's closer a season ago, was given a 7-5 lead when UK scored three runs in the top of the 7th inning. That was all Hjelle needed.
The Wolfpack put a runner on first in the 8th inning after a throwing error by shortstop Connor Heady, but Hjelle got Evan Mendoza to roll into a 4-6-3 double play in the next at-bat. He faced the minimum in his relief appearance and only needed 35 pitches to finish off N.C. State.
"Being his bullpen day and with everything on the line, when you have the SEC Pitcher of the Year and he is set up to throw a bullpen anyway, you might as well use him,” Mingione said.
Wolfpack coach Elliott Avent credited Hjelle as the deciding factor in the game.
“All attributed to (Sean) Hjelle,” Avent said. “ It’s one thing: Hjelle. He was that good. Actually, I felt pretty good about everything. Hjelle was just that—I felt good when he came in. I thought after he threw 107 pitches on Friday, I didn’t think he would be that good. I think they had (Zach) Pop warming up down in the bullpen.
“I’m sure they weren’t sure—I thought Hjelle was that good. I thought he was outstanding. So no, we didn’t press at all. We actually felt comfortable because we were swinging the bats good tonight. We have been swinging it good all year. I just thought Hjelle was that good.”
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Hjelle, given a five-run lead to start the bottom of the 9th after UK tacked on three insurance runs in the top of the inning, said he was only focused on throwing strikes and letting his defense behind him work. Turns out he didn't need them. He struck out the side in order in the 9th, sending the Wildcats to their first ever super regional.
"Going up on the mound every single time with that support and that love behind me is just the greatest thing," Hjelle said. "It’s the only thing I need. Having the support of the defense, the offense, the dugout and Big Blue Nation this weekend is all I need to get through.”