An eight-run ninth inning cost Kentucky baseball (11-2) in a 12-5 loss to Wofford (12-3).
“We just didn’t make enough plays defensively and we didn’t execute well enough on the offensive end,” Head Coach Nick Mingione said. “When you do that against a good team, it’s going to be really hard to win.”
Ben Cleaver started on the mound for the Wildcats on the heels of back-to-back sensational outings and worked around a walk in the first before striking out the side in the second.
Things really unraveled in the third for the lefty as he gave up a walk, single and hit a batter to load the bases.
David Wiley singled to put Wofford on the board. Adam Haber brought home another run on a bunt single, and the Cats now faced a 2-0 deficit.
Shaun Montoya and Patrick Herrera both singled in the third before Tyler Bell launched a 375 foot three-run homerun to give the Bat Cats a 3-2 lead.
After a clean fourth, the fifth was a different story for the left-hander as he gave up a single and a double to open the inning.
Robert Hogan relieved Cleaver and struck out a batter before Wiley grounded out but brought home a run to tie the game 3-3.
Hogan came back out for the sixth and things got away from him as Tyler Bak singled and stole second before being brought home by pinch-hitter Andrew Mannelly to give the Terriers a 4-3 advantage.
Evan Byers came on and got out of the jam to keep the deficit at one run.
After the offense was scoreless in the sixth, Bell hit a deep fly ball to right with the bases loaded that Wiley made a diving catch on, but Montoya scored to tie the game at 4-4.
Hudson Brown singled to lead off the eighth and was pinch ran for by Kyuss Gargett who stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Griffin Cameron.
Devin Burkes tried to bring home Gargett on a bunt, but Gargett was tagged out.
Jackson Nove started on the mound for his third inning of work in the ninth and ran into immediate danger as he gave up a single and a walk before being relieved by Simon Gregersen.
After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners, Wiley singled to bring home both runners give Wofford a 6-4 lead.
Gregersen continued to struggle by loading the bases before giving up a single that scored two more and gave Wofford an 8-4 advantage.
It only got uglier for the Wildcats as an error and a double scored four more runs and boosted the Wofford lead to 12-4.
Dylan Koontz brought Bell home in the bottom of the ninth to result in the 12-5 score.
“It expires at midnight, and you move on,” Mingione said. “That’s what the team needs to learn to do, and that’s what we’re going to have the chance to do tomorrow.”
With the series now tied, the Wildcats will play for the series in game three against Wofford on Sunday, March 9, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. ET.
