Kentucky baseball (18-11, 5-7 SEC) fell short 5-4 to No. 9 Ole Miss (24-7, 8-4 SEC) in 12-inning thriller.
With the loss, Kentucky dropped the series to the Rebels after splitting a doubleheader.
Ben Cleaver took the mound for his eighth start of the season and cruised through a three-up, three-down first inning of work.
The lefty could not overcome an error in the second as a flyball that dropped due to a miscommunication between Tyler Bell and Cole Hage resulted in a run for the Rebels.
The lead was short-lived for Ole Miss as Bell led off the second with a double and came around to score on a Devin Burkes single that tied the game 1-1.
Cleaver dominated the next two innings as he tossed a three-up, three-down third before striking out the side in the fourth.
The Bat Cats took a 2-1 lead after Patrick Herrera came through with a single that easily scored Hage, but Hudson Brown was thrown out at home to end the inning and prevent the chance to lengthen the lead.
In the fifth inning, Isaac Humphrey tagged Cleaver for a home run that tied the game 2-2. Cleaver added two more strikeouts to his total in-between a single to keep the game tied.
The left-hander struck out to the side in the sixth to end his masterful outing as Cleaver tied his career high with 11 strikeouts.
It appeared that the Bat Cats were primed to break the tie in the sixth when Bell and Herrea singled to open the inning. The duo was moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Burkes.
Griffin Cameron laid down another bunt, but a slight hesitation by Bell caused him to get a late break home and be tagged out. Ethan Hindle struck out to end the inning with the score still tied 2-2.
The exact same opportunity presented itself in the eighth as Brown singled and Bell walked. This time, Herrera moved them to second and third on a sacrifice bunt. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, Burkes struck out and Cameron grounded out to end the inning.
Simon Gregersen took over for Cleaver in the seventh and pitched two scoreless innings before running into some trouble in the ninth after a walk and error saw two Rebels on-base.
This brought Nick Mingione out of the dugout to call upon Cole Hentschel, who struck out the only batter he faced to keep the score knotted at 2-2.
After the Cats were held scoreless in the 10th, Tommy Skelding took over for Hentschel and gave up a one-out single. However, the righty quickly erased the runner by picking him off and striking out the next batter to end the frame.
The Bat Cats went quietly in the 10th, which sent Skelding back to the hill for the 11th. However, the righty gave up two singles, which ended his afternoon.
Robert Hogan was next out of the bullpen, and he walked the first batter he faced to load the bases with no outs. Hindle fielded a grounder and threw the potential go-ahead run out at home for the first out.
Hayden Federico hit a slow grounder up the first-base line and was tagged out by Hogan, but a run came in to score to give the Rebels a 3-2 lead. Hogan got a flyout to end the inning with the lone run scoring.
Herrera drew a walk and was pinch ran for Kyuss Gargett before Burkes drew a walk of his own. Cameron moved both runners over a sacrifice bunt before Hindle walked to load the bases.
Raphael Pelletier pinch hit for James McCoy and flew out. Luke Lawrence kept the game alive with a single that scored Gargett to tie the game 3-3, but Burkes was thrown out at home to send the game to the 12th.
Luke Hill tagged Hogan for a two-run home run to give Ole Miss a 5-3 lead.
Hage cut the deficit to one on a solo shot to right center. Following a pitching change, Shaun Montoya was hit by a pitch and Bell drew a walk to give Kentucky another baserunner. Gargett moved both runners over on a sacrifice bunt.
Burkes hit a line drive to short that was caught for the second out. Cameron struck out to end the game as the Cats rally came up short to end the game and drop the series.
Kentucky will look to bounce back in a road clash against No. 18 Louisville on Tuesday, April 8, with first pitch set for 8 p.m. ET.
