No. 18 Kentucky (21-6, 5-4 SEC) ran out of gas against LSU (19-10, 4-5 SEC). Dropping the final game of a three-game series 17-10, as a dominant early performance slipped away late.
The Wildcats looked in full control from the start of this rubber match. Kentucky scored three runs in the first inning, taking advantage of LSU’s lack of command. The Tigers issued three walks and hit a batter, handing Kentucky the early lead.
Kentucky stayed aggressive in the second inning, adding three more runs. Luke Lawrence delivered an RBI-double, and Hudson Brown followed with a two-RBI double to push the lead to 6-0. At that point, Kentucky appeared to be cruising to a comfortable win.
But LSU got on track after the slow start.
WIldcats starter Ben Cleaver was sharp through the first two innings holding the Tigers scoreless, helping build the big lead, but signs of fatigue showed in the third. LSU began to string together quality at-bats, collecting a hit and drawing three walks. Cleaver allowed just one run himself but left the bases loaded, forcing Kentucky to turn to a bullpen that had already been heavily used throughout the series.
Burkley Bounds entered the game and immediately gave up a home run to John Pearson. LSU continued to close the gap, adding two more hits and one run to make the game 7-6. Kentucky’s once-safe lead quickly tightened. The Tigers eventually broke through with a six-run inning.
The workload played a clear role. By this point in the series, Kentucky’s bullpen had already logged 4.1 innings and used five different pitchers. In the finale, that usage began to show.
Kentucky’s offense made one last push in the fifth inning, scoring three runs to extend the lead to 10-6. Lawrence came through again with a two-RBI double, and Tyler Bell added an RBI-single. It briefly looked like the Wildcats had regained control.
From that point on, both Kentucky’s hitting and pitching ran out of gas. The offense was held scoreless for the remainder of the game, unable to respond as LSU kept building momentum.
In the sixth inning, LSU delivered the big blow. Jack Bennett took the mound, the Tigers quickly capitalized by hitting two home runs and drawing two walks. The four-run inning gave LSU its first lead of the game.
Kentucky had no answer for the Tigers in the last three innings.
The Wildcats pitching continued to wear down, allowing two runs in the seventh and four more in the eighth. The Wildcats couldn’t generate a clean inning, as the bullpen was worn out.
Kentucky even turned to Ryan Schwartz, a Kentucky outfielder who had not pitched in his two seasons with the program, to record the final out.
What began as a dominant performance turned into a clear example of a team running out of gas. The bullpen hit its limit, and the offense, couldn’t get anything going the last third of the game after an explosive start.
Kentucky will get a day of rest before looking to regroup against Miami (OH) at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31.
