In the seven games before Kentucky baseball (24-8, 6-6 SEC) hosted in-state rival Louisville (19-14, 5-7 SEC) for a mid-week matchup, the Cats bullpen had struggled mightily.

The issues dated back to the first game of the LSU series on March 27. Since then, Kentucky has deployed its bullpen to cover 25.2 innings across seven games.

In these games, the Wildcats relievers surrendered 35 hits and allowed 20 earned runs. That equates to a 7.01 ERA and an average of 1.4 hits allowed per inning.

The unit looked exhausted, overworked and outmatched less than halfway through a grueling SEC schedule.

Despite the recent struggles, Kentucky opted to stick with its traditional mid-week bullpen game against a historic rival.

This decision was especially surprising after Miami (OH) gave Kentucky a scare with an 11-run showing in the mid-week bullpen game seven days prior.

While the choice didn’t inspire much confidence in a game so important to BBN, considering the groups recent troubles, it wound up being the correct decision.

Kentucky used eight arms to cover nine innings. This bunch of struggling relievers completely shutdown a Louisville offense that ranks third in the nation with a .332 batting average.

“We threw eight different guys, they bent, but they never broke,” Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione said. “They made the pitch when we needed them to make the pitch. So proud of the guys for that.”

The Wildcats carried a combined no-hitter into the seventh inning. The dangerous Cardinals lineup was held to 2-for-27 (.074) hitting, and 1-for-16 (.063) with runners on base.

“To give up two runs on a Tuesday, and throwing eight guys. It’s cold, nobody really wants the ball on a day like that. So just to see them go out and compete,” Scott Campbell Jr. said. “It was awesome.”

This bounce-back game from the relief unit allowed Kentucky to pull out a much-needed win against its in-state rival in front of an electric Kentucky Proud Park crowd.

“Boy, how loud was this place when we scored those runs? Our fans, thank you to the BBN, what an atmosphere,” Mingione said.

Right-handed pitcher Connor Mattison got the nod as the opener, entering the game Mattison had tossed 17 innings with a 3.71 ERA in seven appearances.

It was a rocky start for Mattison, hitting leadoff batter Griffin Crain and walking Zion Rose to put the first two runners on. Louisville brought Crain across with two groundouts to take an early 1-0 lead.

Mattison retired the side in order in each of his next two innings. After allowing one run in three innings, without surrendering a hit, Mattison handed it over to the bullpen.

Left-handed pitcher Jackson Soucie was first in line, taking the mound in the top of the fourth. Soucie issued a four-pitch walk to the first batter he faced, but escaped without incident after two strikeouts looking.

Next up was Right-handed pitcher Oliver Boone, replacing Soucie after one inning. Boone punched out the first two batters he faced, then issued a four-pitch walk before ending the inning with a third strikeout.

The sixth inning was assigned to right-handed pitcher Tristan Hunter. The leadoff batter reached on a hit-by-pitch, eventually advancing to third after a stolen base and wild pitch. Hunter was able to escape the jam and strand runners on the corners.

Kentucky scratched three runs across in the bottom of the sixth inning, Campbell Jr. kicked it off with a line-drive single into shallow center field to score Tyler Bell.

“It was awesome just to get it going,” Campbell Jr. said. “It feels good to get the hit, but it was just so much better for us to fire on all cylinders.”

Ethan Hindle then scored Carsen Hansen with a bunt single, before Campbell Jr. came across to score on an error.

“TJ [Tyler Bell] hit-by-pitch, whatever it takes, Carson [Hansen] two-strike base hit, then [Scott] Campbell Jr. with an absolute missile. And then now, all of a sudden it’s on. Here we go,” Mingione said. “We lay down a bunt, we get a stolen base. They make the error, we take advantage, and that’s how we do it.”

The Wildcats three-run sixth meant the UK had a 4-1 lead to protect, and right-handed pitcher Ira Austin IV was tasked with the job.

Austin IV surrendered a one-out single up the middle, breaking up the Cats combined no-hitter after 6.1 innings. Austin IV walked the next batter on four pitches, leaving Louisville with two runners on base and one out.

Louisville’s left-handed hitter Tague Davis, who ranks second in the nation with 19 home runs, was due up. This led to Kentucky bringing in left-handed pitcher Leighton Harris for the same-side advantage against the Cardinals slugger.

Harris issued a four-pitch walk to Davis before forcing an inning-ending flyout to escape the bases-loaded jam.

“Leighton Harris, just what a job by him. I mean, executed exactly what we needed him to do,” Mingione said.

Right-handed pitcher Nile Adcock took the mound for the eighth inning. Adcock struck out the leadoff batter, then issued a four-pitch walk to Lucas Moore. Moore stole second before advancing to third on a wild pitch.

Adcock struck out the next batter before another four-pitch walk, this time to Kyle Campbell. Campbell stole second before Adcock punched out his third batter of the inning, stranding both runners in scoring position.

Right-handed pitcher Jack Bennett — a Paducah, Kentucky, native — toed the rubber to protect a three-run ninth inning lead in the battle of the bluegrass.

Crain worked a full-count leadoff walk before Rose was hit by a pitch, bringing the tying run to the plate with no outs. The Cardinals second hit of the game was a timely one, as Davis delivered an RBI-single to score Crain.

Bayram Hot stepped up as the go-ahead run, still with no outs. Bennett forced Hot into a double-play before shutting the door with a victory-sealing ground out.

“For a Kentucky kid like Jack Bennett to come here, his dream school, and then do it against those guys,” Mingione said. “Happy for JB [Jack Bennett].”

The Wildcats will look to carry this momentum into their upcoming weekend series, Kentucky will head down to Auburn, Alabama, for a three-game series against the No. 10 Auburn Tigers.

Game one of the series is on Friday, April 10, with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. The game can be streamed live on SEC Network+.