West Virginia Walks Off Kentucky in NCAA Regionals

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Christopher Hall | Last updated May 30, 2025 5:48 PM ET

Clemson, SC – The West Virginia Mountaineers (42-14) trailed early in the opening game of the Clemson Regional but fought back and walked off the Kentucky Wildcats (29-25) Friday afternoon 4-3.

Kentucky threatened to do damage in the top of the first inning after freshman Tyler Bell worked a 10-pitch leadoff walk, junior Luke Lawrence was beaned on the first pitch and redshirt junior James McCoy hit a one out single through the right side to load the bases, but the Mountaineer defense backed up WVU senior starting pitcher Griffin Kirn with a 6-4-3 inning ending double play.

The Wildcats put the first runs of the game on the board in the fourth when freshman Ryan Schwartz one-hopped a double to the wall in right-centerfield and senior Patrick Herrera dropped a single to shallow left field before sophomore Kyuss Gargett popped a bunt towards third that dropped just out of the reach of a diving Kirn to score Schwartz.

Then, with two outs and runners standing on second and third, senior shortstop Brodie Kresser bobbled the low chopping groundball from redshirt senior Devin Burkes and the throw to first was wide and high, scoring two runs for the 3-0 Kentucky lead.

West Virginia pulled within a run in the fifth. Sophomore Armani Guzman reached on a ground over to second, swiped second, then scored on a ground ball to third from junior Logan Sauve following an errant throw from Herrera. Another Kentucky mistake put an additional run on the board after senior Jace Rinehart hit a routine ground ball to second, but a second wide throw scored Sauve.

The Mountaineers tied the game in sixth when freshman Gavin Kelly doubled down the left filed line and junior Benjamin Lumsden moved Kelly to third on the bunt and Brodie Kresser chopped a sacrifice RBI down third to even the game a three.

Griffin Kirn exited the game in the eighth after recording his seventh strikeout of the afternoon.

Junior Reese Bassinger entered the game and kept the momentum rolling with consecutive outs.

In the bottom of the ninth, Kresser drove a leadoff double to left field and a passed ball advanced the senior to third. Then, Guzman lined a sacrifice RBI to centerfield as the Mountaineers walked off Kentucky 4-3.

West Virginia will play the winner of USC Upstate and Clemson on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. EST.