Wildcats Rally for Incredible Win

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Photo via UKAthletics[/caption] Baseball is a funny game For the third consecutive meeting, Kentucky and Kent State played an unforgettable game. Down 2-0 with one out in the ninth and just three hits on the afternoon, it looked like the season's end was quickly approaching for UK. That is until the Cats broke through, scoring four runs to (finally) eliminate Kent State from the NCAA Regional, 4-2, and to live to play another game. Down to his last strike with his team trailing by a run, right fielder Storm Wilson battled out of a 1-2 hole to draw a walk to load the bases for first baseman Thomas Bernal. Senior shortstop Matt Reida called it "the biggest at-bat of the inning for sure." Bernal then blooped a 1-0 "laser", the junior jokingly called it, down the left field line into "a no doubles Kent State defense" for a two-RBI double that gave the Cats a 3-2 lead, their first of the NCAA regional. "Right off the bat I thought, 'man, I flew out' but I looked at the left fielder and he was out by the track so I got lucky a little bit and down it fell", Bernal said of his go-ahead hit. The ninth inning rally began with a long one-out single down the left field line by third baseman Max Kuhn. With SEC and National Player of the Year A.J. Reed coming to the plate, Kent State starting pitcher, Nick Jensen-Clagg who had retired 25 of the 27 batters that he faced until that point, balked, attempting to make a pickoff throw to first without first baseman on the bag, which advanced Kuhn to second, the furthest any Wildcat runner had reached in the game. Reed then blasted a 1-1 pitch into the gap in right-center to score Kuhn and cut the Kent State lead to 2-1. It was his first RBI of the post season. When asked about what could have been his final at bat Reed said, "It was kind of a surreal feeling when I walked up (to the plate). Max (Kuhn) was on first base (with) one out and everybody got a little louder. I'm sure what was running through everyone's mind is a home run but I was just trying to get on base and extend the inning for us." After Reed was pinch run for (see below), left fielder Ka'ai Tom struck out and catcher Micheal Thomas walked to bring Wilson to the plate. After Bernal gave the Cats the lead, Reida smacked an RBI single into left to give the Cats a crucial insurance run. It was another disastrous start for the Wildcats as Reed allowed singles to the first Kent State batters to give the Golden Flashes an early 2-0 lead. Reed would settle down, recording outs from the next 14 batters he faced in route to his SEC leading 12 win of the season and first career complete game issuing just the first inning runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and no walks. "A.J. was outstanding", said Henderson after the game. "He got squeezed a couple of times in the first, which lead to extra pitches and they got a couple hits after the bloop and the good drag bunt that they put down. That was the two runs and then after that it was eight zeros" The problem for Reed was, for the first eight innings, Kent State's stater Jensen-Clagg was just as dominant allowing just three Wildcat base runners and none past first until the final frame. At one point in the game both pitchers had retired a combined 25 batters in a row. "He had a breaking ball which was solid and a change-up that was outstanding, that's what gave us trouble", Henderson said of the Jensen-Clagg. "I dont know Nick, but I was certainly impressed with his effort today." Why A.J. Reed Could pitch the 9th After Reed's 9th inning double he was replaced by pinch runner Marcus Carson. As Reed there is no "re-enter" rule in college baseball, everyone assumed that he was removed from the game and therefore could not pitch the ninth inning. Everyone except Gary Henderson.

Here's the DH pinch-runner rule for those interested pic.twitter.com/Tr5iMURaIS – Jon Hale (@JonHaleTCP) May 31, 2014

Because Reed is a pitcher who bats for himself, he is consitered both the pitcher and the DH. When Carson was inserted into the game, he replaced Reed as the DH but the NCAA rule book allowed the southpaw to remain in the game as the pitcher, which was unknown to everyone, including the game's official scorer and A.J. Reed , except Henderson. When asked if he knew the rule Reed said simply, "no." "I went back to the locker room to put my tennis shoes on, and he (Henderson) came in and he goes 'You're still pitching'." Henderson added "A.J. is officially listed as the pitcher/DH." When asked if they had done that before, Henderson added, "We have certainly run for A.J. on numerous occasions, but we have never left him in to pitch because it has been so late we've usually gone with another guy." The Road ahead: The Cats will play the loser of the Louisville/Kansas game in another elimination game tomorrow at noon. Henderson was reluctant to name a starter after the game saying that he had "about six options" but ruled out Reed and conspicuously didn't mention Kyle Cody, yesterday's starter who was relieved after less than 30 pitches, but said that we would await the outcome of the Louisville-Kansas game before naming a starter. If the Cats survive the first game tomorrow, they will have to immediately turn around and play the winner of the game between the Cardinals and Jayhawks tomorrow at 4. Win that game, and they would play a "winner take all" game Monday for the right to advance to the Super Regional round. With National Seed Florida State bowing out of the tournament this afternoon and Alabama's stadium under construction, the winner of this regional will likely host the Super's next week. UPDATE: Louisville defeated Kansas 6-3 in the nightcap. The Cats will play the Jayhawks at 12 in an elimination game.