Guzman蘑菇视频 walk-off sac fly lifts WVU over Kentucky
WVU athletics
CLEMSON, S.C. — Armani Guzman’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted West Virginia to a 4-3 walk-off victory over Kentucky in their NCAA baseball tournament opener at the Clemson Regional on Friday.
“He gets a start in the biggest game of the season… and has the walk off sac fly and played great third base. This is why we are in coaching for stories like that,” said WVU head coach Steve Sabins.
West Virginia (43-14) went on to defeat Clemson, 9-6, on Saturday and needed to win one of its final two games, the first Sunday and then Monday if needed, against either the Tigers or Wildcats who played an elimination game earlier on Sunday.
Brodie Kresser doubled leading off the bottom of the ninth for West Virginia in Friday’s game against Kentucky with the score tied at 3-3. Kresser took third on a passed ball then scored on Guzman’s sacrifice fly to center field.
WVU starting pitcher Griffin Kirn pitched well in getting a no-decision. The senior lefthander allowed one earned run with seven strikeouts in 7 鈪� innings and 118 pitches.
Reese Basinger finished up from there, getting the final five outs to earn the win.
West Virginia is playing in its third consecutive NCAA tournament. The last time WVU played in three consecutive NCAA tournaments was 1961-64, when the Mountaineers made it four consecutive seasons under former coach Steve Harrick.
“I think we have the most road wins in the country and so it’s fitting for this to come on the road and be able to get their first walk-off,” said Sabins.
The Wildcats got on the board first.
Kentucky (29-26) scored three runs In the top of the fourth inning after a bunt by Kyuss Gargett and a throwing error by Kresser.
The Mountaineers would rally back.
“I don’t get too wrapped up in it because the results take care of themselves,” Sabins said. “I think the message is more of the action from everybody… there’s nobody tight, nobody screaming at each other, nobody worked up. It’s a pretty focused group of individuals.”
With bases loaded in the fifth inning, senior Jace Rinehart reached on a throwing error by Wildcats second baseman Luke Lawrence that allowed Guzman and Logan Sauve to score to cut the gap to one.
In the sixth, West Virginia’s Gavin Kelly scored on a groundout to tie it to set the stage for Kresser’s and Guzman’s heroics in the ninth.
It was the second time WVU and Kentucky met in the postseason with the Mountaineers winning an elimination game in the Lexington Regional, 10-0, in 2023.
The start of Friday’s game was delayed two hours and 47 minutes by rain.