West Virginia won’t need the “if necessary” game to move on to the NCAA Super Regionals for the second year in a row. The Mountaineers advanced after a dramatic 13-12 win over Kentucky in Game 6 of the Clemson Regional, rallying from two separate five-run deficits with a pair of six-run innings.
The game, which turned into a marathon featuring 17 pitchers and lasting 4 hours and 31 minutes, extended WVU’s regional win streak to 6-0 over the last two seasons, including sweeps in both the Tucson and Clemson Regionals. After making their first Super Regional appearance last year, the Mountaineers now await the winner of the Baton Rouge Regional. No. 6 LSU (45-15) and Little Rock (27-33) will face off Monday for the final spot, after Little Rock’s 10-4 upset win Sunday forced a decisive game. If Little Rock wins again, West Virginia could potentially host the best-of-three Super Regional series.
Trailing 12-7 going into the bottom of the eighth, WVU mounted a furious comeback. All six runs in the inning came with two outs. A bases-loaded walk by Sam White cut the deficit to four, followed by Gavin Kelly’s two-run single to make it 12-10. Ben Lumsden then tied it up with another two-run single, and Armani Guzman who also had the game-winning hit in Friday’s 4-3 victory came through once more with a go-ahead RBI single to right, his fourth hit of the game.
To close out the game, head coach Steve Sabins brought back Game 1 starter Griffin Kirn, who, on just one day of rest after throwing 118 pitches in the opener, earned the save despite allowing a one-out single.
Earlier on Sunday, Kentucky knocked out host Clemson with a 16-4 win to earn a place in the final. WVU’s offensive fireworks began with Logan Sauve’s solo homer in the first inning, but Kentucky responded with four runs in the second and added one run in both the third and fourth to take a 6-1 lead.
West Virginia’s first six-run outburst came in the fourth inning when 12 batters came to the plate. Kelly drove in the first run with a fielder’s choice, followed by two-run hits from both Lumsden and Guzman. Sauve added a run-scoring groundout to give WVU a 7-6 advantage.
Kentucky answered with two runs in the fifth, three in the sixth, and another in the eighth to go up 12-7. Throughout the game, Sabins cycled through several relievers. Lumsden finished with a team-high four RBIs, while Guzman and Kelly each drove in three and Sauve added two. Despite committing five errors and being outhit 13-12, WVU pulled off the comeback.
Benjamin Hudson was credited with the win, giving up one run in the eighth. Starter Robby Porco pitched 1.1 innings, with Reese Bassinger, Ben McDougal, Carson Estridge, JJ Glassock, and Cole Fehrman also seeing time on the mound.
In all three of their regional wins, West Virginia overcame early deficits, including a 9-6 win over Clemson on Saturday. As of late Sunday, WVU had joined UTSA, No. 9 Florida State, No. 13 Coastal Carolina, No. 4 Auburn, No. 3 Arkansas, Louisville, Arizona, and Duke as regional champions.
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