No deja vu for Big Blue: Kentucky tops West Virginia, advances to regional final

[Matt Dillon]

Big leads and the West Virginia Mountaineers sitting in the opposing dugout have become a nightmare situation for Kentucky the last two years in the NCAA Tournament.

On Saturday, the Wildcats confronted their tormentor.

A year after seeing West Virginia rally from a 12-7 deficit in the eighth inning to win the Clemson Regional Final, Kentucky saw an early 6-0 lead evaporate against the Mountaineers. Deja vu was lurking. Anxiety was rising.

No deja vu for Big Blue: Kentucky tops West Virginia, advances to regional final - On3

[CATHYnKY]

Playing either one of these reams again will be tough. Bat Cats, you can do it.

[CATHYnKY]

WVA having no problems with WF

[Pobilly]

DeJa Blue tonight! was bad top of 9th from Coach Ming on down. He left pitcher in to load the bases and then made all the wrong selections to come in and pitch.

[SBCatMan]

Terrible 9th inning management. Why not bring in the ace to close it out? He could have thrown 15 pitches or so.

Minor things throughout the game hurt us badly. In the first inning the batter swings at ball 4 with the bases loaded and 1 out and then watches strike 3 go. Y. . Cost us at least a run and killed the inning. The bang-bang play st first that cost us a run. At worst, it was a tie, and ties go to the runner backseat the rule states the ball must get to the bag BEFORE the runner, not at the same time. And, obviously, the 9th inning error.

And, above all, the walks, balks and hit-batters. You just CANNOT do that.

it was all there for the taking, and we gave it away gift-wrapped with a pretty blue bow.

[CATHYnKY]

For a bubble team they have done more than I thought. WVA again today will be tough.

[Pobilly]

Just like last year but in OT. WVU walk off hit. UK Played from behind but Nick like he has done all year, 2 on and sticks with the pitcher. It cost him again. I know he did not have much in the bull pen but sometimes you have to make a change. He did not push the right buttons in close games this year. It happened over and over. He could not get that guy that could come in and shut down a team. WVU just did it with a pitcher that pitched 122 pitches yesterday against Wake. He came in and shut it down. Nick needs to go to work and get some other arms on the team for 2027. He is a very good coach and I love the style. I just love it when he has a few more arms to back up his style of play.