Kentucky 16, Indiana 6

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky struck for 16 runs – a school record in an NCAA Tournament game – in defeating Indiana, 16-6, Sunday evening in the Lexington Regional of the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament played at Kentucky Proud Park.

Kentucky’s victory sets up a winner-take-all game between the Wildcats and Hoosiers for the regional championship, which will be played Monday at 6 p.m.  UK will enter the regional final with a 39-19 record while Indiana is now 43-19.  Earlier on Sunday, Kentucky had stayed alive by defeating West Virginia, 10-0, in an elimination game.

Kentucky never trailed Sunday evening, as rightfielder Nolan McCarthy opened the scoring with a three-run home run in the second inning. UK also got a two-run homer by catcher Devin Burkes in the fifth inning.  Ahead 9-4, Kentucky added seven runs in the seventh inning, including a three-run homer by first baseman Hunter Gilliam and a two-run blast by leftfielder Ryan Waldschmidt, to put the game out of reach.

For the game, Kentucky totaled 14 hits, received four walks and had nine batters hit by pitch, only one shy of the single-game school record.  Gilliam paced the offense with a 3-for-6 day, driving in five runs. UK also got two hits from Waldschmidt and centerfielder Jackson Gray. Waldschmidt and McCarthy each had three RBI.

On the mound, Ryan Hagenow pitched 4 2/3 innings in relief to get the win.  Hagenow allowed three runs, striking out four, and improved his season record to 3-1.

Indiana starter Ben Seiler took the loss and is 1-4 on the season. Designated hitter Carter Mathison led the Indiana offense with three hits and two runs batted in, including a solo homer in the fourth inning.  Second baseman Evan Goforth had two hits and two RBI, tallying IU’s first run with a solo homer in the third inning and later adding an RBI double.