Kentucky's 'Whatever It Takes' Offense Strikes Again
Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione knows what his team is capable of doing to score runs. Mingione calls the Cats a “whatever it takes offense”, and UK showed that again on Friday in an NCAA Tournament win over Wake Forest.
In the 6-5 win, Kentucky had just five hits on the day. However, the Cats were hit by two pitches and took five walks to get runners on base.
A prime example of Kentucky being Kentucky came in the top of the sixth inning. Trailing 4-1, Tyler Bell was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Luke Lawrence and Hudson Brown each walked to load the bases with no outs. After Ethan Hindle struck out, Braxton Van Cleave doubled down the left field line to get the Cats within one.
Wake Forest pitcher Rhys Bowie then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Brown to score to tie the game. Carson Hansen followed with a sacrifice fly to give UK a 5-4 lead.
After the Demon Deacons tied the game in the eighth on a solo home run by Dalton Wentz, the Cats manufactured a run in the top of the ninth.
Jayce Tharnish reached on a one-out single, then the speedster stole second and third with two outs. On a 2-2 pitch to Tyler Cerny, Wake Forest’s Will Ray threw a pitch in the dirt that got past catcher Matt Conte, allowing Tharnish to score what proved to be the game-winning run.
The Cats also stuck to their approach on Friday. Facing one of the nation’s best pitchers, Wake’s Chris Levonas, Kentucky consistently worked the county, getting Levonas’ pitch count up and, eventually, forcing him out of the game. UK was able to score five runs against the Demon Deacon’s bullpen, which proved to be enough to win the game. UK head coach Nick Mingione noted after the game that his team executed that play to perfection.
“Twenty-seven straight guys went to the plate and saw three pitches or more and absolutely grinded on a pitcher that is amazing,” Mingione said. “That’s what it was going to take.”
After the game, Mingione marveled at what was a very competitive baseball game.
“What a fun college baseball game,” Mingione said. “Two aces just duking it out back and forth. Different leads, tie game. Every little detail mattered in that game, and it showed. It was just two incredibly talented baseball teams just competing their hearts out for their institutions. It was a really fun college baseball game.”
Mingione challenged his team before the game and the Cats responded in a big way.
“I challenged the team before the game to have the right mentality, and I talked to them about toughness, and the way we define toughness is your ability to consistently perform at the upper ranges of your talent and skill, regardless of competitive circumstances,” Mingione said. “That’s toughness, and I challenged them to have real toughness, and to force their will on their opponent, and in the game today to do whatever it takes to win. And to our guys’ credit, they showed real toughness.”
