The Kentucky Wildcats made their College World Series debut in thrilling fashion by defeating NC State in extra innings with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th to win 5-4. Senior infielder Mitchell Daly hit the game-winning home run with two outs, marking Kentucky’s first win ever in Omaha and Daly’s seventh homer of the season.
The game was tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the 9th when senior infielder Ryan Nicholson hit a homer to keep the Wildcats alive and push the game into extra innings. This victory also set a program record for Kentucky with 46 wins in a single season. Starting pitcher Trey Pooser pitched 6.3 innings, allowing three runs while striking out three and walking two.
Kentucky took an early lead in the 1st inning with a RBI single from senior infielder Nick Lopez. Junior outfielder Nolan McCarthy extended the lead with a two-run homer in the 4th inning before the Wolfpack caught up and tied the game in the 7th. NC State took the lead in the 9th inning, but Kentucky rallied back for the win in the 10th.
The Wildcats’ next game will be on Monday at 7 pm ET against the winner of the Florida-Texas A&M matchup. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. With this victory, Kentucky secures a spot to play beyond Monday, with a win advancing them to Wednesday and a loss requiring them to play on Tuesday. Go CATS!