CLEMSON, S.C — After a two hour and forty-seven-minute delay, No. 24 West Virginia knocked off Kentucky in the opening round of the NCAA tournament with a 4-3 walk-off victory.
WVU third baseman Armani Guzman walked it off in heroic action with a sacrifice fly to send Brodie Kresser home.
“He gets a start in the biggest game of the season… and has the walk-off sac fly and played great third base. This is why we are in coaching for stories like that,” said WVU head coach Steve Sabins.
West Virginia (42-14) is playing in its third consecutive NCAA tournament this weekend. The last time WVU played in three consecutive NCAA tournaments was 1961-64, when the Mountaineers made it four consecutive seasons under former coach Steve Harrick.
“I think we have the most road wins in the country and so it’s fitting for this to come on the road and be able to get their first walk off,” said Sabins.
The Wildcats got on the board first.
In the top of the fourth inning, Kentucky (29-25) would score three runs after a bunt by sophomore designated hitter Kyuss Gargett and a throwing error by the Mountaineer’s Brodie Kresser.
The Wildcats and Mountaineers only have met once in the postseason prior to this meeting – Kentucky held WVU scoreless, 10-0, in an elimination game in the Lexington Regional in 2023.
The Mountaineers wouldn’t go down without a fight.
“I don’t get too wrapped up in it because the results take care of themselves,” Sabins said. “I think the message is more of the action from everybody… there’s nobody tight, nobody screaming at each other, nobody worked up. It’s a pretty focused group of individuals.”
With bases loaded in the fifth inning, senior right-fielder Jace Rinehart would reach first base as Wildcats second baseman Luke Lawrence would make an inaccurate throw to first. Armani Guzman and Logan Sauve would score the two runs to cut the deficit to just one run.
In the sixth, West Virginia tied the game up with a ground out to shortstop but would score Gavin Kelly from third.
Griffin Kirn, left-handed redshirt senior for the Mountaineers, went 7 and one-third innings pitched. He totaled 118 pitches and struck out seven Wildcats while only allowing three runs (one earned).
“Doesn’t matter who’s on base,” said star starting pitcher Griffin Kirn. “Doesn’t matter what happens. As long as you get a zero at the end of the day, you’re probably going to stay in the game.”
WVU advances to Saturday’s winner bracket game against either Clemson or USC Upstate.
— Story by Nic Costello
