Kentucky rode a strong starting pitching performance and a lopsided 7th inning to cruise past Oregon State, 10-0, in Game 1 of the Lexington Super Regional in the NCAA baseball tournament.
The win has Kentucky, the No. 2 national seed, one win away from a first-ever trip to Omaha and the College World Series.
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For the Wildcats, the star of the day was starting pitcher Trey Pooser. The graduate transfer took the bump and delivered seven innings of shutout, one-hit baseball, striking out eight and giving up four free passes. The only pressure he faced was arguably a result of his own mistake, as Pooser went wild on a throw to second trying for a double play before loading the bases and pitching out of the jam.
After that hiccup, it was smooth sailing the rest of the way for Pooser.
And in the bottom of the 7th inning, Kentucky blew the game open — with plenty of help from Oregon State miscues.
After cobbling together a trio of runs through the first five innings, the Wildcats started to pepper the Oregon State pitchers with hits. And the Beavers defenders obliged plenty of miscues for extra bases, too. The issue was then compounded by a series of wild pitches — including one that allowed a run to score — and a throw down to third on a stolen base that ended up in left field and let another run score.
By the end of the bottom of the 7th inning, the score had gone from 3-0 to 10-0 as the Wildcats hung a seven spot on the Beavers in the frame.
Ryan Nicholson powered the way at the plate for the Wildcats, recording a trio of hits and three RBI on the day, including a double that scored the first run of the game and two-run home run in the lopsided 7th inning to cap the offensive showcase.
Oregon State’s pitching staff struggled on Saturday, especially after starter Aiden May lost the zone and was replaced after five innings of work. All told, the Beavers gave up 10 hits, six walks, two hit batters and struck out 10 total. That, plus a pair of errors in the field doomed the Beavers as Pooser and the Wildcats staff dominated.
First pitch for Game 2 of the Lexington Super Regional is set for 9 p.m. EST on Sunday with coverage on ESPNU.
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