The Kentucky Wildcats started having nightmares on Sunday night.
Last season in the Clemson Regional in the NCAA Tournament, the Mountaineers sent the Wildcats home for the season after a late-game rally from a deficit. On Sunday night, the Wildcats had the opportunity to put the Mountaineers away for the year after beating West Virginia once on Saturday. And they carried a 9-6 run into the final inning. Then, the bad dream began.
Mountaineers force Game 7 in NCAA Regional with rally against Kentucky Wildcats
The Mountaineers were up for their final at-bat with their backs against the wall, and they weren't ready to quit. The Mountaineers had begun to wear down reliever Nile Adcock, and a fielding error, a walk, and a Tyrus Hall single loaded the bases and brought Jackson Soucie to the mound for Kentucky, but a walk of Armani Guzman drove home a run to narrow the deficit.
Soucie then went back to the dugout, replaced by Oliver Boone. A sacrifice fly from Gavin Kelly drove home a run to bring the game within one run, and then a Boone balk sent Tyrus Hall home to tie the game at 9-9. Then, Paul Schoenfeld blasted a home run to send himself and Guzman home to take an 11-9 lead. From there, Kentucky was unable to comeback, and West Virginia forced a rubber match on Monday to determine who advances to Super Regionals.
The first home run by Paul Schoenfeld in Morgantown, WV this season pic.twitter.com/pbSp6Kz4aR
— James (@mountaineerjdub) June 1, 2026
"Oh man, I can't believe it. I swung pretty hard and I crushed it," Schoenfield told the ESPN broadcast on his game-winning homer as the home crowd serenaded the Mountaineers with "Take Me Home, Country Roads. "I'm so lost right now. This is crazy."
The Mountaineers must win one more game to advance to the Super Regional round, but now, the Wildcats are coming off a game where they spent multiple solid relievers and put eight pitchers on the mound. Meanwhile, WVU head coach Steve Sabins has indicated star pitcher Maxx Yehl, who saw limited action in the initial loss to Kentucky on Saturday, could be back for Monday's Regional Final. Will the nightmare continue for the Wildcats? We'll have to find out on Monday.
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