Chasing Omaha: Wildcats Baseball advance to Kent State rematch

The Kentucky Wildcats Baseball team needed ace Corey Littrell to go deep in the game to save some of the arms in the bullpen.  It’s exactly what they got out of the Trinity High School product, who had only thrown 107 pitches this afternoon through 7.1  innings.  He finished with 7 strikeouts and gave up 7 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks.  Littrell’s career high entering this afternoon was 115 pitches.

Early on in the game, it appeared that some misplays by Austin Cousino would lead to a crushing defeat by the Purdue Boilermakers.  That would not be the case.  After going down 2-0 through 2 innings, the Cats would rally and take the lead for good.

The bottom of the third saw some great defense by the Cats.  Littrell snagged a liner that was rocketed at his face and J.T. Riddle later made a diving stop to get the third out of the inning.

It was not until the 4th inning of play when the Wildcats offense would start to come alive.  Thomas McCarthy started things off, advancing to second on a dropped fly ball in center.  Luke Maile singled, and Cameron Flynn tied it up with a 2 RBI single.  Zac Zellers doubled to left, knocking in Flynn, and the Cats took a 3-2 lead.  Zellers would score on a single by Matt Reida, extending the lead to 4-2, in favor of Kentucky.

In the 6th inning, Cousino, who got on base with 2 outs, would score on Thomas McCarthy’s single.

In the bottom of the 8th inning, the Boilermakers rallied with runners on the corners.  With only 1 out, Gary Henderson visited his pitcher, who has thrown 107 pitches for the day, but didn’t take him out.  Cameron Perkins hit a liner to left field and Purdue scored their first run since the game started.  Littrell would be finished.

Alex Phillips, a left-handed pitcher, was brought in for relief.  Phillips went 3.2 innings during Friday’s never-ending saga.  Phillips did his job and the game advanced to the 9th inning.

Thomas McCarthy started the ninth inning with a single and he would advance to second on an error, capping off a 3 for 5 day, scoring on a deep fly ball that was hit by Michael Williams.