The Wildcats opened their NCAA Tournament campaign with a gritty 6-5 victory over Wake Forest, a game that swung back and forth until the final innings.
Wake Forest drew first blood in the fourth, extending a 3-0 advantage with a two-run homer that seemed to put the Demon Deacons in control.
Kentucky answered with a flurry of extra-base hits, as Ethan Hindle, Braxton VanCleave and Caeden Cloud each doubled, chipping away at the deficit.
Ninth-Inning Heroics
In the ninth, Jayce Tharnish delivered a one-out single, stole two bases and later scored on a wild pitch, sealing a 6-5 finish.
Pitching was a mixed bag: Jaxon Jelkin surrendered four runs on nine hits but struck out five, while Nile Adcock earned the win after allowing a solo homer. Closer Jackson Soucie capped the night with a perfect ninth for his second save of the season.
The win moves Kentucky into the winners' side of the Morgantown regional, where they will await the victor of the West Virginia versus Binghamton matchup.