Throughout its quest to the Mid-American Conference title, Ohio had everything clicking when it needed to — a surging offense, reliable pitching, quality defense and just a little luck.
But on the elevated stage of the NCAA Tournament, the momentum that kept the Bobcats undefeated in postseason play came to a halt as Ohio (31-27) fell to Kentucky (40-20) 6-4 in the opening round in Lexington, Kentucky.
Instead, it was Kentucky, the top-seeded team in the Lexington Regional bracket, who seemed to click on all facets, creating a pace that Ohio simply struggled to match.
The Wildcats' edge over the No. 4 seed Bobcats in talent and sheer luck slowly grew evident throughout the game, as Ohio's right-hander Michael Klein looked poised to begin his start with a quick first inning. After getting the first two outs on just six pitches, Kentucky broke out for three hits to take an early 2-0 lead and force Klein to finish his first inning with 30 pitches.
Ohio's struggle for momentum also plagued the offense, as a long drive from senior Connor Callery in the second inning looked poised to put the Bobcats on the board if it left the ballpark.
But the ball came just a foot away from carrying over the right field wall, and a quick play from Kentucky right fielder Tristan Pompey held the third basemen to just a single.
On the ensuing at-bat, right fielder Tony Giannini hit a sharp grounder up the middle that would put Callery in scoring position, but after the ball took a big bounce off the pitcher's mound, it was slowed just enough to give Kentucky shortstop Connor Heady a diving chance to glove and flip the ball to second for a fielder's choice to retire Callery.
Facing a 3-0 deficit in the fifth inning, the Bobcats again looked ready to crack the scoreboard after a walk and a single with one out, but a quick line drive from shortstop Tyler Finkler was caught by a diving Evan White at first base, putting yet another stop to Ohio's momentum.
The unluckiness prevented Ohio from making any dent on Kentucky's 6-0 lead until first baseman Rudy Rott launched a towering three-run home run that carried to the parking lot in right field.
But it proved to be too little, too late as the Bobcats were unable to complete the comeback and upset one of the NCAA Tournament's top teams.
Notables
— Klein's start lasted just four innings as the redshirt junior often found himself behind in the count, allowing Kentucky to keep finding baserunners. Klein allowed three earned runs on eight hits and five walks while striking out one.
— Each of Kentucky's nine starting batters tallied at least one hit by the end of the fifth inning.
— Redshirt junior Cory Blessing shut down Kentucky in the final three innings to give Ohio a chance at a comeback. The right-hander gave up zero earned, walked two batters and allowed zero hits while striking out three.
What's next
The Bobcats now face their first win-or-go-home scenario of the season, as they will play the winner of Friday afternoon's matchup between No. 2 seed Indiana and No. 3 seed NC State on Saturday at noon.
All NCAA Tournament games will be televised live on ESPN Networks.
