Lauren Cumbess pitches for UK in the NCAA regional final Saturday. (Photo by Jon Hale)

After Virginia Tech forced a winner-take-all game two in the NCAA regional final Saturday, UK head coach Rachel Lawson had a simple message for her squad.

“I told them that the defense, if they wanted to extend their season, they were going to have to give a better effort,” she said. “They were going to have to make big plays. They couldn’t let balls fall.”

The UK defense obliged with three stelar defensive plays in a 1-0 victory to advance to the second super regional in program history.

Left fielder Ginny Carroll made a diving catch at the foul line in the first inning, center fielder Sylver Samuel made a leaping catch at the wall in the third inning to take away extra bases and shortstop Christian Stokes made a diving catch while ranging into left field in the fourth inning.

Stokes’ play came in an inning in which Virginia Tech loaded the bases and mounted their most serious scoring threat in the game.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Lawson called on freshman pitcher Kelsey Nunley, who had pitched the first 22 innings of the regional for UK, to get the Cats out of the jam.

Nunley responded with by getting a pop up to shortstop to end the inning.

“I always tell the team you never know when the game-winning play is going to happen,” Lawson said. “I believe those were the game-winning plays.”

Nunley pitched the final three and one-third innings for here program-record 27th win of the season. Junior Lauren Cumbess surrendered two hits in three and two-third scoreless innings in the start and drove in the game’s only run on a line-drive single that deflected off the first baseman’s glove in the fifth inning.

“Our team’s really mentally tough and we stay positive, and I think that’s why we do come away with so many wins,” Cumbess said. “We stay up and positive and we know we have each other’s backs. We’ve had some awesome plays made in the game, and we just stay up and positive and keep at it until we win.”

The victory set a new single-season program high at 41 for the Cats.

When the Cats take the field for their super regional, they will look to defeat the winner of Arizona State and Georgia for a chance to reach the first College World Series in program history.

Making history Saturday was all the more special for Lawson because it came in the new state-of-the-art stadium named for long-time UK softball administrator John Cropp.

“Women’s sports is something that’s come a long way, and people usually build facilities because they have to. Kentucky puts out the effort because they want to,” she said while choking back tears. “They didn’t have to build this. They did not have to build the indoor (facility) the way they did.

“And they didn’t have to name it after John Cropp. Usually schools save the naming rights for financial reasons. The fact that they named it after such a great guy is pretty cool.”

The Louisville Bats pounded out 14 hits in a 6-5 win versus Gwinnett. Right fielder Denis Phipps was 3 for 5 with two RBI and one run scored, and left fielder Felix Perez was 3 for 5 with one RBI. Third baseman Henry Rodriguez slugged his second home run of the season. Right-handed starter Greg Reynolds earned his fourth win of the season after surrendering two runs on five hits in seven innings while striking out four batters and walking three, and right-handed reliever Yohan Pino surrendered one run on three this in the final one and one-third innings to earn his fourth save. (Box Score)

The Lexington Legends dropped game one of a doubleheader in a 3-2 loss to West Virginia. The Legends tallied just one hit in the seven-inning game, a two-run home run in the first inning by first baseman Fred Ford. Left-handed starter Daniel Stumpf was charged with a loss after surrendering three runs, two of which were earned, on five hits in six innings while striking out six batters and walking one. (Box Score)

The Legends earned a split in the doubleheader with a 6-4 win in game two versus West Virginia. Designated hitter Raul Mondesi was 2 for 3 with one RBI, one run scored and two stolen bases, and catcher Alex Marquez was 2 for 2 with one RBI, one run scored and one walk. Right-handed starter Aroni Nina earned his first win of the season after surrendering two runs on four hits in five innings while striking out two batters and walking one. (Box Score)

West Michigan evened the series at one win by sending the Bowling Green Hot Rods to an 8-1 loss. No Bowling Green player tallied multiple hits in the game, and shortstop Leonardo Reginatto doubled for the team’s only extra-base hit. Right-handed starter Eduar Quinonez was charged with a loss after surrendering four runs on three hits in five innings. (Box Score)

Cameron Flynn. (File photo by Jon Hale)

Former Henry Clay High School, Morehead State and UK outfielder Cameron Flynn was 3 for 4 with two triples and two RBI for low A Greensboro.

Former UofL right-handed pitcher Matt Koch earned his second win of the season after surrendering one unearned run on four hits in six innings while striking out five batters and walking one in a start for low A Savannah.

Former UK left-handed pitcher Logan Darnell surrendered one run on three hits in seven innings while striking out six batters and walking none in a start for AA New Britain but was charged with his third loss of the season.

Former UK infielder Andy Burns extended his hitting streak to nine games with a single for high A Dunedin.

Former UK left-handed pitcher Chris Rusin was charged with a loss after surrendering four runs, three of which were earned, on five hits in six and two-thirds innings while striking out three batters and walking two in a start for AAA Iowa.

Former Male High School and UofL catcher Jeff Arnold reached base three times with a double and two walks for high A San Jose.

Former Daviess County High School left-handed pitcher Jeremy Dobbs earned his first win of the season after surrendering one hit in one and two-thirds scoreless innings for high A High Desert.

Freshman pitcher Kelsey Nunley threw seven strong innings, allowing only one hit and no earned runs, while junior infielder Krystal Smith went 2 for 3 at the plate with a home run and two RBI, as the No. 12 UK softball team posted its school-record tying 40th win of the season and clinched its ticket to the NCAA Lexington Regional Finals on Sunday with a 6-2 win versus Virginia Tech at John Cropp Stadium.

UK (40-18) now advances to the regional finals on Sunday, where the Cats will face a rematch against Virginia Tech. The Hokies defeated Marshall in the losers’ bracket to reach the championship game. The regional final will begin Sunday at 1 p.m. If UK drops the first game of the regional final, a winner-take-all game two will be played at 3:30 p.m.

The win for UK was its 40th of the season, tying the school record for most wins in a season. Head coach Rachel Lawson’s 2011 team also had 40 wins en route to advancing to the school’s first ever Super Regional. UK’s win against Virginia Tech was its first in school history over the Hokies in three tries.

This is the third time UK has advanced to a regional final, also accomplishing the feat in 2009 and 2011. The Wildcats lost the first game of the 2009 regional final to Ohio State while it defeated Michigan in game one of the Ann Arbor Regional Final in 2011. The Wildcats are now 10-8 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

Nunley threw a complete-game one-hitter, allowing two runs – both unearned – with five strikeouts. For the season, Nunley is now 26-8 with a 2.00 ERA, striking out 185 in 245 and one-third innings pitched. So far this weekend, Nunley is 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA, striking out 10 batters in 15 innings pitched while opponents are hitting just .140 against her.

Offensively, UK was paced by Smith and junior first baseman Lauren Cumbess. Cumbess blasted her team-best 12th home run of the season to finish 2 for 4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Freshman outfielder Sylver Samuel was 2 for 3 in the game with one run scored, while sophomore catcher Griffin Joiner was 1 for 3 with one run scored.

From UK Athletics

(From Campbellsville University)

Originally scheduled for an 8 p.m. EDT start at Prasco Park, the game was moved to the synthetic turf surface at Legacy Field and moved up to 6 p.m. in hopes to avoid the rain. Once the weather moved in, the start was delayed to 8:15 p.m., before the Tigers took the field as the home team.

Matt Robertson (4-1) shut down the Fire Storm in the first two innings in a pitchers dual with SEU’s Johnnie Kirkland (10-3).

Campbellsville’s Brandon Johnson was the first to collect a hit in the game in the bottom of the second, singling up the middle after two strike outs by Kirkland. Johnson stole second and Travis Hayes was hit by a pitch to give either team their first threat of the night. Kirkland, throwing on one day of rest, got a ground ball fielder’s choice to get out of the jam.

Southeastern received similar offensive production in the top of the third. Robertson walked Carlos Guzman and then gave up a single to right by Josh Gordon. Guzman’s courtesy runner, Cody Light, stretched for third as Shane Woodson delivered a strong throw to third. Light was called safe as he slid in as Michael Bush applied the tag at third. The call stood after a lengthy argument.

SEU suddenly had runners on the corners with no outs.

Phillip Kish pushed a bunt down the first base line for a near infield hit, but Johnson charged in and made a sweeping tag, which Kish was later called out on after a second questioned call, placing runners on first and second. Ryne Knuth followed with an RBI single to shallow centerfield to score Light. After a throw to the plate, CU catcher Keaton Neeb tried to get Knuth stretching at second, but the ball short hopped and was flicked into shallow center. Gordon scored from third on the play, giving Southeastern a 2-0 lead.

Campbellsville put a runner on with two outs in each of the next four innings, but ended up leaving seven on base in the game.

Tylar Schmunk took over on the mound for Campbellsville in the fourth. He allowed one base runner and struck out four in the fourth and fifth innings combined.

Meanwhile, Michael Bush was hit by a pitch and stole second in the third and Brandon Johnson reached on a two-base error in center with two outs in the fourth. Nielsen was hit with two outs in the fifth and stranded on first.

Allen Hewey inherited two base runners in the sixth with one out after Schmunk walked one and hit one. Hewey used a ground ball to get the second out and then got Gordon to strike out swinging on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning. The strikout was CU’s 415th of the season, tying the Tigers’ single-season strikeouts record, previously set in 2010.

Campbellsville tried to get some momentum going in the bottom of the sixth, as Carlos Torres crushed a one-out double off the top of the left-centerfield fence. The hit closed the book on Kirkland, who pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing only two hits and striking out three. Aaron Schwoebel followed with a single deep behind the second base bag off SEU reliever Corey Turner.

However, Kish moved in from short and struck out the next two batters to end the inning.

Brett DeRooy started the seventh for CU, hitting Kish as the leadoff hitter, and then got a fielder’s choice bunt and fly ball to record the first two outs. Mason Yates also saw action, giving up a walk, before getting a ground ball to end the inning.

Kish shut down the Tigers in order in the bottom of the seventh for his 18th save of the season.

Campbellsville closes its season at 39-20 after going 11-3 in postseason tournaments. The Tigers opened the season 19-4 and unbeaten in Mid-South Conference action entering the third weekend in March. Beginning with its first MSC series loss at home to UVA-Wise, March 22-23, Campbellsville struggled over the next four weeks, going 8-13 to close the regular season.

The Tigers rallied in the postseason though, finishing runner-up in the Mid-South Conference Tournament and winning the NCCAA Mid-East Region championship to qualify for the program’s first NCCAA Division I World Series.

Southeastern (39-28) will face defending champion California Baptist University (42-18) in the NCCAA World Series championship game on Saturday at 11 a.m. EDT.

From Campbellsville Univeristy

UofL head coach Dan McDonnell meets with players. (File photo by Jon Hale)

Jeff Gardner hammered a pair of home runs and had four RBI while Adam Engel and Nick Ratajczak combined for four hits and five RBI as the No. 10 Louisville baseball team clinched a share of its fourth BIG EAST Conference regular season title in five years with a 12-4 victory over 16th-ranked Pittsburgh on Friday night Jim Patterson Stadium.

With their 15th straight win overall, the Cardinals improved to 45-10 on the season and 19-4 in BIG EAST games, while the Panthers dropped to 40-14 and 18-5. Louisville, which also locked up the No. 1 seed in next week’s BIG EAST Championship in Clearwater, Fla., can win the league title outright with a victory in Saturday’s regular season finale with Pittsburgh, scheduled for a noon ET start on ESPNU.

The winning streak for Louisville, which is the second longest in school history trailing only a 20-game stretch in the 1950’s, stands as the longest active streak in the nation. A victory in Saturday’s finale would also match the school record for regular season held by the 2010 Cardinals, which finished with a 46-10 mark.

Gardner finished 2 for 4 at the plate connecting for his eighth and ninth home runs of the season to become the second Louisville player this week to hit two home runs in a game after junior outfielder Coco Johnson did it in the win at Ohio State on Tuesday. It was the first career multiple-home run game for the junior designated hitter, who is hitting .388 with eight home runs and 24 RBI in his last 20 games.

Engel went 2 for 3 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored, while Ratajczak was 2 for 4 with three RBI as Louisville finished with a 12-5 advantage in hits. Junior catcher Kyle Gibson added two hits and scored once while senior first baseman Zak Wasserman and junior outfielder Cole Sturgeon chipped in with one hit and two runs scored each.

On the mound, junior right-handed pitcher Jeff Thompson won his fourth straight start and improved to 10-1 on the season after allowing three runs on just three hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings pitched. He became just the sixth pitcher in school history to win 10 or more games in a season and moved within a one win of matching Justin Marks’ school record of 11 wins set in 2009. It was also career win No. 21 for Thompson moving him into a tie for fifth on the Cardinals’ career leaderboard with Mike Shields (1975-78).

From UofL Sports Information Department

The Bowling Green Hot Rods were outhit nine to five but opened a five-game series with West Michigan with a 4-0 win. First baseman Patrick Leonard was 2 for 4 with one home run, two RBI and one run scored, and catcher Justin O’Conner was 2 for 4. Left-handed reliever Brandon Henderson earned his second win of the season after surrendering five hits in four shutout innings while striking out two batters and walking none, and right-handed pitcher Nick Sawyer earned his third save by recorded four strikeouts in the final five outs. (Box Score)

The Lexington Legends opened a four-game road trip with a 3-1 loss to West Virginia. The Legends tallied just two hits in the game, with first baseman Fred Ford driving in the team’s only run. Left-handed starter Colin Rodgers did not receive a decision after surrendering one run on five hits in four and two-thirds innings while striking out four batters and walking two. Right-handed reliever Ali Williams was charged with a loss after surrendering one run on three hits in one and one-third innings. (Box Score)

Charlotte earned a four-game series split by sending the Louisville Bats to a 4-2 loss. Bats shortstop Emmanuel Burriss was 3 for 4 with one double, and first baseman Corky Miller was 2 for 4 with one double and two RBI. Right-handed starter Armando Galarraga was charged with a loss after surrendering four runs on seven hits in six innings while striking out six batters and walking two. (Box Score

Former UK left-handed pitcher Andrew Albers earned his first win of the season after surrendering five hits in six and one-third scoreless innings while striking out six batters and walking three in a start for AAA Rochester.

Former UK infielder Andy Burns was 2 for 3 with one home run, one RBI, one run scored and one walk for high A Dunedin.

Former UK right-handed pitcher Alex Meyer did not receive a decision after surrendering two runs on five hits in five and one-third innings while striking out four batters and walking none in a start for AA New Britain.

Former Henry Clay High School and UK outfielder Collin Cowgill slugged his second home run of the season for AAA Las Vegas and scored two runs.

Former Lafayette High School and EKU infielder Jayson Langfels was 2 for 4 with one RBI and one stolen base for AA Tulsa.

Former UofL infielder Chris Dominguez extended his hitting streak to six games with a single for AAA Fresno.

Former Beechwood High School and Campbellsville infielder Chris Curley scored two runs and reached base twice with a single and a walk for high A Winston-Salem.

Former WKU right-handed pitcher Craig Stem pitched two scoreless innings in his debut for low A Great Lakes after being reassigned from the high A California League.

Freshman infielder Nikki Sagermann went 2 for 3 in the game, including an RBI game-winning single in the eighth inning, while freshman pitcher Kelsey Nunley went eight strong innings in the circle, becoming the second rookie in school history to win a NCAA opener, as No. 12 Kentucky earned an extra-inning, 2-1 win versus Marshall on Friday night at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Ky.

UK (39-18) will continue its NCAA run Saturday at 1 p.m. against Virginia Tech, which defeated Notre Dame 4-3 in the opening game of the 2013 NCAA Lexington Regional on Friday. Notre Dame and Marshall will face off in game four of the regional at 3:30 p.m. ET. The winning team between Kentucky and Virginia Tech will move on to the regional championship on Sunday, while the loser will face the winner of the Notre Dame-Marshall game for a spot in the regional final.

The win for UK versus Marshall was its seventh in extra innings this season, tying the school record for most extra-inning wins in a single season. This is the third time in the last four seasons that Kentucky has won its NCAA opener. UK won its first game in the NCAA Tournament versus Ohio State in 2010 before dropping both games Saturday, while in 2011, UK won its first game versus Notre Dame and posted two more wins the next two days to punch its ticket to a Super Regional.

Sagermann finished the game 2 for 3 at the plate with one RBI, while also tying a career high with six defensive assists. The native of Buford, Ga., laced a single up the middle with the bases loaded in the eighth inning to score the game-winning run.

Senior designated player Kara Dill and sophomore catcher Griffin Joiner also had multi-hit games with Dill going 2 for 4 with one RBI and Joiner 3 for 4, including a double to centerfield in the eighth inning to start the game-winning rally. Junior infielder Krystal Smith went 1 for 3 in the game, while pinch-hitter Ginny Carroll was 1 for 1 and speedy outfielder Sylver Samuel 1 for 2 with a run scored.

Nunley pitched all eight innings, allowing one earned run on six hits with five strikeouts. The native of Soddy Daisy, Tenn., is now 25-8 on the year to increase her school-record win total. Nunley’s 2.06 ERA this season ranks third lowest for a single season in school history, while her 238.1 innings pitched is second most and her 180 strikeouts is fifth most in program history.

Marshall (35-21) also got a strong pitching performance in the circle as senior Andi Williamson went seven innings, allowing two earned runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts. Offensively, Marshall was led by multi-hit nights from Kaelynn Greeen, who was 2 for 4 with one run scored, and Shaelynn Braxton, who was 2 for 4 with one RBI. Ashley Gue went 1 for 3 in the game, while Savanah was 1 for 2.

Marshall started the scoring in the fourth inning when Greene laid down a bunt single – the first hit of the game for the Thundering Herd – advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a popped up bunt attempt, Braxton singled up the middle to score Greene and give the Herd a 1-0 lead.

UK answered in the fifth inning when Samuel started a rally with a bunt single, stealing second base and eventually scoring on an RBI single through the right side of the infield by Dill.

The score held at 1-1 until the eighth inning when Sagermann delivered her bases-loaded single to give Kentucky a 2-1 victory.

From UK Athletics

Campbellsville University's baseball team poses for their official NCCAA World Series team photo prior to Wednesday's opening ceremonies. Pictured left to right are (Front) Scott Baughman, athletic trainer; Keaton Neeb; Ryan Squires; Shane Woodson; Carlos Torres; Tanner Scott; Levi McCamish; Michael Bush; (Second Row) Tanner Nielsen; Mason Yates; Travis Hayes; Tylar Schmunk; Jacob Phillips; Bret DeRooy; Drew Pettit; (Third Row) BRad Neffendorf, assistant coach; Randy LeBleu, assistant coach; Beauford Sanders, head coach; Patrick McMeel; Ethan Berchet-Hall; Allen Hewey; Sean Bouthilette; Darrick Brilz, Jr.; Brandon Johnson; Matt Robertson; Aaron Schwoebel; and Chris Lewis, assistant coach. (Campbellsville University photo by Richard RoBards)

Four games down, two to go. That’s the mantra of the Campbellsville University baseball team after sweeping Pool B in the National Christian College Athletic Association World Series with a pair of wins Wednesday and two more Thursday at Legacy Field and Prasco Park.

Campbellsville, the No. 2 seed, blew past Emmanuel College, 11-1, in its first game Wednesday and then held off held off a seventh-inning rallys by Olivet Nazarene, 3-2, Wednesday night and Covenant College, 5-3 on Thursday. CU won the pool by pushing past No. 3 seed Arizona Christian University, 4-3.

Thursday’s wins capped a 4-0 run through Pool B to clinch a spot in the 8 p.m. EDT semifinal on Friday against the runner-up of Pool A, which is still to be determined. Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Oklahoma Christian University and Southeastern University each still have a hope at the spot. The game will be preceded by a semifinal at 5 p.m. featuring No. 1 California Baptist University and No. 6 Olivet Nazarene University.

The winners of the two semifinal games will face off Saturday at 1 p.m. in the NCCAA Division I World Series championship.

GAME 1 – Campbellsville 11, Emmanuel 1

Six different players drove in runs Wednesday afternoon as Campbellsville University made short work of Emmanuel College, 11-1 in five innings, in the Tigers’ first NCCAA World Series game at Legacy Field.

Campbellsville scored two runs in each the first and second innings before unloading a seven-run fifth inning to shorten the game.

Jacob Phillips started the Tigers’ 12-hit day with a one-out single in the first. Keaton Neeb reached on an error and Aaron Schwoebel later delivered a two-out single down the first base line to score the first two runs of the game, 2-0.

Tiger starter Allen Hewey allowed most of Emmanuel’s offense in the top of the second, giving up a single, walk and single to start the inning. The second base knock came from Desmond Harp to score Sam Buczek for the Lions’ only run. Hewey gave up a hit in the third and fourth also, but closed out the complete-game shutout with five strikeouts for his fifth win of the season.

Campbellsville added two more runs in the bottom of the second after Carlos Torres singled to left and scored on a Ryan Squires triple. Tanner Nielsen later drove in Squires to make it 4-1.

Both teams went scoreless in the third, fourth and top of the fifth. With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Brandon Johnson, Schwoebel and Torres each singled, scoring Johnson on Torres’ second hit of the day. Travis Hayes walked to load the bases, setting up a bases-clearing triple for Squires to push the Tigers’ lead to 8-1.

Emmanuel (32-24) went to the bullpen, closing the book on starter Steven Barnett, who nine runs (seven earned) off 10 hits and two walks through 4 1/3 innings. Reliever Ryan Phillips struggled in relief, walking Shane Woodson and Nielsen to load the bases again. Phillips singled to drive in two, followed by a game-ending hit by Neeb.

Nielsen, Phillips, Schwoebel, Torres and Squires each had two hits on the day, with Schwoebel going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBIs.

GAME 2 – Campbellsville 3, Olivet Nazarene 2

The Tigers road the arm of transfer Bret DeRooy, who threw less than 110 pitches in the complete game win, 3-2, allowing only one earned run off three hits and two walks.

Wednesday’s NCCAA World Series nightcap had its share of oddities, seeing runs scored after an error started the game, one on a double steal, another on a balk and a controversial inning-ending double play late in the game.

Tanner Nielsen led off the game with a hard hit ball right at first baseman Ryan Kern, but the ball popped through his glove into right to put a runner on.

ONU catcher Alex Cavender was patient to gain a one-out free pass in the third, turning an 0-2 count into a walk. After giving up his first base runner of the game, DeRooy was called for a balk to put a runner in scoring position with an out. Justin Fahy singled with two outs deep behind second base, beating out Nielsen’s throw by a step.

Kern and Matt Davenport delivered a pair of one-out singles in the fourth, putting ONU runners on the corners with one out. Behind in the count, 1-3, DeRooy got a check swing and then painted the plate for a strike out to retire Kevin Lasowski. With a 3-2 count against Josh Altmann, Davenport broke toward second, distracting the left-handed DeRooy allowing Kern to steal home.

The maroon and gray Tigers quickly added two runs to regain the lead, 3-1. Campbellsville put the leadoff man to start the fifth after Ben Heller hit Shane Woodson, his second of three hit batters in the game. Nielsen followed with a four-pitch walk. After the runners moved up a base with a wild pitch, Heller was called for a balk to score Woodson and regain CU’s lead. Michael Bush drove in Nielsen with an insurance RBI groundout to second.

Olivet also scored in the fifth after Fahy reached on a wild throw by Bush and scored on a ball hit by Schneider through Travis Hayes’ legs at short.

The close game grew more interesting in the seventh when Ryan Squires drew a leadoff walk and Woodson was hit by a pitch to put two on with no outs. McCamish pinch ran for Squires and both runners stole on a missed third strike by Nielsen for the first out. Bush attempted a squeeze play, which caught McCamish and Woodson in limbo. Woodson reached third as McCamish was being tagged out by the catcher. The umpires called Woodson out by rule that the bag belonged to McCamish, saying he returned to third before the tag, and then called McCamish out for leaving the bag after McCamish thought he’d already been called out on the tag.

After a lengthy protest, the Tigers took the field to close out the game. Nielsen booted a leadoff error but later made back-to-back ground ball outs to secure the win.

Heller (8-4) recorded the loss for Olivet Nazarene, allowing three runs (two earned) off four hits, two walks and three hit batters. Paul Griffin and Lasowski appeared in relief for ONU.

GAME 3 – Campbellsville 5, Covenant 3

In his first outing in two weeks due to injury, senior pitcher Sean Bouthilette went the distance for the Tigers in game one of the day. The Elizabethtown, Ky., native carried a no hitter into the fifth inning. He gave up two hits in the fifth and four in the seventh, which led to three late runs. He struck out five.

Campbellsville gave Bouthilette an early cushion with two runs in the top of the first innings. Michael Bush beat out an infield bunt single with one out before Keaton Neeb and Carlos Torres followed with back-to-back doubles to plate the first two runs.

In the third inning, CU added another run, 3-0, after Bush was hit by a pitch and scored on another Neeb double. It became a 5-0 game in the top of the fifth as Neeb drew a two-out walk, followed by singles from Torres and Aaron Schwoebel. Schwoebel’s single scored courtesy runner Levi McCamish and then he scored on an error.

Perry Rigby busted up Bouthilette’s no hitter and Paul Phillips followed with a two-out hit. Phillips struck again in the seventh. With one out, Sterling Witt doubled to right for Covenant, followed by a Rigby single and Phillips triple to score two. K.C. Simmons later drove in Phillips, but Bouthilette struck out pinch hitter Braeden Lane to end the game.

Torres and Neeb each had two hits for the Tigers, while Rigby and Phillips had two each for Covenant.

GAME 4 – Campbellsville 4, Arizona Christian 3

Campbellsville took advantage of miscues in the bottom of the fifth to string together four runs and erase a 3-0 deficit against Arizona Christian. The Tigers were being one-hit through 4 1/3 innings until ACU third baseman Paul Creecy committed back-to-back errors to put two on with a walk. ACU starter Jake Dziubczynski went on to hit Squires and committed a balk to score the Tigers’ first run. Shane Woodson followed with a two-RBI single and moved to second on an error in left. Michael Bush later executed a squeeze bunt to score Woodson for the winning run.

ACU scored runs in the second, third and fifth inning. The Firestorm jumped on the board in the second when Drew Pettit served up an RBI single to Chris Russell.

Pettit walked two to start the third and Creecy drove in a run for a 2-0 lead. Pettit was pulled in the third, giving up two runs on three hits and three walks. Jacob Phillips took over for CU and recorded his first win as a Tiger after pitching 4 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and an earned run.

ACU built its lead to 3-0 in the fifth. Nathan Enriquez singled to start the inning and eventually ended up on third after another long season and then an injury this season. He scored on a Phillips’ wild pitch.

Both teams had an inning end during the game with a great defensive stab as part of a double play.

Tylar Schmunk had the save for CU, his third of the season.

CU was held to four hits in the game, while giving up seven.

From Campbellsville University

Less than two weeks later Goodwin declared for the draft.

Speaking at his first news conference since the end of the season this week, UK head coach John Calipari declined to go into specifics about what advice he gave Goodwin regarding the draft, but he said he fully supports the decision now that it has been made.

“We gave him the information, what was out there, what we were told,” Calipari said. “We sat down and talked to him and he came back and said he wanted to put his name in the draft, and we said, ‘Great, let’s go for it.’”

Draft experts tend to view Goodwin as a late-first round or early second-round prospect. ESPN’s Chad Ford has him ranked as the No. 30 prospect in the draft.

Archie Goodwin drives into the lane.
(File photo by Jon Hale)

Goodwin has a chance to improve that stock this week at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, where he measured at 6-foot-3 without shoes and 6-foot-5 with shoes Thursday.

“He’s having a rough go right now with NBA teams, partly because the expectations were so high for him out of high school and that so many of the freshmen have been successful and Calipari has had this ability to get the most out of these guys,” Ford told reporters in a pre-combine conference call. “I think that’s been a huge feather in Calipari’s cap. So when it didn’t happen with Archie, I think a lot of NBA scouts put that back on the player and said, ‘If Calipari can’t get the best out of you, and it didn’t feel like he developed much as a player from the beginning of the season to the end of the season, how does that bode for your NBA future playing in the (developmental) league or playing on an NBA team?’”

For his part, Calipari said he’s received phone calls from five or six NBA teams about Goodwin as a draft prospect

Calipari has his own theories about the type of prospect NBA teams will get by drafting Goodwin.

“You think about it, basically, if you draft him, he’s 18 years old. You’re getting a high school player, the old days when the high school player could come out,” Calipari said. “You may have players in that draft that are four years older than him…The whole point with him is where do you project him?”

Goodwin led UK in scoring at 14.1 points per game as a freshman, but he struggled with his shot throughout the season. Goodwin shot 26.6 percent from three-point range and 63.7 percent from the free throw line.

Aside from a short stint early in the season when point guard Ryan Harrow was away from the team due to a family issue, Goodwin saw most of his time at shooting guard.

“Would it have been better for him and maybe for us if I had played him at point guard at the start of the year? Maybe,” Calipari said. “But at his age, they’re going to have a chance to mold him as a wing guard, point guard, whatever they want him to be.”

Both Chad Ford and ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla agree that much of Goodwin’s development will likely take place in the NBA’s developmental league, not on a NBA bench.

“His potential suggests still he should be a mid to late first round pick,” Ford said. “I think the question mark is, ‘Will he take that time, will he have the right attitude, will he be winning to be coached an will he work on his weakness?’ No one knows the answer to those questions.”

It’s that potential that will likely lead a NBA team to give Goodwin a chance, despite the question marks.

Ford projects the Phoenix Suns to take Goodwin with the last pick in the first round in his latest mock draft.

“He does a lot of things well for a young player,” Fraschilla said. “He’s athletic, terrific end to end quickness. Gets into the lane at will…and he’s actually a willing passer at 6-4, 6-5.”

Calipari used Goodwin’s own word in noting that his former teammates Willie Cauley-Stein and Alex Poythress were not delusional about their pro prospects in choosing a return to UK for their sophomore seasons over the chance to be drafted in the first round.

Still, Calipari is confident Goodwin will one day be a productive NBA player.

“Workouts will be important for him, but I think he’ll be fine because if you have a good attitude and you truly have a huge work capacity, like a Brandon Knight, you’re going to be fine,” he said. “There may be bumps in the road, but you will be fine. Someone will take him in a good position, and he’ll be fine.”

Morgan Newton. (File photo by Jon Hale)

The New York Giants announced Thursday that former Kentucky quarterback Morgan Newton has signed a free-agent contract as a tight end.

Newton becomes the fifth player from the 2012 UK senior class to sign with an NFL team. He joins offensive guard Larry Warford, a third-round draft choice of the Detroit Lions, and additional free-agent signees – defensive back Martavius Neloms (Detroit), center Matt Smith (Atlanta) and defensive end Collins Ukwu (Minnesota). A total of 45 Wildcats have signed NFL contracts since 2008.

Newton played quarterback for almost all of his time as a Wildcat. During his career, he completed more than 50 percent of his passes for 1,837 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was named to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Team in 2009. He also saw brief action at tight end during his senior season.

From UK Athletics

The Bowling Green Hot Rods clinched a series victory versus Fort Wayne with a 7-6 win. Former Covington Catholic High School and UK catcher Luke Maile was 2 for 5 with one double, and left fielder Marty Gantt was 2 for 3 with one double, two RBI, one run scored and one walk. Left-handed reliever Jordan Harrison earned his first win of the season after surrendering three hits in three scoreless innings of relief while striking out five batters and walking none, and right-handed reliever Matt Ramsey recorded the final six outs for his second save. (Box Score)

The Louisville Bats fell below .500 with a 4-1 loss to Charlotte. No Louisville player tallied multiple hits in the game, but right fielder Denis Phipps doubled and scored one run. Right-handed starter Chad Reineke was charged with a loss after surrendering four runs on eight hits in five and one-third innings while striking out two batters and walking three. (Box Score)

The Lexington Legends were off Thursday.

Taylor Rogers. (File photo by Jon Hale)

Former UK left-handed pitcher Taylor Rogers earned his third win of the season after surrendering five hits in seven shutout innings while striking out eight batters and walking one in a start for high A Fort Myers.

Former Henry Clay High School, Morehead State and UK outfielder Cameron Flynn was 3 for 4 with two runs scored for low A Greensboro.

Former Boyle County High School right-handed pitcher Blake Perry earned his first win of the season after surrendering one run without surrendering a hit while striking out five batters and walking four in five innings in a start for low A South Bend.

Former UofL infielder Chris Dominguez slugged his seventh home run of the season and drove in three runs for AAA Fresno.

Former Owensboro Catholic High School and UofL left-handed pitcher Justin Marks earned his third win of the season after surrendering three runs on eight hits in five innings while striking out seven batters and walking five in a start for AAA Omaha.

Former Bryan Station High School catcher Wes Wilson was 2 for 4 with one run scored for low A Charleston.

Former WKU outfielder Kes Carter was 2 for 6 with one triple, one double, one RBI and one run scored for high A Charlotte.

UK will be hosting its first NCAA Tournament regional at the new John Cropp Stadium.
(Photo by Jon Hale)

Just more than one week ago, the UK softball team failed in its attempt to win a postseason tournament in front of the home crowd.

While the Wildcats’ stint at Southeastern Conference Tournament hosts ended with a first-round loss, now UK has another opportunity for postseason play when it hosts a NCAA Tournament regional beginning Friday at the new John Cropp Stadium.

“Everybody worked so hard getting everything ready for us to play in the stadium,” said UK junior infielder and pitcher Lauren Cumbess. “We didn’t really play well in the SEC Tournament, so now we kind of have a second chance and we’re ready to get it going.”

UK enters the NCAA Tournament as the No. 12 overall seed. The Cats open the regional versus Marshall on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Virginia Tech and Notre Dame are also in the regional.

UK is hosting a regional for the first time in program history but is making its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

“It’s a big step for the program because in order to host a regional you have to be a national seed in softball,” said head coach Rachel Lawson. “So the fact that we’re considered one of the top 16 teams in the country is a big step for us.”

The Cats have already earned one win versus Marshall, which won the Conference USA Tournament, this season, a 4-3 victory on April 9.

Notre Dame was the regular season Big East champion. Virginia Tech spent part of the season ranked in the top 25 after a 17-2 start.

“We have a very tough region,” Lawson said. “Everybody in here is strong, every team here has good pitching.”

UK previously hosted a NCAA Tournament super regional in 2011, but this weekend will mark the first NCAA action in the renovated 1,500-seat John Cropp Stadium.

“To be able to host a regional here in a brand new stadium, probably one of the best in the country, I know that we’ll have an equally impressive showing,” Lawson said.

UK players are hoping their second chance to impress a postseason crowd at their new facility goes better than the first.

“We just didn’t play how we’re capable of playing,” said sophomore catcher Griffin Joiner of the SEC Tournament. “I think we can use that loss as motivation for here, for this tournament.”

National college baseball writers Aaron Fitt of Baseball America and Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game projected this week that a series loss at Missouri, which is 16-30 on the season and 8-19 in SEC play, would leave the Wildcats out of the tournament. Fitt went as far as to say the Cats likely needed a sweep in Missouri to feel comfortable.

Entering the season’s final weekend, UK sits at 29-22 on the season and 10-17 in Southeastern Conference play.

Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to its current format in 1999, just two SEC teams have reached the field with fewer than 13 conference wins and one of those teams reached the SEC Tournament championship game.

So is the Missouri series a must-win for UK? At least one player thinks so.

“I personally do just because I don’t like to lose,” said sophomore first baseman and pitcher A. J. Reed, who leads the team in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and ERA. “But I really think if we go take two of three at Missouri we should be fine.”

A. J. Reed and closer Trevor Gott celebrate at Reed launched a home run versus Indiana. (Photo by Jon Hale)

Even with a series win or sweep versus Missouri, the Cats will likely be sweating their bubble status until the tournament field is revealed. Since the tournament field expanded in 1999, 21 SEC teams have been left at home with at least 13 conference wins, including UK three times.

UK’s tourney hopes are boosted by a No. 28 ranking in the RPI as of Thursday according to BoydsWorld.com and a strength of schedule ranked No. 6 in the country according to WarrenNolan.com.

The Cats are 13-17 versus the RPI top 50 teams with three losses to teams ranked outside of the RPI top 100.

UK could be hurt by its performance entering the postseason as the Cats have been swept three times in conference play and have lost five of their last six weekend series.

UK rebounded from a three-game sweep at the hands of No. 1 Vanderbilt with a midweek win versus No. 15 Indiana Tuesday.

Head coach Gary Henderson saw reason for optimism in the win versus Indiana as well as the sweep by Vanderbilt, when the offense pounded out 26 hits, its second highest total in an SEC series this season.

“The body language is different,” he said. “The presence is different. The aggressiveness, the bat speed is better. The balance is better. Even the pitch selection has noticeably improved.”

Even sophomore center fielder Austin Cousino, Baseball America’s preseason SEC Player of the Year, has shown signs of breaking out of a month-long slump with four hits in his last eight at-bats. Cousino reached base nine times in three games versus Vanderbilt.

“We’re putting really good at-bats together,” Reed said. “I think our hitters are starting to get confidence, and it should be a really good weekend for us in Missouri.”

The back-end of UK’s pitching rotation also appears to have stabilized with two quality starts from freshman right-handed pitcher Kyle Cody in his two conference starts and senior left-hander Jerad Grundy surrendering just two runs in 11 innings since being moved out of the weekend rotation.

“I feel a lot better about that piece of it,” Henderson said of his pitching. “Certainly really, really happy for Jerad. He’s an exceptional kid. He’s a good player, but he’s an exceptional person. You always root for those guys, you want them to have success.”

Having four capable starting pitchers could be a valuable weapon for UK in postseason play, but Henderson and his team know they have to make it there for that positive to come into play.

“We know that we just gotta come out there and compete our last three games here,” Grundy said. “And if we do that, this thing will take care of itself.”

The Lexington Legends finished a three-game sweep of Kannapolis with a 9-2 win. Legends first baseman Fred Ford was 3 for 4 with one home run, one double, three RBI and two runs scored, and catcher Alex Marquez was 3 for 4 with two RBI and one run scored. Right-handed starter Christian Binford earned his third win of the season after surrendering two runs on five hits in six innings while striking out four batters and walking one. The Legends moved to 11-3 in May. (Box Score)

The Louisville Bats pounded out 16 hits in a 9-6 win versus Charlotte. Left fielder Felix Perez was 3 for 4 with three RBI, one run scored and one walk, and first baseman Mike Hessman was 3 for 5 with one double and one run scored. Catcher Corky Miller slugged his second home run of the season, drove in two runs and scored twice. Right-handed starter Daniel Corcino earned his second win of the season after surrendering two runs on three hits in five innings while striking out seven batters and walking three. (Box Score)

The Bowling Green Hot Rods were shutout for the second time this season in a 3-0 loss to Fort Wayne. Left-handed starter Blake Snell was charged with his fourth loss after surrendering three runs on six hits in five and two-thirds innings while striking out four batters and walking three. Shortstop Leonardo Reginatto was 2 for 4. (Box Score)

Former Beechwood High School and Campbellsville infielder Chris Curley was 2 for 4 with one run scored for high A Winston-Salem.

Former Henry Clay High School and Bellarmine infielder Patrick Brady was 2 for 3 with one double and one run scored for AA Jackson.

Keith Butler. (Photo from St. Louis Cardinals)

Former Butler County High School and right-handed pitcher Keith Butler earned his sixth save of the season after surrendering one hit in one and one-third scoreless innings while striking out two batters and walk one in an appearance for AA Springfield.

Former Hart County High School and UofL right-handed pitcher Derek Self earned his third save of the season with a scoreless inning of relief for high A Potomac.

Former NKU left-handed pitcher Jarrett Casey struck out two batters in two hitless innings of relief for high A Winston-Salem.

Former Lexington Catholic High School left-handed pitcher Nick Maronde pitched two hitless innings of relief for AA Arkansas.

One year after winning a championship, John Calipari this he has another special collection of talent on his roster. (File photo by Jon Hale)

The positive momentum surrounding the UK men’s basketball team since the season-ending NIT loss in March hit a bump Tuesday with top-ranked recruit Andrew Wiggins‘ commitment to Kansas, but expectations for next season are still skyrocketing.

With six McDonald’s All-Americans coming to campus and two possible first-round picks returning for a sophomore season, UK has established itself as the odds-on favorite to win the 2014 national championship. Some fans have gone as far as to suggest the Wildcats might be the first team to finish a season undefeated since the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers.

Is the UK head coach shying away from 40-0 talk?

“I’m not sitting there saying, ‘If we lose a game, it’s not a successful season,’ No,” John Calipari said Wednesday at his first news conference since the end of the 2012-13 season. “But you’re chasing greatness. What’s wrong with that?”

Sports betting website Bovada has given UK 5-to-1 odds to win the championship, even after Wiggins committed to Kansas.

The Cats’ chances of finishing undefeated are likely diminished regardless of the talent on the roster as UK faces both the No. 3 (Louisville) and No. 4 (Michigan State) most likely teams to win the 2014 tittle according to Bovada’s odds.

Many of UK’s most difficult games come early in the season when players might still be learning how to play with one another. The Cats meet Michigan State in the Champion’s Classic in Chicago in the third game of the regular season. UK then faces Providence, Baylor, Boise State and Louisville in December.

“It may be ugly early, and we’re playing good teams early,” Calipari said. “Through January we may not be a very good team. The point is, by the end f the year, we have the talent, the size, the toughness, the skill set.”

Calipari will also need to some of his young players to step up as leaders following a season in which he acknowledged the will-to-win was lacking at times. He reiterated that point Wednesday noting that when the coach has to take full leadership responsibility “your team can never have the success you want.”

Several of the incoming recruits will arrive on campus with the reputation of being on-the-court leaders who will not settle for losing, but Calipari stopped short of saying the roster will be dominated by those type of “alpha males.”

“We don’t have as many as you think,” he said. “This team will have maybe two. But that’s OK. What happens is, when you have multiple (alpha males), which we had on my team two years ago, different guys can lead at different points in the year.”

At least one UK player has a theory for how the Cats can increase their will-to-win across the board.

“Everything we do has to be win or lose,” said sophomore forward Willie Cauley-Stein. “Everything we have to do has got to have a consequence if you lose, and if you win you get praise for it.

“That’s the way that it’s got to be coming into it. That’s what’s going to create that dog in you to try and go out and just kill somebody.”

Of course the presence of multiple alpha male personalities on the roster also leads to questions about blending those personalities together for the good of the team.

Calipari is no stranger to getting players to take on smaller roles than might be expected for a prospect with the reputation of most of his recruits.

“More than any team I’ve had, shared sacrifice is going to matter in this group, and they knew that coming here,” he said. “I told every one of them, ‘If you want to shoot 30 balls a game, you don’t come here. If you want to be the only guy that’s playing, the one guy that everybody’s talking about, you wouldn’t come here.’

“I think again, it’s been laid out for them. Now the question is, will we all have patience? Will I have the patience? There’s no choice.”

And while the need for that patience may diminish any realistic shot at an undefeated season, Calipari made no attempt to downplay the idea that this team could be special, even by UK standards.

“I don’t mind a little pressure,” he said. “I’ve had it my whole career. I’ve had the gun to my head for 20-something years. And you know what? I’m at my best with the gun is to my head versus, ‘OK, I’m good, I can kick back.’ I’m not as good. And you know what? Players are the same.”