1 week Ago By Eric Smithling, Yardbarker
Kentucky outfielder Griffin Cameron was the hero at the plate for the Wildcats in a walk-off extra-innings thriller over No. 2 Texas, and he didn't even need to get the ball out of the infield. With catcher Devin Burkes on first base in the bottom of the 15th, Cameron hit a pop-up bunt that quickly landed in front of the plate.
Texas catcher Rylan Galvan mishandled the ball in the dirt before firing toward the first base line, but the ball arrived at the same time Burkes reached the base and wasn't fielded cleanly by first baseman Kimble Schuessler, sending it to right field. Burkes slid into home as Texas' desperate throw back toward the plate sailed high to seal Kentucky's 5-4 win. SAC BUNT FOR THE WIN @UKBaseball BEATS NO.
2 TEXAS AFTER A WILD 15-INNING FINISH pic.twitter.com/jPVIB0OA64 Before the game-ending bunt, the Wildcats tied the game with a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
With the win, Kentucky (19-13, 6-8 in SEC) snapped a four-game losing streak while ending Texas' five-game winning streak. The result should also help solidify its place in the 2025 NCAA baseball tournament, which begins with 16 four-team regionals on May 30. Entering their weekend series against the vaunted Longhorns, the Wildcats were trending downward.
Per Baseball America's most recent tournament projection on April 9, Kentucky was on the bubble as one of the last four teams in the field. The loss is less significant for Texas (28-5, 12-2 in SEC), which is still in line to be one of the top national seeds, setting it up to host the Regional and Super Regional. The teams meet in the rubber match of their three-game set at noon EST on Sunday.
Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans.
