Kentucky will look to end long rubber match losing streak against West Virginia

Kentucky dropped a second game against West Virginia by blowing a three-run lead in the ninth inning. That madness in Morgantown has set up a rubber match situation between the Wildcats and Mountaineers with a super regional berth on the line. This has not been a situation that has treated Nick Mingione‘s squad kindly.

The Bat Cats recorded a victory in every SEC series this season but finished the regular season with a 13-17 record. How does that happen? By losing a lot of Game 3s. Another one has arrived in the postseason. You could say that Kentucky is due after finishing the season 0-7 in rubber match situations.

KSR is taking a look back at each game in preparation of the eighth rubber match of the season. To say this steak needs to end would be putting it lightly.

PREVIEW: Kentucky and West Virginia will meet in another ‘bar fight’ with super regional berth on the line

Rubber Match Rundown

— Ole Miss (March 21): After getting shutout on Thursday, Kentucky got a gem from Jaxon Jelkin on Friday in Oxford to set the stage for Saturday afternoon. The Bat Cats plated six runs in the fifth inning highlighted by a Carson Hansen grand slam to take a 8-5 lead. Then a bullpen implosion occurred. Ole Miss two home runs in the seventh and plated three more runs in the eighth against Connor Mattison and Burkley Bounds. UK went from an 8-5 lead to a 12-9 loss in the late innings.

— LSU (March 29): A strong Friday night performance at The Box from Jaxon Jelkin put Kentucky in position to win a road series. Unfortunately, the offense was shutout on Saturday. That set the stage for another rubber match. UK raced out to a 7-0 lead in the third inning before disaster struck. Ben Cleaver was pulled from the game in the third inning after issuing three walks. The Tigers would score six runs with two outs in the inning to create a new game. The Cats took a 10-6 lead in the fifth before LSU scored one in the bottom half of the frame and got two home runs in the sixth to take an 11-10 lead. The avalanche did not stop there with two runs in the seventh and four runs in the eighth. UK used 10 pitchers in the game, handed out 13 free passes, and allowed three home runs. The bullpen gave up 11 of those runs over 5.1 innings in the 17-10 loss.

— Missouri (April 5): After a stunning Friday home loss to Missouri with Jaxon Jelkin on the mound, Kentucky blitzed the Tigers on Saturday to create the first rubber match at Kentucky Proud Park in 2026. This went similar to the ones on the road. Kentucky’s offense finished 2-19 with runners on base and left 11 baserunners on in the brutal 5-2 defeat. A walk and Ben Cleaver throwing error started a four-run inning for Mizzou in the fifth that determined the game.

— Auburn (April 12): After Jaxon Jelkin produced his worst start of the season on Thursday, Kentucky bounced-back quickly to record one of their most impressive wins of the season at Plainsman Park. The Cats found the home run button, Nate Harris got them out of a bases loaded jam, and Nile Adcock produced 11 big outs for a huge 5-4 win. That set the stage for a rubber match. Sunday’s game was decided quickly. Auburn got a sac fly and two-run home run from Bub Terrell in the first and never looked back. Ben Cleaver was pulled in the third inning and the bullpen allowed seven runs over 4.1 innings. The Tigers won 11-0 in a game that ended as a run-rule in the seventh inning.

— Vanderbilt (April 19): Braxton Van Cleave played hero on Friday night with a walk off home run to beat Vanderbilt. Kentucky then dropped a one-run game on Saturday when the bullpen had to cover 7.2 innings after a short Jack Bennett start. That left them in a vulnerable position. Connor Mattison threw five innings of one-run ball and went to the mound in the sixth with a 3-1 lead on Sunday afternoon. Then the Commodores found a big inning. Vandy produced a solo blast and a grand slam to take a 7-4 lead. A wild pitch strikeout for Nile Adcock extended the frame to set up that grand slam. UK trimmed the lead to 7-6 in the eighth but didn’t receive a chance to win the game on offense in the ninth. The Cats needed four pitchers in a six-run Vandy inning that included a home run, error, and wild pitch in a 13-6 loss.

Tie game, full count and two outs with the bases loaded…

Will Hampton's first career home run is a GRAND one 💣 pic.twitter.com/mh7JKXAnld

— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) April 19, 2026

— Florida (May 10): Kentucky snatched defeat from the jaws of victory when the bullpen blew a 6-1 lead in the eighth inning to drop game one. Jaxon Jelkin then gave UK a complete game on Saturday to even the series in a 4-2 win. Another rubber match arrived. Nate Harris made his first start in a month after sitting out with a shoulder injury. The sophomore did not get out of the first inning in a game that started before noon due to inclement weather. Florida plated three runs in the first and then scored four more in the fourth after a Will Marcy three-run home run gave Kentucky a 5-3 lead. The Gators clubbed three dingers in the game to win 9-6. Kentucky’s bullpen allowed six runs on 10 hits with four free passes over 7.2 innings.

— Arkansas (May 16): The wildest rubber match game of the season happened in the regular season finale. After two close games to begin the weekend that included a Jaxon Jelkin six-out save on Thursday night, the Cats and Hogs played one of the wildest college baseball games of the season on Saturday afternoon. Connor Mattison did not record an out in his final start of the regular season. The Hogs scored 10 runs on eight hits (zero home runs) and five free passes to take a commanding lead in the first. Kentucky somehow made this a game. The Cats were down 11-0 in the third inning. The game was tied at 12 in the fifth inning. UK scored nine runs in that fifth frame highlighted by a Carson Hansen grand slam. Despite the momentum, UK’s bullpen would allow two runs in the sixth and two runs in the eighth. UK would leave three runners in scoring position over the final four innings in a 16-12 defeat.