Day 2 of the 2024 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska had to try hard to match the excitement of Friday’s opening two games. However, Saturday’s opener matched the excitement with yet another walk-off win, this one in extra innings.
Kentucky 5, NC State 4
Mitchell Daly’s home run with two outs in the 10th inning off Derrick Smith gave No. 2 seed Kentucky a 5–4 walk-off win over No. 10 NC State in the first game of Saturday’s action. The Wildcats’ victory was the third walk-off finish in the first three games at Charles Schwab Field.
Daly’s home run was his seventh of the season for the senior third baseman. For the season, he batted .302 with a .691 OPS.
Key stats
Kentucky first baseman Ryan Nicholson batted 3-for-4, including the game-tying home run in the ninth. The grad transfer led the Wildcats during the regular season with 21 home runs and 61 RBI to go with a .299 batting average and 1.080 OPS.
Play of the game
Nicholson’s opposite field home run for the Wildcats in the bottom of the ninth off NC State’s Jacob Dudan tied the score at 4–4. In the top of the inning, the Wolfpack’s Garrett Pennington scored on a wild pitch by Johnny Hummel in the ninth for a 4–3 lead.
