Day 2 of the 2024 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska had to try hard to match the excitement of Friday’s first two games. Saturday’s opener, however, matched the excitement with another walk-off victory, this time in overtime.
Kentucky 5, NC State 4
Mitchell Daly’s two-out home run in the 10th inning off Derrick Smith gave No. 2 seed Kentucky a 5-4 walk-off victory over No. 10 NC State in the first game of Saturday’s action. The Wildcats’ win was the third walk-off finish in the first three games at Charles Schwab Field.
Daly’s home run was the senior third baseman’s seventh of the season. For the season, he hit .302 with a .691 OPS.
Key statistics
Kentucky first baseman Ryan Nicholson went 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.
Game 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, Wolfpack’s Garrett Pennington scored on a wild pitch by Johnny Hummel in the ninth for a 4-3 lead.
