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Kentucky outfielder causes Indiana home run with ball bouncing off glove

Screen Shot 2024-05-28 at 9.09.17 AMby:Kaiden Smith•06/04/23•

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(Brown/Icon Sportswire)

Indiana infielder Evan Goforth hadn’t made a start for the Hoosiers in quite some time, recording just one hit on the season versus Auburn in February. But on Sunday during the team’s Lexington Regional matchup with Kentucky, he provided one of the most unusual highlight plays we’ll likely see all NCAA Tournament.

With his team down 4-0, Goforth got Indiana’s offense going with a solo home run to center that had a peculiar ending. Kentucky center fielder Jackson Gray was tracking Goforth’s hit as it neared the center field wall, and as it reached its destination, it bounced off of Gray’s glove and over the wall for a homer.

The play is one that Gray will likely be looking to forget as soon as possible, that Goforth will laugh about for the rest of his life, and that you can watch right now below.

“Yeah it looked like that Jose Canseco play back in the day, and obviously it didn’t play out that exact exact way, but it was a bit of a unique play,” Indiana head coach Jeff Mercer said.

Goforth’s homer may have been comical and resembled Canseco’s iconic off the head home run, but it did get things going for Indiana’s offense, as a Devin Taylor RBI single put another point on the board for the Hoosiers.

Indiana is only down 4-2 now heading into the fourth inning, as a win for a Hoosiers wins them the Lexington Regional, and a win by Kentucky forces a winner-take-all game on Monday.

Nolan McCarthy hits monster bomb to give Kentucky early lead

Kentucky outfielder Nolan McCarthy continues his hot streak, as he gave the Wildcats an early 3-0 lead over Indiana with a three-run home run on Sunday.

After a scoreless first inning for both teams, McCarthy got the offense going on a 1-1 count in his first at bat of the game at the top second inning. McCarthy launched his third home run of the season deep to left field on a monster shot that he had no choice but to admire once it made contact with his bat.

Check out McCarthy’s moon ball below.

McCarthy hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning of the Wildcats’ previous game versus West Virginia, where they defeated the Mountaineers 10-0 in a stellar offensive and defensive performance.

A few errors helped the Wildcats extend their lead to 4-0 versus Indiana entering the bottom of the second inning, as a win for Indiana secures the Hoosiers the win of the Lexington Regional, and a win for Kentucky forces a winner-take-all matchup on Monday.