The South Carolina baseball team lost to the Kentucky Wildcats this weekend two games to one for its sixth SEC series loss of the season and dropped its SEC record to just 5-16.
Sunday's loss guaranteed South Carolina's sixth losing season in conference play in its last 10. Prior to this stretch, the program had not suffered a losing record in SEC play since 1997.
Games one and two of the series were both played on Saturday after the Friday game was postponed due to weather. The Wildcats took game one 7-3, but the Gamecocks responded, winning the second game of the doubleheader 5-4 later that day. Kentucky inevitably won the series on Sunday after defeating the Gamecocks 11-5.
Here's a recap of the games:
Late pitching struggles give South Carolina game one loss against Kentucky
The Gamecocks dropped the first game of a Saturday doubleheader 7-3 against Kentucky. The Wildcats scored in the first, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings to pull away from the Gamecocks while striking out nine and only walking two batters.
Sophomore pitcher Brandon Stone made the game one start for the Gamecocks and had two walks and no strikeouts in seven innings of work, giving up five runs on seven hits in the loss.
The Wildcats struck first in the contest, with junior outfielder Carson Hansen hitting a first inning two-run home run to put Kentucky up 2-0 early.
Freshman infielder Beau Hollins cut the deficit in half with an RBI double, with the Gamecocks tying the game 2-2 after freshman catcher Gavin Braland hit a two-out RBI single.
Freshman utility player Ryan Schwartz had a two-out double in the fifth inning and later scored on an infield error by freshman infielder KJ Scobey to regain the lead 3-2 for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats expanded its lead in the sixth inning after back-to-back singles. The Wildcats' lead doubled to 4-2 after redshirt fifth-year catcher Devin Burkes hit a sac fly.
A leadoff hit-by-pitch put senior outfielder Cole Hage on for the Wildcats in the seventh. Freshman infielder Tyler Bell had an RBI double to score Hage to take a 5-2 lead. The bases were loaded following a two-out walk, but a diving play by Hollins at first base ended the threat and the inning.
The Gamecocks looked to rally in the eighth inning following a leadoff single from Braland. The Gamecocks then loaded the bases with zero outs after junior outfielder Nathan Hall drew a walk and junior infielder Henry Kaczmar hit a single.
South Carolina earned a run back after Braland scored on a groundout-double play by senior outfielder Dalton Mashore. With Hall at third base, senior outfielder Kennedy Jones struck out to end the rally.
Kentucky added another run in the bottom of the eighth inning after Burkes drew a leadoff walk and senior designated hitter Dylan Koontz was hit by a pitch. RBI singles from Hage and sophomore outfielder Griffin Cameron gave the Wildcats a 7-3 lead, securing the win.
South Carolina answers back in second game of double header
Despite dropping the opening game of the series, South Carolina rallied to take a narrow win over Kentucky 5-4 in the second game of the Saturday doubleheader.
South Carolina had an early first score after Jones singled up the middle to drive home Kaczmar for the first run of the game for the Gamecocks.
It didn't take long for the Wildcats to respond, as in the bottom of the first, sophomore pitcher Jake McCoy gave up a homer to Bell, tying the game at 1-1.
McCoy gave up a second homer to Kentucky in the second inning, this time to Hage , who hit a two-run home run to bring the Wildcats' lead to 3-1.
The Gamecocks were able to answer back in the third inning after Hall hit an RBI double to left field, scoring Kaczmar and Stone, tying the game 3-3.
At the end of the fifth inning, Kentucky retook the lead with Hansen laying down a bunt to score sophomore infielder Kyuss Gargett , leaving the inning with a 4-3 advantage.
The scoring lull for the Gamecocks ended in the eighth inning when junior infielder Will Tippett hit a two-run home run, his first this season, scoring Mashore and retaking the lead 5-4.
"Couldn't be happier for the kid," head coach Paul Mainieri said. "It was like a dream to see that ball disappear into the darkness."
Senior pitcher Caleb Jones and redshirt sophomore relief pitcher Ashton Crowther both played in the second game of the series. Crowther has allowed only one run since March 22 and finished the second game against Kentucky with a 3.67 ERA and four strikeouts.
"Our pitching kept us in the game," Mainieri said. "Jake battled through it, and Caleb came in and did a super job like he normally does, and then Ashton was borderline phenomenal."
Pitching struggles and defensive errors cost the series for the Gamecocks
South Carolina lost the final game of the road series against Kentucky 11-5 on Sunday.
Despite a slow start, South Carolina took an early lead after Braland singled to right field, letting Tippett score. It was answered quickly at the bottom of the third with Kentucky junior infielder Luke Lawrence hitting a far right homer to tie the game 1-1.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Gamecocks trailed 6-1 after Schwartz hit a two-RBI single and Bell hit a three-RBI double to score five runs in the inning for the Wildcats.
In the top of the sixth, the Gamecocks got a run back after Hall hit an RBI single, his 37th of the season, sending Stone home to score and bringing the score to 6-2.
Later in the top of sixth, with the bases loaded, Mashore reached on a fielder's choice, pushing Hall to third and Kaczmar to home, cutting the deficit to 6-3.
Kentucky scored just one run in the bottom of the sixth after a throwing error by senior pitcher Matthew Becker allowed Lawrence to advance to third, followed by a throwing error from Nate Hall that allowed the runner to score.
South Carolina continued to close the gap in the top of the eighth inning when junior infielder Cayden Gaskin and Scobey each hit RBI singles to cut the Wildcats' lead to just two runs entering the bottom of the eighth.
The Wildcats ended the Gamecocks' chance at a comeback in the bottom of the eighth. A base hit from allowed Kentucky’s redshirt freshman infielder Hudson Brown to score. With the bases loaded, Cameron drew a walk to score another run. Hage put the finishing touches on the win for Kentucky after he hit a two-RBI single to put the Wildcats up 11-5.
Seven different pitchers took the mound for the Gamecocks today, with senior pitcher Dylan Eskew getting the start. He pitched for just 3.1 innings and had three strikeouts and gave up two runs on three hits.
What's next?
The South Carolina Gamecocks will return to Founders Park on April 29 against Charleston Southern. First pitch is at 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on SECN+.