FOUNDERS PARK: 19th ranked South Caolina put it all together Sunday afternoon in defeating 4th ranked Kentucky 10-0 in seven innings to take the series two games to one. Pitching. Offense. Defense. Replays. Strategies. It all worked for Mark Kingston’s team in what was perhaps their best overall game of the season to date.
Dylan Eskew started on the mound for the Gamecocks and allowed five hits over 6.1 innings. Connor McCreery got the final two outs to preserve the third shutout of the season for the pitching staff.
The Gamecocks took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third in the strangest of ways. With runners on first and second, Ethan Petry hits what appears to be a three run homer to left. However, the runner on first held up around the second base bag to make sure the ball left the park, and Petry passed him between first and second. Thus, Petry was credited with a two-run single while also being called out on the play.
The Gamecocks added a run in the fourth then blew the game open with six runs in the fifth. With the bases loaded and no one out, Blake Jackson singled in a run. Kennedy Jones followed with a two run single, part of a four RBI day for him. Dalton Reeves then bunted down the first base line for an RBI. Gavin Casas and Austin Brinling closed out the 11 at bat inning with back to back RBI singles.
Defensively, the Gamecocks turned a pair of double plays. Kingston was two for two on his replay requests. And the Gamecocks advanced runners throughout the game and had three sacrifice bunts and one sac fly.
With the win, the Gamecocks improve to 29-14 overall and 11-10 in the SEC. Kentucky, which dropped it’s second straight league series, is 33-9 and 16-5 in SEC play. The Gamecocks will host East Tennessee State Wednesday night before playing a three game series at Missouri.
