Self-inflicted wounds down South Carolina in series opener
The seventh-inning stretch started and South Carolina carried all the momentum.
The Gamecocks had just cut a three-run deficit to one and were bringing in one of their best relievers to try to hold things steady.
But that didn’t happen with Kentucky catching a few breaks and making its own luck en route to a big inning in a 7-3 loss Friday night.
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Eli Jones came in and gave up five straight base runners with a leadoff single followed by a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt.
Kentucky loaded the bases after that with a bunt that squirted past Jones on the mound, then took a two-run lead on a walk.
Jones would get a strikeout but give up a high-bouncing ground ball over the head of Gavin Casas that plated two runs.
In total, Kentucky scored three runs on just two balls that ultimately left the infield.
That was the story of most of the night with South Carolina (36-9, 14-7 SEC) miscues giving Kentucky offense Friday.
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The Wildcats scored in the first inning thanks to a two-out wild pitch from Will Sanders then got an inside-the-park home run on a ball Dylan Brewer lost in the sun.
Things settled for Sanders until the fifth when he gave up a two-run homer to put the Gamecocks in a deeper hole.
Sanders finished a laborious outing by giving up four runs, all earned, on six hits while striking out seven. He’d walk three over five innings, throwing 54 of his 86 pitches for strikes.
His ERA is up to 5.75 this season in what’s been a maddeningly inconsistent season to date.
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South Carolina was kept down early offensively, a solo shot from Gavin Casas the lone scoring through the first six innings.
The Gamecocks would make things a game late, using three straight singles with one away–including an RBI knock from Michael Braswell–and a Cole Messina sac fly to make it alone run game.
Caleb Denny struck out to end the threat and South Carolina couldn’t get much going after that.
South Carolina stranded 10 Friday while going 3-for-13 with runners on and 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
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Up next: Game two of the series kicks off at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon. South Carolina will give the ball to Jack Mahoney (4-2, 3.91 ERA) while lefty Tyler Bosma (4-3, 4.82 ERA) will start for the Wildcats. The game will be on SEC Network Plus and the Gamecock Radio Network.
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