Pinched: No. 19 South Carolina Stuns No. 4 Kentucky

COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 19 South Carolina hit four home runs over the final two innings, including two pinch hit blasts in the ninth, to walk off No. 4 Kentucky 6-5 in 10 innings at Founders Park on a two-run shot to end the game. It represented the first time this season UK has dropped three straight games.

The Wildcats (32-8, 15-4 Southeastern Conference) scored three runs in the top of the ninth to bust open what had been a pitcher’s duel. It was vintage UK baseball with walks, hit by pitch and squeeze bunts. It also put the Cats in prime position to capitalize on South Carolina native Trey Pooser’s career-best start. The Hanahan, South Carolina native, 90 minutes from the Gamecocks’ campus, struck out a career-high 11 batters in seven innings of one-run ball.

But it wasn’t meant to be.

The Gamecocks led off the ninth with a solo homer from lefty Blake Jackson then saw back-to-back left-handed pinch hitters Dalton Reeves and Gavin Casas each crush solo shots of their own to tie the game. After Nick Lopez delivered a two-out RBI single in the 10^th to give the Cats the lead once again, a one-out walk put the game-winning run at the plate in, who else, but Blake Jackson. He slashed his two-run game-winner off the railing above the left field wall, sending the Gamecocks streaming  onto the field in delirium.

NOTES

• Kentucky now is 32-8 in 2024, 15-4 in Southeastern Conference play.
  • Kentucky is 13-2 in night games.
  • Kentucky is 8-4 in April.
  • Kentucky is 8-2 in SEC road games.
  • Kentucky is 4-15 all-time at Founders Park.
• Kentucky is 10-3 vs. ranked teams and 13-3 vs. Quad 1 opponents.
• Kentucky has hit 29 home runs in its last nine games.
• Kentucky scored 3+ runs in an inning for the 52nd time this season.

UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his eighth season at the helm and now owns a 248-158 career record.

• Mingione needs 10 victories to become the second-winningest coach in school history.
• UK is 57-58 in the month of April under Coach Mingione.
• Mingione now is 10-11 vs. South Carolina.
• Senior Trey Pooser, a South Carolina native, allowed one run on four hits in 7.0 innings, walking three and striking out 11.
  • He struck out a season high 11 batters.
  • He is the first UK pitcher to strike out 10 or more in a game since Zack Lee had 12 in the last meeting vs. South Carolina in May 2023.
• Junior Ryan Waldschmidt was 2-for-4, two runs, a walk, two steals and a solo home run.
  • He has homered five times in last five games.
  • With a single in the first he now owns a career-long 11-game hit streak.
  • He stole second base in the first, his 15^th bag of the season and 50^th
  • He owns a seven-game streak with multiple hits.
• Senior Nick Lopez went 1-for-3 with a run, an RBI and walk.
  • He is riding a 17-game reached base streak.
• Senior Emilien Pitre has reached base in 17 straight games.

ON DECK

The Wildcats take on South Carolina on Saturday night. First pitch is at 6 p.m. ET and the game will be televised ed on the SEC Network, along with an audio broadcast via the UK Sports Network.