Kentucky Baseball Swept by No. 20 South Carolina on Senior Weekend

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky baseball team entered the weekend seeking to bolster its case for inclusion in the NCAA’s postseason party. Those hopes instead took a hit as No. 20 South Carolina completed a three-game series sweep with Sunday’s 11-6 victory at Kentucky Proud Park.
 
The Wildcats slipped to 27-20 overall and 11-16 in Southeastern Conference play with their fifth consecutive loss, all in league play and to ranked opponents. The final week of the regular season will feature a home tilt against Tennessee Tech on Tuesday before a trip to Vanderbilt that begins Thursday night. UK already has clinched a berth in the SEC Tournament that opens May 25.
 
South Carolina used three three-run innings to take control and did just enough on the mound to keep the Cats at bay over the back half of the game. UK scored in the sixth, seventh and eighth but left 10 men on base as it tried to claw all the way back from a 7-1 deficit.
 
 
GAME SCORING
Top 3rd – Callil singled up the middle and scored on Eyster’s double down the LF line. Sightler homered to LF, Eyster scored. South Carolina 3, UK 0.
 
Top 4^th – Milone singled, Callil was hit by a pitch and Allen singled. Eyster hit a SAC fly to CF, Milone scored. Clarke doubled to LCF, Callil and Eyster scored. South Carolina 6, UK 0.
 
Bottom 4^th – John Rhodes reached on an error and Coltyn Kessler doubled to LCF. Rhodes scored on Oraj Anu’s groundout. South Carolina 6, UK 1.
 
Top 5^th – Wimmer hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a throwing error by the pitcher. South Carolina 7, UK 1.
 
Bottom 6^th – Anu singled up the middle and scored Cam Hill’s triple to RCF. Zeke Lewis walked. Austin Schultz singled to RF, Hill scored. South Carolina 7, UK 3.
 
Top 7^th – Wimmer singled, Heinrich reached on an infield single and Burgess was hit by a pitch. Allen singled to LF, scoring Wimmer and Heinrich. Eyster singled up the middle, Burgess scored. South Carolina 10, UK 3.
 
Bottom 7^th – Rhodes was hit by a pitch, Kessler walked and Anu was hit by a pitch. Chase Estep hit a SAC fly to LF, scoring Rhodes, Kessler to third. Ryan Ritter hit a SAC fly to RF, scoring Kessler. South Carolina 10, UK 5.
 
Bottom 8^th – Lewis singled, Schultz and Collett were hit by pitches. Lewis scored on a groundout. South Carolina 10, UK 6.
 
Top 9^th – Callil singled, stole second and scored on Eyster’s single to LF. South Carolina 11, UK 6.
 
 
NOTES

• UK is 27-20 overall, 11-16 in SEC play.
• The Cats are 21-13 at Kentucky Proud Park this season.
• The Cats are 4-13 vs. ranked teams.
• The Cats are 72-of-77 on stolen base attempts this season.
  • UK’s .935 success rate is the highest of any team with 50 or more stolen bases.

• Senior 1B T.J. Collett Collett has reached base safely in 22 of his past 23 games.

• Sophomore OF John Rhodes scored a pair of runs was hit by a pitch.

  • Has reached safely in 12 straight games and 20 of last 21 overall.
  • He has drawn a walk and/or been hit by a pitch in 30 games this season.
• Junior IF/OF Austin Schultz went 2-for-4 with an RBI, SB and HBP.
  • Schultz has reached base safely in 96 of 105 career games with a plate appearance.
  • He has recorded a hit in 80 of those 105 games.
  • He now has 22 multi-hit games this season and 37 in his career.
  • Schultz is 21-of-23 on steals this season and now has 36 for his career.
  • Schultz now has 124 career hits, moving him past Chris Wade (2009-10) into 43rd place on the school’s all-time list.
• Senior C Coltyn Kessler went 1-for-4 with a double, run and walk.
  • Kessler has reached safely in 32 of his past 35 games.
  • Kessler has a hit in 14 of past 16 games.
• Senior OF Oraj Anu went 1-for-4 with a run, RBI and HBP.
  • Anu has a hit in 16 of the past 19 games.

 
 
ON DECK
Kentucky hosts Tennessee Tech on Tuesday at Kentucky Proud Park. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network Plus. The radio call will be on the UK Sports Network.