Kentucky Claims Second Consecutive SEC Series Victory

Tyler Bell drove in three, Luke Lawrence scored a career-high four runs and Cole Hage made a critical defensive play to go along with a strong offensive day as Kentucky claimed an 11-5 victory over South Carolina on Sunday to claim its second straight Southeastern Conference series.

The Cats (25-16, 10-11 SEC) plated five runs in the fourth inning and four more in the eighth to put the game away. In between, Hage threw out a runner at home to end Carolina’s half of the eighth and keep some distance between the two teams.

True freshmen drove in five runs, as Bell had a bases loaded double and Ryan Schwartz added his first multi-RBI game.

NOTES

• Kentucky is 25-16 (10-11 SEC) on the season.
• UK was hit by two pitches in the game and now have been hit 119 times in 2025.
  • It entered the weekend with 110 on the season, which ranked third nationally.
• UK now is 5-7 in SEC home games this season.
• UK has held a lead in 20 of 21 SEC games.
• True freshmen drove in five runs in the game.
• UK stole six bases in the game and 16 in the series.
  • UK has stolen 16 bases in back-to-back SEC weekends.
• UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his ninth season at the helm and now owns a 288-180 career record.
  • Mingione is the second-winningest coach in school history.
  • UK is 66-66 in the month of April under Coach Mingione.
  • Mingione now is 13-14 vs. South Carolina.
• INF Tyler Bell now has reached base safely in 40 of 41 career games.
  • Bell has 23 extra base hits this season (17 2B, 6 HR)
  • That ranks fifth in UK history for a freshman.
  • He had a bases loaded double to drive in three.
• IF Luke Lawrence went 2-for-3 with four runs, an RBI, a walk, a steal and a HBP.
  • He hit his third home run.
  • The runs scored are a career high.
• C Devin Burkes stole a base and now has 37 career steals.
• C/OF Ryan Schwartz had his first career multi-RBI game.
• OF Cole Hage went 2-for-5 with two RBI.
  • He had multiple hits in all three games of the series.
  • He had his 11^th multi-hit and 10^th multi-RBI game of the season.
• LHP Ben Cleaver won his fifth game of the season.
  • Final line: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 5 K

 ON DECK

The Cats travel to Western Kentucky on Tuesday night. The game is at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT. It will air on ESPN+ and radio will be carried by the UK Sports Network.