Pitching struggles and missed opportunities on offense cost No. 2 Kentucky baseball (40-14 23-10 SEC) against South Carolina (36-22 14-17 SEC) by a score of 6-5, ending Kentucky’s run in the SEC Tournament.
“We’re looking to go out there and execute quality pitches and we let a few too many get away from us today,” Cameron O’Brien said. “We’ve got to hone in on that before the postseason.”
The Bat Cats took advantage of an error and a mental mistake by the Gamecocks as Nolan McCarthy doubled to right field to score two and give the Wildcats a lead.
However, the first missed opportunity on offense also came in the second as Ryan Waldschmidt struck out with runners on second and third to end the second.
After getting one out, Wildcat starter Mason Moore walked Park Noland before giving up a single to Kennedy Jones.
Moore got another out but the walk came back to haunt him as Gavin Casas unloaded on a breaking ball for a three-run home run, which put South Carolina ahead.
After both teams were held scoreless in the third, a single by Mitchell Daly, another error by the Gamecocks and a Grant Smith walk loaded the bases for Waldschmidt. South Carolina’s defense folded again as the third baseman couldn’t field a grounder hit by Waldschmidt, which tied the game and left the bases loaded.
Émilien Pitre then drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Wildcats a 4-3 lead.
Devin Burkes came up with a chance to break the game open and add to the Wildcats lead, however he struck out to end the inning and strand the runners.
Moore held strong after the second as he tossed back-to-back scoreless innings before giving up a leadoff game-tying home run to Will Tippett in the fifth.
The righty bounced back nicely by getting two outs, however things quickly unraveled from there as two walks and two hit-by-pitches gave the Gamecocks the lead and ended Moore’s afternoon.
“When Mason is at his best, he’s ahead in the count and he was behind in the count too much today,” Mingione said.
O’Brien inherited the bases loaded mess and walked Dalton Reeves to extend the South Carolina lead to 6-4.
The Wildcats created an offensive opportunity for themselves in the top of the eighth as Ryan Nicholson hit a one-out double to bring home Nick Lopez and bring the Bat Cats within one.
Nolan McCarthy came up and lined out to first base, but Nicholson got too far off second and was doubled off to end the inning and spoil another opportunity for the Cats.
“On a ball in the infield, you were supposed to vault back and we didn’t do that,” Mingione said. “We did not execute that baserunning play and obviously it was a costly one.”
The Wildcats went three-up, three-down in the top of ninth to end the ballgame and their run in the SEC Tournament.
Kentucky will await the NCAA Tournament selection show to see its seed and who it will face off against in the Lexington Regional beginning next week.
