Baseball Wins Friday Night Thriller, 10-9, over Kentucky

COLUMBIA – The University of South Carolina baseball team scored five runs in the first inning and held on to defeat Kentucky, 10-9, Friday night (April 24) in the opener of the SEC series at Founders Park.

After allowing a run in the first, Carolina responded with a five-spot in the bottom of the first, capped by an Ethan Lizama grand slam after hits from Will Craddock, Tyler Bak and Talmadge LeCroy. Kentucky came right back and scored four in the second to tie the game.

Carolina took the lead for good in the bottom of the third on KJ Scobey’s eighth home run of the season. Dawson Harman then went yard for the first time on Friday, making it 8-6 Gamecocks in the fifth. Harman’s second home run of the night in the seventh and Talmadge LeCroy’s RBI double in the eighth gave the Gamecocks insurance that they needed.

Kentucky opened the ninth with a pair of walks, an RBI double and a hit by pitch. Parker Marlatt came in and induced a pop out. An RBI fielder’s choice made it 10-9 Gamecocks. After an error, Marlatt got Tyler Bell to fly out to end the game.

Bak, LeCroy and Harman had two hits apiece while Lizama drove in four. Cooper Parks earned the win on the mound, striking out three and allowing just one hit in 3.2 innings. Marlatt picked up his first save with the hitless ninth.

POSTGAME NOTES

• Carolina had six extra-base hits on the night.
• Both teams had three errors in the game.
• Carolina used seven pitchers on the night. 

UP NEXT

Carolina and Kentucky continue its three-game series on Saturday afternoon (April 25) with a 1 p.m. first pitch. The game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.