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On Friday night, the Gamecocks were embarrassed 14-1 by the Wildcats. On Saturday, it was South Carolina’s turn to do all the scoring, as they bounced back and tied up the series with a blowout victory.
The Gamecocks took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, after Jonah Bride walked to start the game and eventually came home on a two-out RBI double by Hunter Taylor. They broke things open in the next inning, scoring six insurance runs. Kyle Jacobsen knocked a base hit to lead things off, Carlos Cortes and Justin Row followed with singles of their own to load the bases with no outs, and LT Tolbert brought Jacobsen home when he hit into a fielder’s choice to make it 2-0. Bride followed that with a three-run homer to put USC up 5-0, and with two outs, Riley Hogan walked, then came home when Hunter Taylor went yard to make the score 7-0.
Kentucky scored its only run of the game in the bottom of the third on a homer, making it 7-1.
That score only lasted until the fifth inning, when the Gamecocks added on a few more runs. Tolbert homered to start the inning, Bride singled and Taylor walked, and Jacob Olson brought them both home with a two-run double that put South Carolina in double digits with a 10-1 lead.
The Gamecocks scored two more runs in the next inning thanks to a wild pitch and Matt Williams hitting into a fielder’s choice. The final three runs of the game came in the eighth inning, as Row and Tolbert walked to start, Williams knocked a one-out RBI single, and Taylor followed with a two-run double.
Starter Cody Morris had a great outing, working six innings and allowing just three hits and one run. He walked two batters and struck out 10, tying a career high. Morris also earned the win and is now 6-2 on the season. Sawyer Bridges pitched the other three innings of this game.
With the win, South Carolina improves to 18-13 overall and 5-6 in conference play, while Kentucky is now 21-10 overall and 4-7 in the SEC. The rubber game is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday.