Kole Cottam’s fourth inning home run over the 405-foot mark in centerfield gave No. 8 Kentucky the lead for good and the bullpen worked six scoreless innings as the Wildcats opened the SEC Tournament with a 7-2 win over South Carolina at the Hoover Met.
The win is UK’s first in the SEC Tournament since 2014 and gives the Cats 39 victories this season, the most since the 2012 team won a school-record 45. UK will face the winner of the Missouri-LSU game in the second game of Thursday’s evening session, approximately 9 p.m. ET.
The Cats (39-18) spotted South Carolina a two-run lead in the top of the third, as the Gamecocks took advantage of a pair of walks – one intentional – the grab an early lead. But UK answered right back in its half of the inning, tying the game on Evan White’s RBI groundout and Luke Becker’s ground ball that sneaked under the glove of the second baseman.
Cottam, who now has nine hits in his past four games, hammered his sixth home run of the year in the fourth and White added a three-run opposite-field double in the sixth to put the game out of reach.
On the mound, junior lefty Brad Schaenzer drew the start and lasted three innings before lefty Zach Logue relieved him in the fourth and threw three terrific innings to earn the win. Freshman righty Chris Machamer earned his first career save by working the final three innings.
SCORING
Top 3rd – TJ Hopkins walked with one out. Carlos Cortes was intentionally walked. Riley Hogan blooped a single to CF to load the bases. Alex Destino hit a SAC fly to score Hopkins. Jonah Bride doubled to LF to score Cortes. USC 2, UK 0.
Bottom 3rd – Connor Heady singled up the middle. Tristan Pompey singled to LF, moving Heady to third. Evan White hit an RBI groundout, scoring Heady. Luke Becker pulled a grounder under the second baseman’s glove that was ruled an error, scoring Pompey from second. UK 2, USC 2.
Bottom 4th – Kole Cottam homered to CF. UK 3, USC 2.
Bottom 6th – Cottam singled through the left side. Zeke Lewis pinch ran for Cottam. Marcus Carson was hit by a pitch. Heady singled to LF to load the bases. White doubled into RCF, scoring all three runners. UK 6, USC 2.
Bottom 8th – Carson reached on an error. Heady laid down a SAC bunt and a throwing error on the play allows Carson to score from first. UK 7, USC 2.
NOTES
· Kentucky’s 39 wins on the season are the most since the 2012 team won a school-record 45. It’s also the sixth most in school history.
· This is UK’s first win in the SEC Tournament since 2014.
· The Cats are now 22-32 all-time in the SEC Tournament.
· Kentucky has gone 76 games without being shutout, the seventh-longest such streak in school history.
· Junior 1B Evan White went 1-for-5 with four RBI.
o White now has 222 career hits, ninth on UK’s all-time list.
o White has a hit in 30 of his last 34 games.
o He extended his reached base safely streak to 23 of last 24 games.
· Sophomore OF Tristan Pompey went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
o He extended his reached base safely streak to 28 straight games.
o Pompey now has hit safely in 41 of his past 46 games.
o Pompey now has 24 multi-hit games on the season and 31 for his career.
o Senior OF Zach Reks went 0-for-3 but has reached base safely in 26 of last the 27 games after drawing a walk.
· Sophomore C/DH Kole Cottam went 2-for-3 with a solo home run.
o Cottam now has 18 multi-hit games this season and 24 in his career.
o Cottam now has nine hits in the past four games.
o It was Cottam’s sixth home run of the season.
· Senior OF Marcus Carson scored two runs and was hit by a pitch.
o Carson’s HBP is a team-high 19th this season and the sixth most in a single-season in UK history.
· Senior SS Connor Heady went 2-for-2 with two runs scored.
o Heady now has 12 multi-hit games this season and 18 for his career.
o Heady now has 13 sacrifices this season, moving him into a tie for 3rd with Ryan Wilkes (2007) on UK’s single-season list. He has 19 for his career, good for 11th all-time.
· The Kentucky bullpen allowed just three hits in six scoreless innings, walking none and striking out five.
· Freshman RHP Chris Machamer earned his first career save with three innings of work.
ON DECK
Kentucky will face either Missouri or LSU on Thur., May 25 in the second game of the late session. The time is to be determined. You can listen on 630 AM WLAP and watch on the SEC Network. Follow along with the Cats on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
‑ GO CATS –
For more information contact:
Matt May
