LEXINGTON, Ky. — After Kentucky’s 17-5 win over in-state rival Louisville, junior outfielder Carson Hansen told media members “I think the Cats are officially hot as of now.”
The Wildcats had won three in a row — all over rivals — and came into the weekend looking to continue their winning ways. It did that in the first game of the doubleheader against South Carolina, beating the Gamecocks 7-3 at Kentucky Proud Park.
Kentucky has its longest winning streak against Power-5 opponents this year with four straight victories. The Wildcats are now 9-10 in the league and will play the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday night. The series concludes on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Here are some quick takeaways from the Wildcats’ win:
- There’s no better place to start than with freshman right-handed pitcher Nate Harris. Harris moved into the weekend rotation on April 4 against Ole Miss. This was his fourth start in league play, and by far his best outing. Harris allowed just two earned runs — both runs in the second inning — and struck out seven batters over seven innings pitched. It was a career-long outing for him and easily his best start against an SEC opponent. Following a one-out walk in the third inning, Harris proceeded to retire the final 14 batters that he faced. He did it efficiently as well as he finished with 92 pitches. After some initial struggles early in the year, Kentucky’s rotation now looks to be humming. Sophomore Ben Cleaver has been a steadying force all year and is Kentucky’s best weekend starter, but senior Nic McCay fired a season-best 7.2 innings and 12 strikeouts against Tennessee last weekend.
- South Carolina had a chance to get back into the game in the eighth. The Wildcats held a 5-2 lead going into the frame, but the Gamecocks loaded the bases with no outs off senior lefty Jackson Nove. Right fielder Dalton Mashore — batting for star outfielder Ethan Petry, who left the game with an injury — immediately hit into a double play. Nove struck out Kennedy Jones to strand the runner at third and keep the score 5-3.
- Kentucky added some insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. Devin Burkes walked and Dylan Koontz was hit by a pitch. They moved up to second and third on a double steal. Left fielder Cole Hage brought in Burkes with an RBI single through the infield, and Koontz scored on an infield bunt by sophomore outfielder Griffin Cameron.
- Junior outfielder Carson Hansen got the scoring going for the Wildcats with a two-run home run over the left field wall in the first inning. It was Hansen’s fifth homer of the season and briefly put Kentucky ahead. He was robbed of more damage on a great diving play by South Carolina first baseman Beau Hollins. With bases loaded and two outs in the seventh inning, Hollins dove toward the first base line and made a diving snag and beat Hansen to the bag to record the out. All in all, it was a good day at the plate for Hansen as he finished 2-4.
- Freshmen Tyler Bell and Ryan Schwartz recorded the only other extra-base hits for the Wildcats in game one. Schwartz hit a flare down the right field line that fell in fair territory. He could’ve had a triple as Petry ran into the wall and took a while to get the ball back in play, but he still came around to score when Bell hit a chopper to third baseman KJ Scobey, which resulted in a throwing error. Bell’s double in the seventh inning brought in a run to make it 5-2.
- Kentucky struck out once as a team, and it didn’t come until the eighth inning. South Carolina reliever Aydin Palmer struck out second baseman Luke Lawrence.
- The game took two hours and 30 minutes to play. Game two is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.
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