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Kentucky staves off elimination at Clemson Regional, beats USC Upstate
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There would be no collapse on Saturday. Kentucky got outstanding pitching out of the bullpen from Ethan Walker and pulled away from USC Upstate in the bottom of the eighth to win 7-3 and stay alive at the Clemson Regional.
Facing elimination, the Wildcats jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first inning, nudged back ahead in the sixth, and then added their insurance with a 3-run eighth. On Friday, Kentucky lost on a walk-off sac-fly. After a 3-hit, 3-run fourth inning from USC Upstate tied the game on Saturday, there were more than a few anxious fans in the stands.
But Walker came in for the fifth and locked up the Spartans. Walker pitched 5 innings and allowed only 3 base-runners. He struck out 7, including 2 in the ninth to ice the game and earn his second win of the season.
Carson Hansen got the scoring started early for Kentucky with a 3-run home run in the bottom of the first.
Starting pitcher Nick McCay found himself in trouble in the fourth, giving up a leadoff double, a single, and then a walk to load the bases. The Spartans hit a 1-out double to left center to score 2 runs and then executed a sac-fly on the next at-bat to tie the game at 3-all. McCay struck out USC Upstate to end the inning without further damage.
A safety squeeze from Patrick Herrera in the bottom of the sixth pushed Kentucky back ahead.
Singles and sneaky base-running in the eighth added to the margin. Luke Lawrence, Cole Hage, and Hudson Brown all singled in the frame to drive runs in. Hansen (3) and Brown (2) each finished with multiple RBI. Lawrence led the way with 3 hits in 4 at-bats.
The Wildcats (30-25) will either play Clemson or West Virginia on Sunday. They have to continue winning to keep the season alive.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
