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South Carolina squeaks past Kentucky to advance to SEC Tournament semifinals
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South Carolina defeated Kentucky 6-5 on Friday evening, clinching a spot in the SEC Tournament semifinals.
South Carolina took a 6-4 lead over the Wildcats on the back of 3-run 5th inning. Kentucky ended up tacking on a run in the 8th, but couldn’t fully overcome that deficit.
South Carolina also had a 3-run 2nd inning thanks to a blast from Gavin Casas to give the Gamecocks their first lead. On the mound, South Carolina used 4 pitchers to get through Kentucky’s talented lineup. Parker Marlatt (3.2 IP, 6 strikeouts, 1 earned run) picked up the win while Matthew Becker (1.2 IP) retired every batter he faced en route to a 5-out save.
Moving on. #Gamecocks I #ForeverToThee pic.twitter.com/3xHN6DONPV
— Gamecock Baseball (@GamecockBasebll) May 24, 2024
UK’s time in Hoover is now over, but the Wildcats are expected to receive a high seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
The Gamecocks will now move on to face No. 11-seeded LSU in the semis on Saturday. The winner of that game will advance to the conference championship game on Sunday afternoon in Hoover.
It will be a shot at revenge for the Gamecocks, who lost 11-10 against LSU late Thursday night.
As for the other side of the bracket, No. 8-seeded Vanderbilt has already secured a spot in the semifinals. The Commodores will face the winner of Tennessee vs. Mississippi State in the other semifinal on Saturday. The Vols and Bulldogs will play their elimination game on Friday evening.
While South Carolina does have a proud baseball tradition, the Gamecocks don’t have a long history of success in Hoover. South Carolina has won the SEC Tournament just once before — way back in 2004.
South Carolina’s semifinal game against LSU is set for 12 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
