Gamecocks fall to Kentucky on error-filled day in Hoover

South Carolina is back in a must-win situation after struggling offensively Wednesday against Kentucky.

The Gamecocks were defeated 7-2 in their second game of the SEC tournament and will try to keep their season alive on Thursday against Missouri.

USC (33-24) knew it would need to put runs on the board against the best offense in the SEC, and with a short-handed pitching staff, but the Gamecocks managed only a pair of runs despite outhitting the Wildcats 8-7.

“Against a team like Kentucky, they’re very offensive and we knew we were going to have to battle all day,” USC third baseman Jonah Bride said. “We knew that two wasn’t going to be enough.”

USC was 3-for-14 with runners on base and missed a couple of early scoring opportunities.

Justin Row led off the game with a single but was erased when TJ Hopkins hit into a double play after fouling off a couple of bunt attempts.

The Gamecocks then had two in scoring position with one out in the second but Jacob Olson and Hunter Taylor popped up on the infield to end the inning.

“We’ve got to be able to execute to get that run home,” USC coach Chad Holbrook said. “It’s as simple as that.”

USC’s only runs of the game came in the third inning when Alex Destino hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and Bride followed with an RBI double to left that put runners on second and third.

USC had a chance to extend its lead to 4-0, but LT Tolbert’s grounder in the hole was fielded by Kentucky third baseman Luke Becker and his throw to first just beat Tolbert. Holbrook announced after the game Tolbert is playing with torn cartilage in his knee.

“The big turning point for us was we almost had it exactly how we wanted it, up 2-0 there, second and third and two outs. LT had a great at bat, and Becker made a great play in the hole,” Holbrook said. “It could have easily been 4-0 and we’d have handled our bullpen much differently.”

USC had three base runners reach after the third inning.

The Wildcats answered USC’s two-run third with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning when Evan White drove in a run on an RBI groundout with two in scoring position, and Row made an error with two outs to allow another run to score and tie the game at 2.

The Gamecocks made four errors, which led to two of Kentucky’s seven runs.

“We need to play better. You’re not going to beat Kentucky when you make four errors,” Holbrook said.

Kentucky (39-18) broke the game open in the sixth. With two outs and the bases loaded, White drilled a bases-clearing double to right-center off USC reliever John Parke to give the Wildcats a 6-2 lead.

“It was just a fastball down on the outer half of the plate and he did what good hitters do and didn’t miss it,” Holbrook said. “He didn’t try to do too much, used the whole field and drove it into the opposite-field gap there. It was a really good swing by a really good player, and it obviously made a huge difference in the game.”

Cody Morris (3-2) got the start for the Gamecocks and pitched well, holding Kentucky to two earned runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Parke pitched two innings of relief and surrendered three runs, while Colie Bowers and Graham Lawson did not give up an earned run over the final 2 1/3 innings.

Freshman Riley Hogan was 3-for-4 with three singles for the Gamecocks, while Row and Bride each added a pair of hits. Destino was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

This story was originally published May 24, 2017 at 4:32 PM with the headline "Gamecocks fall to Kentucky on error-filled day in Hoover."