South Carolina bats lead the way in 10-5 win over Kentucky

A simple hustle play by Dom Thompson-Williams provided the spark for South Carolina as it began its series with Kentucky.

Thompson-Williams legged out a potential inning-ending double play in the fourth inning, and Alex Destino hit a three-run home run to give the Gamecocks a lead they didn’t relinquish in a 10-5 win on Friday.

“If he would have loafed, we might be sitting here and talking about having lost the game,” USC coach Chad Holbrook said. “But he busted his rear down the line and gave Alex a chance, and that’s the benefit of playing hard.”

Thompson-Williams was picked off for the first out in the third inning, standing lazily at second base and getting cut down by a snap throw by Kentucky catcher.

“He didn’t pout, mope or complain (after that play),” Holbrook said.

What his mental blunder did was stymie a potentially profitable inning for the Gamecocks, who fed off of his base running in the inning that followed.

“Coach (Holbrook) always talks about the baseball gods and how they will either come back to help you or hurt you,” Destino said. “It’s the little stuff like that, that goes unnoticed. It keeps the inning alive, and I got a good swing on the ball.”

Clarke Schmidt improved to 9-1, but admitted he didn’t have his best stuff. The Wildcats (27-19, 11-11 SEC) struck early with a three-run home run by Riley Mahan to push the Wildcats to a 3-0 advantage. The two-out home run was the result of a pair of softly hit groundballs – one scooted past first baseman LT Tolbert and another bounced over the head of third baseman Jonah Bride.

“Stuff like that happens,” Schmidt said. “But when I have an offense behind me that puts up runs like that and swings like that, it’s big for me.”

South Carolina (36-9, 16-5) wore out Kentucky starter Zack Brown (5 1/3 innings, 10 hits, seven earned runs) after one time through the order, plating four runs in the fourth and sixth innings. Brown left the game in the sixth when the Gamecocks stretched the lead for good. South Carolina had five extra-base hits, four against Brown.

Kentucky lost its fourth in five games, and its seventh conference matchup in the last 10 tries, while the Gamecocks kept their one-game lead in the SEC East as Florida whipped last-place Tennessee 7-2 in Knoxville on Friday.

Thompson-William’s play ensured the safety of first place.

“It won’t go down on the stat sheet as a big play,” Holbrook said. “But his coaches noticed it, you noticed it and so did his teammates.”

Note: USC outfielder Gene Cone was 1-for-5, connecting for a single in the sixth inning to extend his hitting streak to 31 games.

This story was originally published May 6, 2016 at 9:51 PM.