No. 12 Gamecocks drop series-opener to No. 20 Kentucky Friday night

LEXINGTON, K.Y. — No. 12 South Carolina softball dropped a tough 7-5 game to No. 20 Kentucky on Friday night at John Cropp Stadium in the series opener of the three game series. The Wildcats scored five runs in the first as the Gamecock comeback effort fell just short in the top of the seventh.

Carolina mounted a valiant comeback effort with three runs in the top of the seventh but the Wildcats did just enough to hang on for the victory.

Outside the five-run first inning for Kentucky, Carolina outscored the Wildcats 5-2 the final six innings as the Gamecocks dropped their first game this season when they scored three or more runs.

South Carolina (42-12, 14-8 SEC) got off to a tough start in the series opener as a walk with bases loaded followed with a grand slam gave the Wildcats the 5-0 lead through one inning it wouldn’t surrender.

The Gamecocks got two runs back in the third thanks to Alyssa VanDerveer and Kennedy Clark RBI to cut the deficit to 5-2 before Kentucky added two in the bottom of the sixth to take a 7-2 lead to the seventh.

Carolina added another run to start seventh with Mackenzie Boesel’s eighth home run of the season to cut the Kentucky lead to 7-3. The home run was her 18th of her career, which is tied for ninth most in Carolina history.

The Gamecocks continued fighting in the seventh as Clark and Alyssa Kumiyama plated a pair of runs to cut it to 7-5 before the Wildcats closed out the victory.

Cayla Drotar (18-5) took the loss in the circle in 5.2 innings of work.

Carolina finished the night with 10 hits from seven different batters.