(OT) Season on the Brink: Kentucky v South Carolina Baseball, Game 1 - Friday

I will be away from the computer for awhile, but thought I'd get the party started with a little UK baseball discussion. I am that fan who, while not optimistic about our prospects, continues to have "hope," rather than "optimism," and will root for the Cats every step of the way. I will question decisions and judgments by coaching staff, preferring to be wrong when it benefits UK. I figure I'm wrong six times before breakfast every day; I'm pretty much an expert at it.

So anyway, UK is in Columbia today to face the Gamecocks. UK baseball was up early this morning, touring Fort Jackson. I am always glad to see things like this; part of being a student-athlete is education, and not always just the "books" education.

South Carolina is uber-dangerous, having won the NCAA National Championship in 2010, 2011, and runners-up in 2012. They won an NCAA all-time record 22 consecutive NCAA tournament games during that stretch, which is unbelievable. They are the elite. What scares me more is that their record--thus far--does not reflect it. In fact, their record is just a little better than ours.

South Carolina (28-10, 8-7 SEC) opens a three-game SEC series on Friday night hosting Kentucky (24-12, 7-8 SEC). SC's 8-7 record is good enough to be tied for 2nd in SEC East, and tied for 4th overall.

This is the midpoint of the SEC season. Don't think just because S. Carolina has not performed up to "top 3" national level--yet--that they aren't talented, or can't "get there." Last year's national championship runner-up was swept by Kentucky in the weekend series. It happens.

S. Carolina has won six consecutive series vs. the Wildcats in Columbia (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011) including a weekend sweep two years ago in UK's first trip to Carolina Stadium. The Wildcats swept a three-game series vs. the Gamecocks last year in Lexington.

SC head coach Chad Holbrook said this about Kentucky:

They're experienced, they have dynamic players, their pitching staff has been solid, and they've been in the top ten pretty much all year. They've struggled a little bit lately but their talent level is extremely high, their pitching ability on the mound is extremely good, and they've got a great closer at the end of the game. It's a typical SEC team that is very good and has the ability to play in the College World Series.


One of my concerns this year (and prior seasons) has been that I think coach Henderson has a tendency to go too long with any pitcher. Sometimes it works out. Often, it does not. There is no precise formula, and he ought to be the best person in position to know that. Having said that, I was struck by something SC coach Holbrook said on the reason why he has not yet named a Sunday starter for the UK series:

On a probable pitcher for Sunday...
If we had to announce a starter it would be Jack Wynkoop but we're not going to announce it because we may need Jack on Friday or Saturday. Jack pitched well in relief at Florida, and they [Kentucky] have a few left-handed hitters in there so we may need another lefty in the bullpen. If we need Jack to help us win on Friday or Saturday we're going to pitch him and we'll worry about Sunday when we get there. We have to use everything we have to win each and every game.

I added the underline. I agree with that philosophy.

South Carolina will be mad as hornets, and anxious for redemption, as last weekend they were swept by a surging Florida team in Gainesville. Losing three straight didn't really damage their SEC standing, but it did put a bit of a hurt on them they will be ready to redeem against Kentucky.

Tonight we see A.J. Reed pitching for Kentucky in a game UK badly needs to win to set the tone.

Here are the weekend rotations.

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Friday
South Carolina - Nolan Belcher (Sr. LHP) 5-3, 1.63 ERA, 66.1 IP, 5 BB, 55 SO
Kentucky - A.J. Reed (So. LHP) 2-4, 3.02 ERA, 53.2 IP, 12 BB, 39 SO

Saturday
South Carolina - Jordan Montgomery (So. LHP) 3-0, 0.69 ERA, 26.0 IP, 8 BB, 23 SO
Kentucky - Jerad Grundy (Sr. LHP) 5-4, 4.18 ERA, 56.0 IP, 16 BB, 49 SO

Sunday
South Carolina - TBA
Kentucky - Corey Littrell (Jr. LHP) 4-2, 3.16 ERA, 57.0 IP, 21 BB, 51 SO

BASEBALL OPENER AT SOUTH CAROLINA PUSHED TO SATURDAY

Wildcats to Now Play No. 14 South Carolina at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – With inclement weather forecast for Friday evening, No. 17 Kentucky and No. 14 South Carolina’s series opener at Carolina Stadium has been moved to a Saturday doubleheader, with first pitch of the lidlifter slated for 1 p.m. ET.

Kentucky will now face the Gamecocks in the series opener at 1 p.m. ET at Carolina Stadium, with the second game of the series slated for 45 minutes after the conclusion of the opener.

The first game of the series will now be televised live on Fox Sports South, with the final two games of the three-game set not slated for television. All three games will be broadcast live on the UK IMG Radio Network, with the Voice of UK Baseball, Neil Price, calling the action.

For tomorrow's doubleheader, both games will also be on XM/Sirius 91. I'm guessing that's the South Carolina broadcast, but if you have any difficulty getting UK--or just want to get another side of it (as I like to do from time to time)--you can tune in there.

The 1 pm game is (as the brief announcement above says) televised live on Fox Sports South.

This weekend's games of interest for us:

* Ole Miss at Tennessee. Would like to see Tennessee win the series.

* Florida at Missouri. Would like to see Missouri win the series.

* Vandy at Georgia. Doesn't matter to me. Conceding Vandy SEC East/one of the top two seeds...although, if they totally collapsed down the stretch, I guess, it could benefit UK if UGA wins. I'm still calling that series irrelevant.

* Auburn at Miss. State. Don't expect Auburn to do anything here, and they began this series last night with MSU winning when it was postponed, I think to be resumed with MSU holding a lead, but would like to see Auburn salvage a game in Starkville.

* LSU at Alabama. If I didn't have stuff to do, I'd like to go see this series...and root for LSU to win. I'm conceding LSU SEC West/top 2 seed in SEC, so it would benefit UK if Alabama can take some losses.

* Texas A&M at Arkansas. Hawgs sitting alone in 3rd place (barely); A&M struggling. Go Aggies.

So here's your primary rooting interest this weekend (besides UK)

Tennessee, against Ole Miss.
Missouri, against Florida.
Auburn, against Miss. State
LSU, against Alabama
Texas A&M, against Arkansas

Standings

Vandy 14-1
LSU 13-2

Arkansas 9-6
South Carolina 8-7
Florida 8-7
Miss. State 8-7
Alabama 8-7
Kentucky 7-8
Ole Miss 7-8

Texas A&M 6-9
Auburn 5-10
Missouri 4-11
Georgia 3-12

AU wins game against MSU 3-1. Now will finish postponed game from last night

MSU wins postponed game

UF beats Missouri
TAM beats Ark
Ole Miss beats UT
LSU beats Ala

That's a good night for UK. Now they need to do their part.

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**UPDATED**

So here's your primary rooting interest this weekend (besides UK)

Tennessee, against Ole Miss. 0-1 so far. Ole Miss 8-8
Missouri, against Florida. 0-1 so far. Florida 9-7
Auburn, against Miss. State. 1-1 so far. Miss St. 9-8
LSU, against Alabama. 1-0 so far. Alabama 8-8
Texas A&M, against Arkansas. 1-0 so far. Arkansas 9-7

Standings

Vandy 14-1
LSU 14-2

Arkansas 9-7
South Carolina 8-7
Florida 9-7
Miss. State 9-8
Alabama 8-8
Kentucky 7-8
Ole Miss 8-8

What a mess. 7 teams with 7 or 8 losses. One more with 9.

Texas A&M 7-9
Auburn 6-11
Tennessee 5-11
Missouri 4-12
Georgia 3-12

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Still need towin at least one game each series until Missouri to insure making SEC tourney

UK lineup, Game 1 DH: RF K Barrett, LF Z Zellers, CF A Cousino, P A.J. Reed, 3B M Kuhn, 2B J.T. Riddle, 1B J Boehm C M Thomas, SS M Reida.

So. OF/LHP Jeff Boehm will be making his first career start at first base today. Max Kuhn slides back to 3B.

Reed, of course, is batting as well as pitching today as usual.

Barrett leads the T1st off with a 2-strike single into shallow LC. He is 12-for-24 in reaching base safely as the leadoff guy.

Cousino takes a called third strike on an 8-pitch AB and Barrett is thrown out stealing. 0-0 heading to B1st.

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A.J. Reed strikes out the side in the B1st, working around a single to LF. 0-0 T2nd.

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One of the things to look out for this weekend: S. Carolina leads the SEC in fewest SBs allowed, UK is 2nd.

I think we're seeing Henderson was a one hit wonder last year like some feared, and we might be going backwards again this season. With all that returned from last year its a bit discerning.

UK gets back-to-back 1-out hits from Kuhn and Riddle but the Gamecocks get a strikeout looking of Boehm and 5-3 on Thomas. 0-0, B2nd.

Mills, I hope that's not the case. Still a lot of baseball remaining this season, and UK is in about the same position with South Carolina, Old Miss, MSU, etc. right now. We will see soon, however. Cats at #14 in the country; will we go up or down? Big tests ahead.
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((Will be back soon; need to take a break.))

Catching up, thanks to UK SID and S Carolina media.

Reed in a 2-out jam in the b2nd. Greiner hit a slow roller in the 4-hole that Boehm went after, making it go as 1B. Bright then 1B.

Hard-hit lineout hauled in by Zellers in LF. 0-0 in T3rd. Reida-Barrett-Zellers due up vs. Belcher.

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Nolan Belcher has retired 8 straight as UK goes down without a threat in T4th. 0-0.
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A.J. Reed gets three quick outs in the B4th. UK to send Riddle-Boehm-Thomas in T5th of a 0-0 game.
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Nolan Belcher has now retired 11 straight. 0-0 game heading to the B5th. Reed at 65 pitches.

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Not to overstate it, but this is the kind of game UK needs to pull out a win. Good teams find a way to win contests like this one.

Barrett with a 1-out single for UK, Belcher had retired 12 batters in a row before that base hit.

Zac Zellers with a dinger for a 2-0 UK lead. Yeah, baby. FWIW, WLAP is broadcasting game today.

By the way, it was the 8th pitch of the at-bat for Zellers. UK seems to be listening to Dan a little.

Cousino HBP next pitch. Think that was accidental?

Now AJ Reed is HBP. I do think that was accidental. Belcher getting a mound visit; he has been outstanding today til the 6th here.

1 out.

Kuhn flies out to right-center, runners on the corners with 2 outs for Riddle, #Gamecocks trail 2-0.

Cousino advances to 2nd on ball in dirt. Two runners in scoring position for Kuhn.

Strike 3 looking, ball at knees and 2 important runners are stranded.
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Headed to B6, good guys with 2-0 lead. Zellers' 2nd HR of the year, 7th of his career the big blow.

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Reed has allowed 5H, 4SO in 5 IP so far. 65 pitches. I would watch him carefully.

Popup to 2B in shallow RF, nice over shoulder catch by Riddle.

HR by Pankake, and it is a 2-1 game.
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Next pitch, HR. Tie game, 2-2. Henderson now out for a visit. Reed has allowed 7 hits now, 2ER, in 5.1 innings.

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Thanks for the hard work Darrell. I'm following along. Rock on Cats!

Starting a new post to change UK luck. Had a bad feeling that SC might have seen Reed enough.

1-out double, and SC now has 8 hits vs Reed in 5.1 innings. Henderson decides to send Wijas to the bullpen to warm up. They are killing Reed now.

Another slammed single, and UK trails, 3-2. Reed has allowed 9 hits in 5.1 innings.

86 pitches for Reed now. For the record, it is four consecutive hits by S Carolina. In Henderson's defense, it seems that it fell apart all of a sudden, although you could smell it coming.

Closing in on 90 pitches now, and UK stalling. Wijas will be coming in.
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Pitching change is occurring. IMO, Hendo a little late as he did not see the need to have Wijas loosen until after a HR-HR-2B. He had not been super sharp before the inning started, although was throwing a shutout. So I won't be overly critical.

Reed finishes with 5.1IP, 9H, 3ER (so far, runner on base is his responsibility).

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Wijas gets a popup for 2nd out. Next batter, 1B...Reida throws away a ball on a relay, and a 1B/error gives SC another run.

SC 4
UK 2

4-pitch walk and SC sends 9th batter to plate with runners on the cornerss.

You always have to be careful of that 3rd plate appearance.

Riddle grabs a popup, and the inning mercifully expires.

No. 14 USC 4, No. 17 #UKbaseball 2-T7th. Reed (5.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 SO), Zellers (1-3, HR, 2 RBI), Barrett (2-3).
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3 up 3 down for Belcher. Vergason, Pankake, Dantzler due up for the #Gamecocks in the bottom of the 7th.

So much for working pitching count, Dan (when you see this). Fundamental baseball, 7th inning, pitcher thrown a lot, down 2 runs, make him work.

Or not.
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Wijas back on mound in B7.

Back-to-back first pitch singles give USC a pair of runners on with 0 out for cleanup man LB Dantzler.

Slow roller, Dantzler out at 1st but both runners advance into scoring position with 1-out. Big at bat here.

Freshman Ryne Combs comes on in relief of Wijas with runners in scoring position and 1 out, trailing 4-2 in B7th. Will be lefty v lefty, Henderson playing the percentages.

SAC fly, and it is 5-2 now, 2-out.

Combs gets Celek swinging to end the B7th. South Carolina takes a 5-2 lead into the 8th inning.
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With 1-out, Zellers paints the line with a 1-out double, his 2nd of 2013. Cousino now up looking for first hit of day.

Popup, and 2nd out of the inning.

S Carolina makes a pitching change. Cats desperately need a hit here.

Will be back shortly. If this game ends before I return, it won't be good (but it could).

Remember, doubleheader today. Game 2 will start 45 minutes after Game 1 ends. Jared Grundy v Jordan Montgomery, two more LHP, to start.

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No. 14 USC 5, No. 17 #UKbaseball 2-FINAL. Loss: Reed (2-5). Win: Belcher (6-3). Game 2 first pitch in 45 minutes.

Will start another separate thread for Game 2.

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