Kentucky stays alive in Regional with 7-3 win over USC Upstate

No. 3 seed Kentucky avoided going 0-2 in the NCAA Tournament with a 7-3 win over No. 4 seed USC Upstate in Saturday’s Clemson Regional eliminator.

By keeping its season alive, Kentucky will now play the loser of Saturday night’s No. 1 Clemson/No. 2 West Virginia matchup in an eliminator on Sunday at noon. If the ‘Cats can win that, they’ll have to face the winner of the matchup between Clemson and West Virginia Sunday night at 6:00 pm EST. If it can win that, Kentucky will face that team once again on Monday at 6:00 pm EST. Winner would win the Clemson Regional.

Five different Wildcats recorded a hit, with second baseman Luke Lawrence and first baseman James McCoy leading the way. Lawrence totaled three hits (all singles), and McCoy poured in two more (both singles).

Center fielder Carson Hansen drove in three runs with a first inning three-run home run, third baseman Patrick Herrera drove in a run in the sixth inning with an RBI-bunt Cole Hage and Hudson Brown drove in three runs in the eighth with singles. Hage’s single scored one, Brown’s scored two.

Seventh-year senior right-handed pitcher Nic McCay made his first career NCAA Tournament start, where he allowed three earned runs on three hits in four innings of work. Junior left-hander Ethan Walker entered in relief and slammed the door shut on the Spartans, as he retired 15 of his 18 faced batters to cement the win.

Carson Hansen propels ‘Cats to early lead

Seventh-year senior right handed pitcher Nic McCay got the start on the mound for Kentucky and was nails early. He sat the USC Upstate lineup down in order to open the game, bringing the Wildcat lineup to the plate in the bottom of the first.

Second baseman Luke Lawrence filled in at the leadoff spot for shortstop Tyler Bell, who was not in the starting lineup after fouling a ball off his kneecap in Friday’s 4-3 loss to West Virginia. Lawrence jumped all over the first pitch for a single to center field, giving Kentucky an early baserunner.

The Wildcats’ bad luck with double plays however struck once again, as right fielder Ryan Schwartz also swung at the first pitch and grounded into a double play to clear the bases. Left fielder Cole Hage was then plunked and James McCoy singled though to put runners on the corners with two outs for Kentucky.

With his first inning single, McCoy extended his hitting streak to eight games.

After loading the bases in the opening inning of Friday’s game and being unable to plate a run, Kentucky did not leave early runs on the bases again. Center fielder Carson Hansen belted a three-run home run over the left field wall, giving the ‘Cats an early 3-0 advantage. It was Hansen’s seventh long ball of the season.

Carson. KaBOOM!@Carson34Hansen hammers an opposite field three-run #BigBlueBomb through the wind!

B1 | UK 3, Upstate 0

📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/n0uzgjkQPZ

— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) May 31, 2025

Upstate responds with three runs of its own in fourth

The story of this Kentucky baseball season has been its inability to keep a lead. This was no different on Saturday, as its three-run lead was quickly dashed in the top of the fourth inning.

Shortstop Vance Sheahan led off the frame with a double down the left field line, and was followed by a single hit by right fielder Scott Campbell. Campbell advanced to second on the throw to third, putting two runners in scoring position with no outs. Nic McCay then walked DH Johnny Sweeney to load the bags.

This brought to the plate center fielder Scott Newman, who leads all Upstate hitters with 19 home runs. He nearly recorded his 20th, which would have been a grand slam, but it went just foul of the right field foul pole. He eventually struck out, recording the first out in the inning.

The Spartans would not be held scoreless however, as catcher Preston Lucas lofted a two-run double to the left center fence to put them on the board. Second baseman Gabe Griggs then flew into an RBI sac-fly, tying the game at three apiece.

⬆4th | UPST 2; UK 3

P-LUC WANTS MORE!!!

A patented double to left-center from Preston Lucas drives home two!

📺 (ESPN2): https://t.co/thFj51Y7ub#SpartanArmy ⚔ pic.twitter.com/1ODF517X6R

— USC Upstate Baseball (@UpstateBSB) May 31, 2025

Kentucky holds on for Regional win

Kentucky’s offense finally came back to life in the bottom of the sixth inning, when James McCoy drew a walk and stole second. Carson Hansen was walked as well, and McCoy took third on the fourth ball (which was a wild pitch). Patrick Herrera, who had been struggling, then perfectly executed the RBI-bunt to give the ‘Cats a 4-3 lead.

Junior left-hander Ethan Walker entered to open the fifth inning in relief of McCay and poured in a dominant performance. Heading into the ninth inning with a four-run lead following a Cole Hage RBI-single and a Hudson Brown two-run single, the Longwood transfer had retired 12 of his 13 faced batters with five strikeouts.

Walker plunked his first batter faced in the ninth, but bounced back with a strikeout. He then forced a fly-out to second base for the second out, but gave up a single to Upstate’s Jake Armsey. With two on however, Walker struck out Alex Ritzer to cement the win.

What’s next for Kentucky?

By keeping its season alive, Kentucky will now play the loser of Saturday night’s No. 1 Clemson/No. 2 West Virginia matchup in an eliminator on Sunday at noon. If the ‘Cats can win that, they’ll have to face the winner of the matchup between Clemson and West Virginia Sunday night at 6:00 pm EST. If it can win that, Kentucky will face that team once again on Monday at noon. Winner would win the Clemson Regional.