Baseball Falls, 9-5, in Saturday Matchup with No. 22 Kentucky

Saturday, March 25

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

2 p.m.

Alabama

18-6, 1-4

Kentucky

21-2, 5-0

Kentucky

Alabama

Baseball Falls, 9-5, in Saturday Matchup with No. 22 Kentucky

3/25/2023 5:54:00 PM | Baseball

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The Crimson Tide out-hit the Wildcats but came up short in game two

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball came up short in a Saturday matchup with No. 22 Kentucky, falling 9-5 to the Wildcats. The 25^th-ranked Tide is now 18-6 overall and 1-4 in Southeastern Conference play.

Kentucky posted single tallies in the second and third before a two-run fourth made it a 4-0 ballgame. Alabama answered with a three-spot in the home half of the fourth to make it a one-run affair, but a three-run top of the fifth by UK put the game out of reach. The Wildcats added two more in the seventh with the Tide countering for a pair in the bottom of the seventh, but the score would stay there for a 9-5 final.

Alabama out-hit Kentucky on Saturday, totaling 12 by day's end. Colby Shelton paced the Tide with a 3-for-4 showing that included a double, a walk and two runs scored. William Hamiter, Jim Jarvis and Andrew Pinckney joined Shelton with a multi-hit game, each totaling a pair of knocks to go with one RBI apiece.

The win went to Kentucky reliever Austin Strickland (2-0) while Tide starter Luke Holman (4-1) was tagged with his first loss of the season.

From Head Coach Brad Bohannon

"This was a really poor effort by our club today. We just didn't play very well in every area. Kentucky is a good team, and we walked them and hit them nine times. We also didn't do a good job defending their running game. You can't play a good team and give them that much. They're going to take advantage of it, and, to their credit, that's exactly what they did."

How It Happened

T2 | A two-out wild pitch with a runner on third scored the game's first run. (1-0, Kentucky)
T3 | The Wildcats added one more on a sacrifice bunt that resulted in play at the plate, with the UK runner sliding under the tag. (2-0, Kentucky)
T4 | Kentucky loaded the bases to start the inning before a single to left scored a pair. (4-0, Kentucky)
B4 | Dominic Tamez led off the frame with a single and was followed by a single from Colby Shelton. A third straight single, this one from Andrew Pinckney, scored Tamez and forced a UK pitching change. Max Williams was first to face the new arm, reaching on a fielder's choice that allowed Shelton to cross. The Tide then loaded the bases for Ed Johnson, who was hit by the pitch to push across one more. (4-3, Kentucky)
T5 | Back-to-back hit-by-pitch put two on before a single scored the inning's first run. After a stolen base put a runner at third, a sac bunt added one more. One out later, a single through the left side plated a third run. (7-3, Kentucky)
T7 | A leadoff walk followed by a one-out double put a pair in scoring position. The next at-bat saw a 4-3 groundout allow one man to cross. After a walk put runners on the corners, a balk added one to widen the gap. (9-3, Kentucky)
B7 | The Tide opened the frame with a pair of walks before a one-out single loaded the bases. William Hamiter followed with a groundout to first to bring in one before a single from Jarvis added a second run. (9-5, Kentucky)

Postgame Notes

Alabama totaled double-digit hits for the 18^th time this season.
ATTENDANCE: 4,321

Alabama and Kentucky will close out the series on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. CT. The Crimson Tide will call on left-hander Grayson Hitt with the Wildcats looking to Zach Lee, also a righty. Fans can catch the finale on SEC Network.

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