April 11, 2003
Tuscaloosa, Ala. –
With the game knotted at 7-7, Alabama’s Travis Garner doubled off the wall in right field to score Zac Welch and give Bama an 8-7 lead. Kentucky (13-19, 1-11 SEC) got runners to first and second in the top of the ninth, but failed to score, falling to 1-11 in conference play. Sloppy defense cost the Cats, as they committed five errors and allowed four unearned runs for the Crimson Tide.
Kentucky center fielder Casey Gilvin tied the game, 7-7, in the top of the eighth inning as he launched an Allen Ponder pitch over the right field wall, scoring Joe Naill and giving Gilvin his third home run of the season.
Alabama (24-10, 7-6 SEC) took the lead in the bottom of the sixth on Travis Garner’s first home run of the season, a blast over the scoreboard in left field. Charlie Lyons scored in front of Garner, giving the Tide its third run of the inning, breaking open a 4-4 game and giving UA a 7-4 lead. Kentucky cut the deficit to 7-5 in the seventh, Jake Kungl scoring on a Russ Rutherford double to left.
Mark Galvin (2-2) took the loss for the Cats. Gilvin led the offensive attack, posting a 3-for-5 evening, with three RBI. UK had 11 hits in total, to 10 for the Tide. Brian Reed (2-1) earned the win for UA.
Kentucky had taken the advantage in the top of the fourth inning, hanging a four-spot on the board against Alabama starter Taylor Tankersley. Caleb Stewart started the inning with a walk and was followed by Kungl’s single. After Rutherford advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, Caleb Brock singled to score Stewart. Joe Naill then reached on an error when he laid a sacrifice bunt down, Kungl crossed the plate on the play. Brock came in to tie the game at 3-3 on Casey Gilvin’s single before Spencer Graeter doubled to the left field corner. The rally ended when Mike Breyman ripped a line drive down that was snagged by Tide third baseman Nathan Meiners, who leaped to rob Breyman of extra bases. The Crimson Tide tied the game, 4-4, in the bottom half of the fourth, getting another unearned run on a Kentucky throwing error. After Gabe Scott doubled and advanced to third on an error, he scored when Lyons struck out, but reached on a wild pitch and Kentucky catcher Brock’s throw to first was low and went into right field.
Alabama took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, when Garner and Allen Rice both reached base on Kentucky errors to start the inning. Garner came in to score on Meiners’ RBI single and Rice crossed home plate on a fielder’s choice from Al Hecklinski. The Tide stretched its lead to 3-0 in the third on a RBI double from Hecklinski.
The two teams will resume with game two of the three-game series on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. EST from Sewell-Thomas Field. All the action can be heard live on 96.1 FM.
– UK –
