Lexington, (Ky.) ? Jake Kungl was 4-for-5 with two runs batted in, and Kentucky pounded out 11 runs on 14 hits, but it was not enough, as the Cats fell to the Alabama Crimson Tide, 12-11, on Sunday in Lexington. The win gave the Tide the series and dropped the Wildcats to 23-27 on the season, including a 7-20 mark in Southeastern Conference play. Alabama improved to 29-23, 10-17 in the SEC.
Kentucky scored six times in the bottom of the sixth inning to turn a 6-5 deficit into an 11-6 lead, but Alabama responded with six of its own in the top of the seventh. Kentucky mounted another rally in the bottom of the eighth, putting runners on first and second with two outs. Joe Naill worked the count full and, after several foul balls, laced a line drive into left-center field that hung up just long enough for Alabama centerfielder Matt Grooms to make a full-extension diving catch and end the inning.
?I?m really pleased with our effort today,? said UK head coach John Cohen. ?We hit a number of balls hard and they just did not fall today. Today just wasn?t our day.?
Alabama raced out to a 4-0 lead in the top half of the first inning. Allen Rice and Carlos Sosa opened the game with consecutive doubles. After a pop up for the first out, Gabe Scott singled in Sosa to make it 2-0. The lead doubled when Zac Welch launched his seventh home run of the season. UK reliever Andy Myette then came on to hold the Tide scoreless until the fifth when Michael McCallister hit a two-run homer over the wall in center. That blast made it a 6-3 Alabama lead after UK had scored a run in the third and Billy Grace had hit his third home run of the season, a two-run job in the fourth.
Kentucky got two more runs in the bottom of the fifth when Mike Breyman scored on a passed ball and Kungl singled in Caleb Stewart.
The UK offense erupted for six runs on seven hits in the bottom of the sixth. After Justin Scutchfield reached on a fielder?s choice with one out, six consecutive hits, the big blow coming on a bases-clearing double from Breyman, who finished the game 2-for-4 with four RBI.
Alabama answered right back with six of its own in the top of the seventh. Welch, Grooms and David Ferazza each had run-scoring hits during the rally. Allen Rice then singled to score Ferazza with what would turn out to be the game?s winning run.
Alabama relief pitcher Andrew Walker (4-0) worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings to pick up his fourth win. Taylor Tankersley recorded the game?s final out to earn his fourth save. UK reliever Adam Kunkel (1-3) took the loss.
Michael Bertram, Casey Gilvin and Grace joined Kungl and Breyman with multi-hit games. Rice, Welch and Ferazza posted three hits each for the Tide.
Kentucky will return to action this Wednesday when it plays host to Murray State at Cliff Hagan Stadium. The game will be the last home contest of the season for the Wildcats, who have announced a cancellation of their scheduled game with Eastern Kentucky on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. (ET).
— UK —
