TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ? Allen Rice blooped an RBI single to left field to break a seventh-inning tie and lead Alabama to a 5-3 victory over Kentucky (12-6, 0-2 Southeastern Conference) on Saturday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
The loss was the fourth in a row for the Wildcats, which had won 11 of 12 prior to the slide. Alabama (17-5, 2-0) won its third straight and clinched the series victory to open SEC play. The teams meet in the series finale on Sunday at Noon CT. The game can be heard in the Lexington area on WLXO 96.1-FM and online at www.UKathletics.com.
With two outs in the seventh, Andrew Albers walked Cale Iorg, who stole second and took third when the throw down wound up in centerfield. That set the stage for Rice?s clutch hit. Rice fought off an inside pitch and fisted it just out of the reach of a diving John Shelby to score the go-ahead run.
The hit closed the book on Albers, who suffered his first loss this year and fell to 3-1. He allowed four runs ? just one earned ? on four hits and struck out five.
Brock Baber replaced Albers and got what looked to be an inning-ending ground ball to short, but Shelby booted it as he ranged to his left to leave the bases loaded. Rocky Scelfo followed that with a two-run single to center for the final margin.
The Crimson Tide jumped out to a 2-0 lead after three innings by capitalizing on a pair of Kentucky errors. In the first, Rice, who was hit by a pitch, was picked off first as he broke for second. However, first baseman Michael Bertram?s throw to second sailed into left field and allowed Rice to third. He came home on a Morrow Thomley sacrifice fly.
Two innings later, Evan Bush drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on an error that would have ended the inning. Gabe Scott brought him home with a single to left.
Kentucky answered with a single run in the fourth as Shelby launched a solo home run to left. It was his third home run in the past five games.
The Wildcats continued to battle and finally tied the game in the seventh. J.B. Schmidt singled with one out, moved to second on a wild pitch and took third on Antone DeJesus? single. A passed ball scored Schmidt and moved DeJesus to second. He was balked to third but stranded there as David Robertson came on to strike out the final two batters of the innings.
Robertson worked the final 2 2/3 innings for Alabama to earn the win, his fourth of the year. He struck out seven of the nine batters he faced and allowed one run on one hit ? a solo home run by Billy Grace.
Notes: Kentucky lost for the fourth straight outing ? Kentucky lost for the first time this year when Andrew Albers started (4-1) ? Albers has allowed two earned runs in his last three starts ? Albers has allowed four hits or fewer in four of five starts while throwing at least 6 2/3 innings in each ? Kentucky has now lost six straight SEC series ? John Shelby has three home runs in his last five games ? Shelby was caught stealing for the first time in his career to snap a streak of 18 consecutive stolen bases without being caught ? Kentucky has committed at least three errors in four straight games.
Alabama 5, Kentucky 3
Mar 19, 2005
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Kentucky 000 100 110 – 3 6 4
Alabama 101 000 30X – 5 5 2
Pitchers: Kentucky – A. Albers; B. Baber (7); A. Tennyson (8). Alabama – B. Carter; Robertson (7).
T-2:47 A-4749
HR UK – B. Grace (3); J. Shelby (3).
