LEXINGTON, Ky. — Preseason All-American outfielder Collin Cowgill ripped a homer and two doubles, as the No. 4 Kentucky baseball team used a four-run fourth inning to erase a 3-2 Alabama lead, edging the Crimson Tide, 7-5, in the Southeastern Conference opener on Friday evening at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
Cowgill, UK?s junior All-American centerfielder, belted his fourth homer of the season in the third inning, with UK trailing 3-1. The former Kentucky High School Mr. Baseball and Lexington native finished the day 3-for-4 with three RBI and a stolen base. Cowgill?s two doubles give him seven for the year, boosting his average up to .403 (29-for-56). For the year, Cowgill has swiped 11-of-12 bags, drawing 10 walks and delivering 18 RBI.
The Wildcats got a two-hit performance from senior second baseman Ryan Wilkes, who belted a homer and later added a single, part of a 2-for-3 day, extending his hit streak to a team-high 11 games. Wilkes? homer was his first of the year, as the four-year starter improved his average to .514 (19-for-37).
Alabama entered the game riding a six-game winning streak, second in the conference to UK?s current 16-game winning streak.
Kentucky (16-0, 1-0 SEC) has opened its season on another remarkable run, after opening the 2007 season with a school-record 19-0 start. UK has breezed through its opening 16 games, blasting the opposition by a combined 182-44, ripping 51 doubles, seven triples and swiping 32 bases. On the mound, the UK pitchers have earned an SEC-leading 2.22 ERA, working in 142 innings and striking out 147, allowing only 24 walks.
On the bump, UK got a five-inning win from southpaw starter Chris Rusin. Rusin (3-0, 2.37 ERA) allowed seven hits and four runs, striking out three. Senior Brock Baber relieved Rusin, working 1 1/3 innings and not allowing an earned run. Sophomore southpaw James Paxton picked up the save, his first of the year and the second of his career, working the final 2 2/3 innings, striking out five and allowing one hit. In 18 1/3 innings this season, Paxton has earned a 0.49 ERA, a 2-0 record with a save, striking out 23 and allowing only one run.
Kentucky and Alabama resume the series on Saturday afternoon, with the second game of the series set to start at 2 p.m. ET, at Cliff Hagan Stadium. Fans can catch the action live on the Big Blue Sports Network (radio), with the Voice of UK Baseball, Neil Price. In Lexington fans can hear the game on WXRA 1580-AM and in Louisville on WKJK 1080-AM. UK junior right hander Scott Green (3-0, 1.50 ERA), a Baseball America first-team All-SEC pick in the preseason will get the starting nod Saturday, facing off with Alabama ace lefty Will Stroup (2-0, 3.31 ERA)
UK claimed the SEC season opener for the second time in the past three years, winning the opener in 2006 and dropping the league lidlifter in 2007 to eventual SEC Western Division Champion Arkansas.
Alabama (9-6, 0-1 SEC) got on the board in the first inning, as Josh Rutledge led off the game with a single through the left side. Alex Avila plated him, roping a two-strike offering from Rusin into the scoreboard in left center field for his sixth homer of the year, giving UA an early 2-0 lead.
Kentucky answered in the bottom half of the second, as Wilkes belted his first homer of the season, a towering shot to centerfield.
Brandon May answered the Wildcat run in the top of the third, sending a solo homer into right field to make it 3-1.
Cowgill, also a member of the USA Baseball Golden Spikes National Player of the Year Watch List, answered in the bottom half of the inning, belting a no-doubt bomb over the scoreboard towering high in left center field, for his fourth homer of the season, making it 3-2 Alabama.
Kentucky took the lead with a four-run fourth inning, riding three hits and two walks to a 6-3 lead. McClendon led off with a single to centerfield and Wilkes followed with a single through the right side. Tyler Howe loaded the bases with a walk and Chris Wade scored McClendon from third with a sacrifice fly. During a long Keenan Wiley at bat, Hyatt allowed two runners to score with two consecutive wild pitches. Cowgill cleared the bases with a run-scoring double down the right-field line, his sixth double of the year.
Alabama cut the lead to 6-4, with a run in the top of the fifth. After Rusin got the first two hitters to make quick outs, May reached on a two-out single. Matt Bentley scored him with a double to deep centerfield, off Cowgill?s glove as he collided with the centerfield wall, attempting to make a tremendous play.
The Crimson Tide cut the lead by another run, cutting the UK lead to 6-5 with one run on two hits and a Wildcat error. Jake Smith led off with a single to left field and after Baber got Mike Sharp looking at the third strike, Alex Kubal hit into a fielder choice. McClendon fielded the grounder from Kubal at third and fired to get the lead runner at second, Wilkes? attempt to turn the double play sailed into the UK dugout however, putting Kubal at second base. Rutledge took advantage of the UK defensive miscue, ripping an RBI single to centerfield, scoring the speedy Kubal from second.
The Wildcats got a run in the bottom of the sixth, to regain a two-run lead and secure what would end up being the final margin. Wiley got hit by a pitch with two outs and Cowgill scored him with his second double of the game, this time sending a rope off the wall in dead-centerfield.
May, Alabama?s left fielder, led all hitters, going 4-for-5, with two runs scored and an RBI, homering once and adding a double. Alabama also got multi-hit games from Josh Rutledge and Mike Sharp.
The Wildcats still trail the all-time series with Alabama, 27-47.
