Nate Harris Tosses Six No-Hit Innings, Bullpen Holds Firm in Win

Nate Harris did not allow a hit until the seventh inning, the offense scored early and the bullpen held firm despite a stirring rally to push No. 21 Kentucky to a 6-4 victory over Alabama on Sunday at Kentucky Proud Park.

With the victory the Wildcats (18-2, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) opened league play with a series sweep before road trips each of the next two weekends.

Harris, coming off one of the worst outings of his career last week, turned in maybe his best. He flooded the strike zone and had Alabama completely lifeless through six innings as the Cats built a 5-0 advantage. It wasn’t until Jason Torres led off the seventh with a sinking liner that found turf that the Tide could penetrate Harris’s armor. He left a batter later after a hit by pitch to a rousing ovation from the Big Blue faithful.

But there still were tense moments as Alabama sliced the lead to 5-4 in that seventh inning, aided by a replay reversal of an out at the plate that appeared to end the threat at 5-2. Alabama loaded the bases again in the eighth but Ira Austin IV struck out a pair of batters to put up a zero in front of UK’s insurance run in its half of the eighth.

NOTES

• Kentucky is 18-2 on the season, 3-0 in SEC play.
  • UK is 135-65 since the beginning of 2023.
• UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his 10th season at the helm and now owns a 310-194 career record.
  • Mingione is the second-winningest coach in school history.
  • UK is 122-45 in the month of March under Coach Mingione.
  • Mingione is 117-124 in SEC games.
  • Mingione is 162-66 at Kentucky Proud Park.
    • He now is 55-44 at Kentucky Proud Park vs. the SEC.
  • Mingione now is 11-5 vs. Alabama.
    • UK has won eight in a row and 9 of 10 vs. Alabama in Lexington.
  • Mingione is 26-11 vs. teams from Alabama.
• UK drew two HBP and stole three bases.
• IF Tyler Bell returned to the lineup after missing the first games of the series.
  • He went 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, BB, 2B, SB
• OF Jayce Tharnish went 2-3, 2 R, 2 BB and 2B
• IF Hudson Brown went 2-for-4 with 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB, HR
  • He hit his second home run in as many days and at bats in the second inning.
• RHP Nate Harris rebounded from the worst start of his career with one of his best.
  • He finished at 6.0 IP, H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
  • He had a no-hitter through six innings.
  • Both runs charged to him were inherited runs from the bullpen.
• RHP Nile Adcock earned the first save of his career with a clean ninth inning.

ON DECK

UK hosts Marshall on Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET. The game is on SECN+ and the contest can be heard on UK Sports Network.