Looking Back at Kentucky's Series Win Over Alabama in Tuscaloosa
On Tuesday, May 23 at the Hoover Met Complex in Hoover, Alabama, Kentucky and Alabama will throw down in the single elimination round of the 2023 SEC Tournament as the No. 8 and 9 seeds, respectively.
The Wildcats and Crimson Tide will be the third of four games on the day, with the winner moving on to the double elimination portion of the tournament, playing the No. 1-seeded Florida Gators — who just took two of three from UK in Lexington over the weekend — on Wednesday.
The entire SEC Tournament bracket can be found HERE.
Tuesday will be the fourth matchup of the season between Kentucky and Alabama. The first three came back in late March, when UK went down to Tuscaloosa and took two of three from the Tide in an entertaining series that witnessed a pair of one-run games.
Here's what happened that weekend at Sewell-Thomas Stadium:
Full Game Recaps
- Game One: Kentucky 4, Alabama 3 (12 innings)
- Game Two: Kentucky 9, Alabama 5
- Game Three: Alabama 4, Kentucky 3
Notes
- Alabama's game-one starter in the series, Ben Hess, hasn't pitched since March 31 due to injury. Game-three starter Grayson Hitt hasn't pitched since April 8.
- Bama outfielder Tommy Seidl (.354/.466/.543) went 0-for-7 in the series. 1B Drew Williamson (.317/.426/.554) went 1-for-12. OF Andrew Pinckney (.347/.446/.643) led the Tide going 5-for-11 at the dish.
- Kentucky was led by OF Jackson Gray (.370/.522/.593) who went 5-for-14. Bama held 2B Émilien Pitre (.344/.477/.450) to just one hit.
- Kentucky out-hit Bama 25-23. Bama drew 14 walks to UK's eight. The Cats struck out 31 times to Bama's 26.
Game One
- Kentucky out-hit Alabama 9-6, led by a pair of knocks from both CF Jackson Gray and C Devin Burkes.
- Gray doubled to lead off the game, then scored after an error from Bama starter Ben Hess, who threw a ball away after Jase Felker laid down a sacrifice bunt.
- UK played small ball all weekend and laid down a few bunts in game one.
- Hess was terrific, throwing 6.1 innings, allowing five hits and three runs (two earned), striking out 10 while walking only one.
- Logan Martin opened for UK, throwing 2.0 scoreless innings. Darren Williams piggybacked, throwing 5.0 innings, allowing just one run on three hits, striking out four while not allowing a walk.
- UK led 3-1 in the ninth and sent Mason Moore out to try and complete a six-out save. He allowed two hits and was pulled for Seth Chavez, who proceeded to allow an RBI single to Will Hodo, then threw a wild pitch that tied things up, 3-3.
- Bama had the bases loaded with one out, but Chavez buckled down and picked up a K and fly ball to send the game to extras.
- Zach Hise threw a hitless 10th and 11th inning in what was his best outing of the season. Braylon Myers did the same for the Tide.
- Myers started the 12th and allowed the only hit of the three extra frames. Grant Smith was stealing second base, leaving a hole at shortstop, which Gray found, squeaking a grounder through for a single.
- Riley Quick relieved Myers, but threw a wild pitch, allowing Smith to score.
- Ryan Hagenow entered for UK and fired a one-two-three bottom of the 12th to earn the save.
- Kentucky drew only one walk in the game and struck out 14 times, but still managed the win.
Game Two
- Right fielder Nolan McCarthy led Kentucky with three RBIs and was one of four Wildcats to collect two hits, joining Gray, 1B Hunter Gilliam and LF Ryan Waldschmidt.
- Third baseman Colby Shelton had three hits for Bama, while SS Jim Jarvis, CF Andrew Pinckney and LF William Hamiter all had a pair of knocks. The Tide out-hit the Cats 12-10.
- Kentucky executed two safety squeezes in the win, as Burkes and Waldschmidt each laid one down.
- UK was up 4-0 early, Alabama cut into the deficit with a three-run bottom of the fourth. The Cats never gave up the lead, however.
- Tyler Bosma started for UK, threw 3.0 innings and allowed six hits and three earned while walking one. The left-hander didn't record a strikeout.
- Luke Holman wasn't much better for the Tide, as he allowed four hits and three earned in 3.0 innings, striking out two and walking three.
- Kentucky used RBI singles from Gilliam and McCarthy to plate three in the fifth. It then scored two more in the seventh and led 9-3 before allowing two in the bottom half.
- Austin Strickland threw 3.0 innings of relief, allowing four hits and two earned. Jackson Nove shut the door with 2.0 scoreless, while Hagenow again pitched a clean ninth.
- UK drew five walks and struck out only eight times, both of which were improvements from game one.
Game Three
- Kentucky had six hits in the series finale, while Bama had just five.
- Zack Lee threw 5.1 innings and allowed just two hits and two earned, striking out five and walking three.
- Bama countered with Grayson Hitt, who threw 6.0 innings and allowed five hits and two runs (one earned), fanning five while issuing a pair of walks.
- Smith hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning to put Kentucky up 3-2. He had two RBIs.
- Bama scored two in the bottom of the eighth to take a 4-3 lead, capped off by an RBI single from Pinckney. He had two knocks and two RBIs.
- Chavez took the loss, pitching 0.2 innings, allowing both runs in the eighth.
- Kade Woods earned the win and save for the Tide, throwing the final three innings. The only hit he allowed was the solo homer from Smith. He struck out four and didn't issue a walk.
- The Cats drew just two walks and struck out nine times in the loss that snapped their 17-game winning streak.
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