No. 13 Baseball Drops 2-1 Finale vs. Alabama

Box Score | Photos | Notes | Highlights LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Despite a dynamite start from senior Kyle Cody, Alabama plated single runs in the first and eighth innings to post a 2-1 win over No. 13 Kentucky, on an overcast Sunday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Stadium. Kentucky (22-9, 8-4 Southeastern Conference) committed a two-out throwing error with a runner on third base in the top of the first inning, allowing Alabama to take an early lead it would not relinquish. Alabama then scored a run in the eighth inning to stretch its lead to 2-0. UK plated its run in the bottom of the eighth, and with the go-ahead run at the plate, UK flied out to the wall on a towering drive to end the rally. After the Wildcats posted wins in the first two games of the series, 3-2 on Friday and 6-2 on Saturday to win their fourth straight series to open league action, Alabama posted the win on getaway day, with the early defensive miscue giving the Tide strong momentum.  The Wildcats are off to the second-best start to conference play in program history, just behind a 9-3 start from the 2012 school-record 45 win season. A native of Chippewa Falls, Wis., Cody (3-2) turned in a tremendous start for the Wildcats, allowing just one earned run in 7.1 innings, allowing just four hits, walking two and striking out three. Senior righty Zach Strecker took over in the eighth inning, making his 72nd career appearance. Strecker escaped the inning and retired all four hitters he faced before Logan Salow came on to get a left-handed hitter out to end the inning. The Wildcats were limited to five hits in the game, with Storm Wilson, Dorian Hairston, Evan White, Gunnar McNeill and Troy Squires each collecting knocks. Alabama (19-13, 6-6 SEC) starter Nick Eicholtz (2-1) threw a dominating, two-hitter to lead the Crimson Tide to the salvaging win. He allowed just a leadoff single in the fourth, a one-out double, poked through the opposite-field infield in the seventh inning, and a two-out single in the eighth. With the tying run at the plate and two outs in the eighth inning, Alabama turned to southpaw closer Thomas Burrows, who earned his seventh save of the year with the final four outs. Kentucky will return to action on Tuesday, hosting Eastern Kentucky at 6:30 p.m. ET at Cliff Hagan Stadium. Alabama took an early lead in the first inning, plating an unearned run. With one out Cobie Vance doubled down the rightfield line, taking third on a grounder for the second out. Cody then got a slow roller hit to third but the throw skidded in the dirt, allowing Vance to score. The Tide added a run in the eighth, as Georgia Salem led off with a single into right-centerfield, taking second on a sacrifice bunt and third on a passed ball. Chandler Avant then singled into left-centerfield with the infield in, scoring Salem. UK got on the board in the eighth inning as Squires singled with two outs and was replaced by pinch runner Tyler Marshall. Marshall then scored on a two-out RBI single from White.