Small Ball Pays Dividends as No. 23 Kentucky Beats Alabama 4-3 in 12 Innings

Hit 'em where they ain't, Jackson Gray. Kentucky survives a late-game meltdown to keep the longest winning streak in the country alive.

"When there's a will, there's a way." 

"By any means necessary."

Whatever tired old trope you want to use to describe Kentucky baseball, do it, because the shoe fits. 

The Bat Cats fought through some adversity late inside Sewell-Thomas Stadium, but once again won a war of attrition, as they defeated Alabama 4-3 in 12 innings on Friday night in Tuscaloosa, extending the nation's longest winning streak to 16 games.

Bama lefty Braylon Myers hit Kentucky (20-2, 4-0 SEC) shortstop Grant Smith with one out in the top of the 12th. UK Head coach Nick Mingione proceeded to call for another dose of small ball, as a hit-and-run saw leadoff man Jackson Gray squib a grounder to where UA shortstop Jim Jarvis would've normally been, but because of Smith attempting to steal second, there was a wide-open gap that saw the ball sneak through, putting runners on the corners. 

Alabama (18-5, 1-3) then called on its fourth pitcher of the game in right-hander Riley Quick to try and duck any damage. UK's Jase Felker was at the dish, but he didn't have to make any contact, as a wild pitch allowed Smith to scurry home, giving Kentucky its final 4-3 lead.

Veteran righty Ryan Hagenow pitched a flawless bottom of the 12th to close the door, following two hitless innings from Missouri transfer Zach Hise, who was credited with his first win of the 2023 season. 

Kentucky pitching allowed just six hits — all singles — in 12 frames, walking five and striking out 12 Tide hitters. Gray and UK catcher Devin Burkes each had two hits, while five other Cats managed a base knock in the first of three games in T-Town. 

Jarvis led off the bottom of the ninth with a single up the middle on the second-base side, in what was only the fourth hit of the game for the Crimson Tide. Center fielder Caden Rose followed with a chopper toward Felker, but an errant throw from the third baseman went off the glove of Hunter Gilliam at first and into right field, allowing Jarvis to scramble to third, Rose to second. 

That was the end of the line for Wildcat right-hander Mason Moore, who was seeking a six-out save after pitching a scoreless eighth inning. In came hard-throwing righty Seth Chavez, really beginning the rollercoaster.

Tide designated hitter Will Hodo struck a 1-2 pitch into right field for an RBI single, scoring Jarvis to bring Alabama within one run, down 3-2. Up to the plate stepped daunting first baseman Drew Williamson, who entered Friday night slashing .429/.544/.814. He never broke eye contact with the ETSU transfer, but Chavez hurled a beautiful 1-2 off-speed pitch that struck him out swinging. 

Control then became in issue. A wild pitch from Chavez allowed Rose to dash home, tying the game while putting the winning run on second base. An intentional walk, followed by a full-count walk to right fielder Andrew Pinckney loaded the bases with one out.

After multiple visits to the mound from Burkes, Chavez settled in, getting the slugging Colby Shelton to strike out on a breaking ball, then Mac Guscette to fly out harmlessly to right field, sending the game to extra innings. 

That late-game meltdown wiped away seven terrific innings from starter Logan Martin and ace-arm Darren Williams. Martin returned from a non-arm related injury that forced him to miss two starts and threw two scoreless innings, playing more of an opener role as he works back to full health. 

Williams walked to the mound in the bottom of the third with a 2-0 lead, as Kentucky got to Bama starter Ben Hess in the opening frame. Gray ripped a double off the wall in the first at-bat of the game and scored just one batter later, as Felker laid down the first of a few sacrifice bunts on Friday, resulting in a poor throw from Hess that allowed Gray to trot home.

Felker then went to steal second base, but another throwing error — this time from Guscette — allowed him to move 90 more feet to third base. Second baseman Émilien Pitre brought his teammate home with an RBI groundout, stamping an important top of the first. 

Burkes led the top of the fourth off with a single to right-center field. Pitre then laid down a sac-bunt from the cleanup spot in the order, defying any baseball stereotype you thought you knew. Gilliam then laced a single off the pitchers mound through to center field, scoring Burkes to increase UK's lead to 3-0. 

Hess settled in and gave his team 6.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits, one walk and a whopping 10 strikeouts. 

Williams allowed all three of his hits across five innings in the bottom of the fifth, with the final single going up the middle from Pinckney, scoring Bama's only run until the ninth. The seventh-year senior's ERA is now 2.39 across 26.1 IP. 

Hagenow remains spotless through eight outings and 13.1 IP, while Hise upped his stock with the two biggest innings of his Kentucky career. Mingione wasn't planning to use six arms in game one, but anything for a win. 

Left-hander Tyler Bosma is set to take the mound for game two of the three-game series, as UK looks to clinch its second SEC series win of the season and keep the win streak rolling. First pitch inside Sewell-Thomas Stadium on Saturday is set for 3 p.m. EST. 

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