LEXINGTON, Ky. – Alabama brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the seventh inning, but the late rally fell short as Kentucky evened the weekend series with a 4-2 decision Sunday night.
Alabama (26-3, 6-2 SEC) was hurt by four errors, two of which led to a pair of unearned runs for Kentucky (24-4, 2-4 SEC) in the first and third innings. The Wildcats doubled the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth inning before the Crimson Tide scored its first run of the game in the top of the fifth on an RBI single from Alexis Mack. After getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the sixth, an RBI single from Bailey Hemphill made it 4-2 in the top of the seventh. Another single brought the potential go-ahead run to the plate but a fly ball ended the rally and the game.
KB Sides went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, her first career game with two doubles, and Hemphill also went 2-for-4 batting in the three hole, including the RBI single that pushed her career RBI total to 209, six shy of second-place Kaila Hunt. Lexi Kilfoyl (10-1) took her first loss of the season while Autumn Humes (11-2) got the complete-game victory for Kentucky.
Highlights
- Alabama is now 49-10 all-time vs. Kentucky, including a 24-5 mark on road
- Claire Jenkins reached-base streak ended at 13 games, tying her previous season-best streak set earlier this year
- Bailey Hemphill improved her career RBI total to 209, just six shy of second-place Kaila Hunt in the UA career record books
- KB Sides’ two doubles is a career high
Scoring Summary
- B1 | A fielding error on a ground ball allowed the Kentucky runner at third to score (0-1, 1 Out)
- B3 | A sacrifice fly brought home another Wildcat run (0-2, 1 Out)
- B4 | With a runner at second, a double to right field brought her home (0-3, 1 Out)
- B4 | An infield single drove in a runner from third (0-4, 1 Out)
- T5 | Alexis Mack lined one up the middle to score Elissa Brown from third (1-4, 1 Out)
- T7 | Bailey Hemphill hit an RBI single up the middle (2-4, 2 Out)
Up Next – Alabama at Kentucky (Lexington, Ky.)
- Monday, March 29 – 6 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
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