Sophomore shortstop Riley Mahan had a pair of hits, including an RBI double, but the Kentucky baseball team lost to Alabama 5-2 in the first round of the SEC Tournament on Tuesday at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
Sophomore first baseman Evan White hit his fifth home run of the season in the fourth inning, extending his hitting streak to 16 games. It’s White’s second-longest streak of the season, trailing his 21-game hitting streak from earlier this year.
Alabama (32-24) scored first, plating three runs in the top of the second inning off of Kentucky starter Zach Logue (3-2). But Logue settled in after that inning and did not allow Alabama to score again as he pitched five and two-thirds innings, allowing just two earned runs on six hits. Logue walked just one and struck out two.
White’s home run in the fourth cut the Alabama lead to 3-1. Neither team scored again until the Wildcats got a run in the bottom of the seventh. That’s when Mahan doubled down the left field line, scoring senior outfielder Dorian Hairston to cut the Tide’s lead to 3-2. It was Mahan’s 13th double of the season.
The score stayed the same until the top of the ninth when Alabama added a pair of runs to provide the final margin of victory.
Kentucky (32-25) had taken two-of-three games from Alabama during the regular season at Cliff Hagan Stadium in mid-April.
The Wildcats will now wait for the NCAA Tournament selection show on Monday to see where they might continue their season.
by Tony Neely