Kentucky sweeps Tide baseball team

LEXINGTON, Ky. | Both the University of Alabama and the University of Kentucky got solid starting pitching in the series finale Sunday afternoon, but it was reliever Brock Baber that helped the Wildcats earn the series sweep in a 5-1 win at Cliff Hagan Stadium.

Baber earned his first save of the season by wriggling out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh inning as UK earned its first sweep of the Crimson Tide since 1992.

Alabama starter Austin Graham (1-1), who was making his first career SEC start, gave the Tide a solid six innings and held UK’s high-powered offense to five runs and five hits, but he walked seven and struck out five.

Kentucky (18-0, 3-0 SEC) got a two-run home run from their leading hitter Sawyer Carroll to take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Carroll’s team-leading seventh home run came after a two-out walk to first baseman Brian Spear.

Alabama got on the board in the top of the fifth inning when senior first baseman Matt Bentley slammed his fourth home run of the season off the scoreboard in left-center field. The home run was originally ruled a double by third base umpire Donald Gilmore, who made little effort to track the ball, but Gilmore was over-ruled by first base umpire and crew chief Jack Cox after UA head coach Jim Wells contested the call.

Alabama returns home to open a six-game home stand Tuesday when the Crimson Tide hosts the New Orleans Privateers at 6:30 p.m. at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide will host Vanderbilt next weekend in its first home SEC series of the season.