April 12, 2008

Box Score

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -

Box Score

Game Scoresheet

Combined Season Statistics

Combined SEC Statistics

Alabama hit a season-high four home runs and then wriggled out of bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat Tennessee, 11-10, in the first game of a day-night double header at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville on Saturday afternoon. The two teams will play the second game of this day-night double header at 7 p.m. (EDT) and the game will be televised live by Sport South.

Alabama (20-15, 6-7 SEC) took an 11-8 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning only to see the Vols load the bases with no outs. P.J. Polk led off the inning with single to chase Austin Graham, who pitched three innings of relief in the opener.

Senior right-hander Josh Copeland came in and promptly walked Danny Liles and then Danny Lima, who was trying to move both runners into scoring position with a bunt, reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Copeland struck out Andy Simony for the first out and then got Kent rail Davis' to fly out for the second out as Polk scored on the play. Shawn Griffin, the Vols' leading hitter, grounded out to second baseman Ross Wilson to end the game. Griffin went 0-for-5 and stranded two runners in the loss.

Senior left-hander Will Stroup, who recorded only one out, benefitted from a three-run sixth inning to earn his fourth win of the season for the Tide. Copeland, who now has 16 consecutive scoreless innings in relief, earned his fourth save.

Alabama built its lead with a season-high four home runs by sophomore third baseman Jake Smith, sophomore left fielder Brandon May, senior first baseman Matt Bentley and junior catcher Mike Sharp. The Tide's four home runs accounted for eight runs in win over UT.

Tennessee (20-13, 7-6) hit three solo home run in the loss to Alabama.

The Vols scored a run in the bottom of the first inning when Davis reached base and scored on two errors by junior right fielder Kent Matthews. Davis lifted a high fly ball to right that was dropped by Matthes and as Davis raced for third base, Matthes throw went into the left field stands allowing Davis to give and give the Vols a 1-0 lead.

Alabama took the lead with a four-run second inning capped by Smith's three-run home run to left field. May led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on junior DH Alex Avila's opposite field single to left. After Matthes popped up and Bentley flew out, Sharp singled to left to score May from second base. Smith then slammed a 1-2 pitch over the left field bleachers to give the Tide a 4-1 lead.

The Vols got a run back in the bottom of the second inning when Cody Brown's leadoff home run cut the UA lead to 4-2.

The Crimson Tide put two more runs on the board in the third inning to take a 6-2 lead. Wilson led off the inning with a single. Freshman shortstop Josh Rutledge drilled a line-drive back up the middle that struck Hernandez in the lower left leg. Rutledge was out at first on the play as Wilson moved to second. May then followed with a two-run home run to left-center field to give the Tide a four-run lead.

Tennessee cut the lead to 6-3 on Josh Liles' wind-blown, two-out home run to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning. It was Liles second home run of the season.

The Vols scored four runs off five hits and two bases-loaded walks to take a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Hyatt, who failed to make several key two-strike pitches in the inning, found himself in trouble in the fifth as the Vols took the lead.

Simunic led off the inning with a two-strike single to left field and Davis followed with a bunt single down the third base line. Shawn Griffin struck out and Yan Gomes flied out and Hyatt appeared to be off the hook when he got ahead of Jeff Lockwood. Lockwood and Brown then followed with back-to-back two-strike singles to score Simunic and Davis as UT cut the lead to 6-5. PJ Polk the bounced an infield single to second to load the bases. Hyatt then walked in the tying run as Liles drew a bases-loaded walk and reliever Will Stroup walked nine-hole hitter Danny Lima to score Brown with the go-ahead run.

Hyatt was charged with seven runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings in the no-decision. He struck out five and walked two.

Alabama came right back with three runs in the top of the sixth inning on back-to-back home runs by Bentley and Sharp. Matthes started the inning with a one-out single to left and scored on Bentley's wind-aided home run into the left field bleachers as the Tide regained the lead at 8-7. Sharp then blasted a 2-0 fastball into the left field bleachers push the lead to 9-7.

Tennessee got a run back in the bottom of the sixth off Will Stroup to close the gap to 9-8. Davis led off the inning with bloop single to right and moved to second when Griffin walked.

Austin Graham replaced Stroup in the sixth inning and got Gomes on a sacrifice bunt before Lockwood's RBI ground out scored Davis from third base. UT stranded the tying run at third when Brown was called out on strikes to end the inning.

Alabama put two runs on the board in eighth inning to take an 11-8 lead. Wilson drove in a run with an infield ground out and Rutledge followed with an RBI single to left field.

Tennessee cut the lead to 11-9 in the bottom of the inning on Lockwood's wind-aided, two-out home run to left field.

GAME NOTES: *Alabama tied a season-high with four home runs in the series opener against Tennessee. The Crimson Tide also hit four home runs in a 15-7 win against Youngstown State on March 7 in Tuscaloosa.

*The Tide and Volunteers combined for seven home runs in the first game of Saturday's double header.

*Sophomore third baseman Jake Smith (Shannon, Ala.) hit his third home run of the season to give Alabama a 4-1 lead in the second inning. Smith has now homered in back-to-back SEC games and all three of his home runs this season have from the No. 9 spot in the batting order.

*Sophomore left fielder Brandon May (Marietta, Ga.) hit his fourth home run of the season and third in SEC play with a two-run blast to left-center field in the third inning. May's two-run home run gave the Tide a 6-2 lead. He has homered in three of the Tide's first five SEC series, including back-to-back SEC games against LSU (April 6) and Tennessee (April 12).

*Senior first baseman Matt Bentley and junior catcher Mike Sharp hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning as the Tide took a 9-7 lead. The last time Alabama hit back-to-back home runs was March 7, 2008 when Ross Wilson and Alex Avila hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning in a 15-7 win over Youngstown State.

*Bentley's two-run home run in the sixth inning gave Alabama an 8-7 lead. It was Bentley's eighth home run of the season, tying Alex Avila for the team lead.

*Sharp gave the Tide a 9-7 lead with his first career home runs in the sixth inning. Sharp is the 12th different Alabama player to hit a home run this season.

*Freshman shortstop Josh Rutledge (Cullman, Ala.) extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a two-out single in the fifth inning. During the streak, Rutledge is batting .468 (22-for-47) with 10 runs scored, four doubles and 10 RBI. The freshman has also hit safely in 12 of 13 SEC games this season, including a nine-game SEC hitting streak.

*Alabama and Tennessee's 7-8-9 hitters had big days at the plate on Saturday, going a combined 13-for-23 (.565) with eight runs scored, four home runs and 10 RBI. Alabama's trio was 6-for-12 with six runs scored, three home runs and seven RBI. Tennessee's 7-8-9 hitters were 7-for-11 with two runs scored, one home run and three RBI.

*The Alabama baseball team was staying the same hotel as the United States Olympic softball team this weekend in Knoxville. Team USA is in the midst of a 60-game "Bound 4 Beijing" tour throughout the United States. Team USA played at Tennessee on Saturday and will face the Alabama softball team Tuesday, April 15 at 6 p.m. in Birmingham. Former Alabama All-American Kelly Kretschman is a member of Team USA and the projected starting right fielder. Another Tide connection is assistant coach Karen Johns, who is a former assistant with the Crimson Tide and was a part of the coaching staff on UA's first College World Series team in 1998.

-UA-