Alabama Pulls Out Dramatic Win at Auburn, 3-2
8/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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*In truly a classic game, No. 16 Alabama pulled off a dramatic 3-2 win over No. 6 Auburn in front of 4,673 fans at Plainsman Park.
*The win snapped Alabama's four-game losing streak, which was the longest under Coach Jim Wells. The win also snaps a nine-game winning streak by the home team in this series. Since 1998, the home team is 14-4 in the last 18 games in the series.
*Alabama is now 5-4 in one-run games this season.
*The Crimson Tide, playing the most difficult portion of its scedule, has now played eight straight SEC games agianst Top 20 teams. UA is 3-5 in those with games against No. 21 Florida, No. 12 LSU and No. 6 Auburn. The Florida and Auburn series were on the road.
*Overall, Alabanma is 4-6 (.400) against Top 30 clubs this season, including two wins over Top 10 teams. In addition to its win today over No. 6 Auburn, Alabama defeated No. 2 Rice (6-5) on Feb. 15, 2003. Rice has won 28 straight games since the loss to Alabama and is ranked No.1 with a glistening 31-1 overall record.
*Junior right-hander Seth Johnson took the mound on Saturday, making his first Southeastern Conference start of the season and just his second start of the year. Johnson's only other start was a win over Miss. Valley State (6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K) on Feb. 27 at Tuscaloosa.
*In his SEC debut against the Tigers, Johnson worked seven plus innings and allowed one run and five hits in the longest outing of his UA career. The right-hander also added a career high nine strikeouts and walked only two batters. He left the game after allowing a leadoff double to Chuck Jeroloman in the eighth inning.
*In his two starts this season, Johnson is 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA. The right-hander has worked 13 innings in his two starts and allowed one earned run and seven hits. He also added 15 strikeouts and two walks.
*For the season, Johnson is 4-0 with a 1.34 ERA in 11 appearances. The right-hander has worked 33.2 innings and allowed 22 hits, six runs, five earned runs, 12 walks and 37 strikeouts.
*Including his high school and junior college career, Johnson is 88-10 in his 98 career decisions.
*Senior Beau Hearod started at first base against the Tigers for only the second time this season. Hearod also started at first base in the Crimson Tide's game against No. 13 Houston on Feb. 15.
*Hearod extended his SEC lead with a solo home run to lead off the second inning. For the season, the Jennings, La., leads the SEC with 12 home runs and 49 RBI.
*Hearod also scored what proved to be the winning run in the fourth inning when he reached on a hit by pitch and scored on Brandon Avalos' sac fly.
*Avalos, playing 10 days removed from an emergency appendectomy, drove home the winning run in the fourth inning and then singled in the seventh to extend his hitting streak to seven games.
*Freshman third baseman Evan Bush returned to the UA lineup on Saturday and made two great defensive plays in the eighth inning that saved the game for Alabama. Bush fielded a tough grounder and threw out Chuck Jeroloman at home for the second out and then made another great play to get Tug Hulett at first base to end the inning.
*Sophomore first baseman Zac Welch plated a huge insurance run with a pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth inning off Steven Register.
*Senior pitcher Brian Reed earned his seventh save of the year, but had to work out of his own bases loaded jam in the ninth to do so. Reed issued back-to-back walks to Doug Vines and Jeroloman, moving the tying run to third base before Sean Gamble grounded out one pitch later to end the game.
*The series finale is set for 1:36 p.m. (CT) Sunday afternoon from Auburn. The game wil be televised by Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast. Brent Carter (So., LHP 4-4, 3.81 ERA) will pitch for Alabama, while Auburn will send Colby Paxton (RHP, 3-1, 3.30 ERA) to the mound.
