West Alabama Rallies to Upset Alabama, 9-7
8/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of West Alabama overcame a seven-run deficit and posted its first win in 23 years over the No. 20 University of Alabama baseball team with a 9-7 come-from-behind win Wednesday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
The Tigers had not beaten Alabama since posting a pair of 3-2 wins during the 1980 season, winning one game in Tuscaloosa and another in Livingston.
UWA (21-19) scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning and added five more in the sixth for the upset win over the Crimson Tide.
West Alabama got on the board in the top of the fourth inning with four consecutive two-out hits against Jeffrey Norris. LeWayne Allen's single to left scored Thomas Monk and Scott Needs followed with a two-run single to center to bring home A.J. Ray and Allen.
The Tigers scored five runs in the sixth inning with only two hits to take an 8-7 lead. Eric Mennen, who replaced Norris after five innings, got the first out and then promptly walked the bases loaded.
Coach Jim Wells went to the bullpen once again, bringing in left-hander Brent Carter. The sophomore struck out Monk for the second out, but failed to record another out as he surrendered the lead.
Ray followed with a two-out single to left field to cut the UA lead to 7-5. Carter then walked Allen to re-load the bases before yielding a bases-clearing double to Needs into right-center field as the Tigers took an 8-7 lead.
Needs had two hits and five RBI in the fifth and sixth innings, all with two outs. In addition to Needs, Ray had two hits and two RBI for the Tigers.
UWA right-hander Jason Clark benefitted from the eight runs and earned the win over the Crimson Tide, tossing a pair of shutout innings. Clark (4-3) pitched around two singles and an error in the fifth inning and a single and two walks in the sixth as UA stranded three bases runners and two more thrown out at the plate.
Brent Carter (4-4) lost his third straight decision for the Crimson Tide, struggling again on the mound. The left-hander allowed two runs and two hits in one-third of an inning, his second relief stint of the season.
Clint Chambless, the last of five UWA pitchers, pitched two scoreless innings for his fourth save of the season. He retired six of the eight batters he faced, pitching around a leadoff walk in the eighth and a two-out error in the ninth.
Alabama (20-8) jumped out to a 7-0 lead after three innings and had numerous chances to score more runs in the final seven innings, but never got a clutch hit.
The Crimson Tide stranded 11 base runners in the loss and left the bases loaded in the first inning. In its last four games, Alabama has stranded 41 base runners and has lost three straight home games for the first time since 2001.
Alabama could not overcome its inability to hit with the bases loaded, but was patient enough at the plate to score three runs in the bottom of the first inning on three consecutive bases loaded walks from left-hander Josh Allums.
Allen Rice and Adam Pavkovich singled with one out and Beau Hearod was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After Zac Welch struck out, Allums then walked Al Hecklinski, Nathan Meiners and Grant Redding in succession to give Alabama a 3-0 lead. The 47-pitch inning ended when Charlie Lyons took a called third strike on a 3-2 pitch.
Alabama made it a 7-0 game in the third inning when Al Hecklinski lined a two-run home run just inside the foul pole in left field. It was his fifth home run of the season. A pair of two-out walks to Redding and Lyons and a double steal of second and home gave the Tide a 6-0 lead. Redding, who stole two bases in the inning, scored on the double steal.
Travis Garner followed with a single up the middle, scoring Lyons to give the Crimson Tide a 7-0 lead. Garner's two-out single extended his hitting streak to 18 games, one shy of the SEC's longest hitting streak this year.
The Tigers put the game out of reach with another two-out run off Brian Reed in the ninth inning.
Rafael Farrell led off with a base hit to right field and moved into scoring position on a passed ball charged to Charlie Lyons. Freddie Vasquez brought home the insurance run with a two-out single to left.
The Crimson Tide had 10 hits in the loss, with Rice being the only player with more than one hit. Rice extended his hitting streak to six games as did Pavkovich.
Alabama looks to end its three-game losing streak as it travels to Auburn this weekend for a three-game SEC series against the sixth-ranked Tigers at Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park. The series opener is Friday at 6:30 p.m.
