Bama Wins Another Pitchers' Duel Over Vanderbilt, 3-1
4/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama baseball team got another solid pitching performance on Saturday afternoon en route to a 3-1 win over the No. 25 Vanderbilt Commodores to even up this Southeastern Conference series at one game each.
The rubber game is set for 2:06 p.m. on Sunday afternoon in a game televised live by Comcast Sports Southeast.
Freshman left-hander Brandon Belcher and senior right-hander Seth Johnson combined to hold the Commodores to one unearned run and eight hits in Saturday's win.
Belcher (3-3) allowed one unearned run and six hits in six innings of work, with three walks and four strikeouts to earn his first career SEC win and first win since Mar. 14. He
The Ruston, La., native turned the game over to senior right-hander Seth Johnson after a 63-minute rain delay after the sixth inning.
Johnson then picked up his fourth save with three scoreless innings in relief and allowed two hits and struck out one batter.
Junior right-fielder Gabe Scott supplied the offense with three hits and two RBI; including a solo home run in the seventh inning to give the Tide a two-run lead.
Scott's three hits and two RBI matched his career-high for Alabama. Junior second baseman Allen Rice added two more hits for Alabama, giving him six hits in his last three games.
Alabama (21-12, 4-7 SEC) took a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning when junior third baseman Allen Rice slapped a single to left field and scored on senior Carlos Sosa's double off the left-center field wall. Sophomore Evan Bush followed with a walk, but junior Zac Welch ended the inning with a ground ball double play to short.
The Crimson Tide made it a 2-0 game in the fourth inning on a two-out single up the middle by Scott. Welch ignited the rally with a one-out double over the head of VU center fielder Antoan Richardson and later scored on Scott's base hit.
Vanderbilt (23-8, 5-6 SEC) cut the lead in half with an unearned run in the top of the fifth inning, but also missed a golden opportunity to take the lead when Warner Jones flied out to left field to end the inning and leave the bases loaded.
Bill Kleinschrodt reached on a two-out throwing error by shortstop Rocky Scelfo to start the rally. Catcher Jonathan Douillard kept the inning alive when he was called safe on a ground ball to Bush at third base to put runners on the corners. Douillard's infield hit drew the ire of Alabama coach Jim Wells as he protested the call at first base with Nelson Graham.
Ryan Klosterman then walked to load the bases and Antoan Richardson punched a single through the right side of the infield to score Kleinschrodt from third base. Jones then flied to left to end the inning.
Alabama had a chance to add to its lead in the bottom of the inning as senior Nick Richardson and Scelfo reached on back-to-back singles to open the inning.
In an attempt to move both runners in scoring position, Rice's bunt was fielded by Vandy pitcher Jensen Lewis when threw out Richardson at third base. Rice was also called out on the play when third base umpire John Whitaker ruled that Richardson's slide was into third baseman Tony Mansolino for the automatic double play. Scelfo was returned to first base and Sosa struck out to end the inning.
Vandy loaded the bases in the sixth inning against Belcher, as Mike Baxter doubled and Mansolino and Aaron Garza drew back-to-back walks to load the bases.
Belcher then struck out Kleinschrodt on three pitches and got Douillard to ground out to Bush at third to end the inning.
Vandy starter Jensen Lewis (4-2) also left the game following the rain delay and was charged with the loss, his second in a row. In six innings, Lewis allowed two runs and seven his, with one walk and four strikeouts.
After a 63-minute rain delay, Alabama tacked on another run in the bottom of seventh inning on Scott's solo home run to left field off reliever Stephen Shao.
Alabama finished the game with nine hits, while Vandy tallied eight hits in the loss.
GAME NOTES:
*Charlie Carr, the Chairman of the NCAA Division I Baseball Selection Committee, was in attendance for the Alabama-Vanderbilt game on Saturday. Carr is currently the Associate Director of Athletics at Florida State University.
*Alabama's run in the bottom of the first inning marked the first time this season the Crimson Tide has scored a run prior to the sixth inning in an SEC home game. The Crimson Tide was shutout twice through eight innings against Ole Miss and was shutout through seven innings last night against Vandy.
*The game was stopped at 5:43 p.m. due to rain and was resumed at 6:46 p.m., for a one hour and three minute rain delay after the sixth inning.
*Junior shortstop Rocky Scelfo extended his hitting streak to seven games with a fifth inning bunt single. Scelfo went 1-for-4 on Saturday and is now 11-for-28 (.393) during the eight-game hitting streak, the longest active streak on the team.
*Sophomore third baseman Evan Bush went 0-for-3 to end his four-game hitting streak.
