Carter, Belcher Lead Bama Baseball Past UAB, 5-4
4/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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HOOVER, Ala. -- The Hoover Met magic continued for the University of Alabama baseball team.
Freshman center fielder Brandon Belcher smashed a three-run home run off the right field foul pole and junior left-hander Brent Carter tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to lead the Crimson Tide to a 5-4 come-from-behind win over the UAB Blazers in front of 3,834 fans at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on a chilly Wednesday night.
Carter (5-3), making his first relief appearance of the season, shutout the Blazers over the final 3 2/3 innings for his first win since beating SE Missouri on March 12, a span of 32 days. The Americus, Ga., native allowed just one hit and struck out six batters, including five straight UAB batters in the eighth and ninth innings at a critical point in the game.
"The mystique of this ballpark is like magic," Carter said following the win. "For whatever reason we play so well here. It's not like we don't enjoy playing at home, but the atmosphere here is really good and play really well here."
Alabama has won seven straight games here at the Hoover Met, dating back to the 2002 SEC Tournament. The Crimson Tide has won the last two SEC Tournaments here in Hoover. The win improves the Tide to 26-8 all-time at the Met.
After giving up the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, Alabama rallied for three runs in the seventh inning off losing pitcher Adam Price to take a 5-4 lead.
Sophomore catcher Charlie Lyons started the rally with an infield single to short and moved to third on junior Allen Rice's sharp single up the middle. After Rice took second on a wild pitch, Belcher gave the Tide the lead with a three-run home run that smashed off the foul pole in right field. It was Belcher's second home run of the season.
Price (2-5) allowed five runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings for is second loss of the season against Alabama. He added three walks and four strikeouts.
UAB (14-18) has now lost nine straight games and 15 of its last 19 games overall.
The Blazers scored two runs off junior right-hander Matt Downs in the sixth inning to take a brief 4-2 lead. Downs hit Josh Miljavic with a 1-2 pitch to start the UAB rally. Cole Helms followed with an infield hit and Daniel Hill stroked a 2-0 pitch into right-center field to put the Blazers ahead for the first time in the game.
Carter came on stranded two base runners in the inning and then shutout UAB from there. He pitched around a leadoff double by Miljavic in the eighth inning as Helms fouled out to the catcher and Hill and Nathan McCorkle followed with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
Carter opened the ninth inning with a pair of strikeouts against Levi Patmon and Eugene Rodriguez before Seth Rollin grounded out to Rice at third to end the game.
Alabama (22-13) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning as Lyons knocked in two runs with a two-out single to center field.
Junior first baseman Zac Welch and senior DH Carlos Sosa drew back-to-back walks to open the inning and senior left fielder Ryan Beagle moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt on a bang-bang play at first. After freshman Greg Paiml popped out, Lyons then delivered the two-run single for his first RBI of the season.
UAB cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the third as Miljavic tripled into right field and later scored on Hill's line-drive double to left-center field.
The Blazers tied the game in the fourth inning when Sam Clark tripled to right field and scored on Cole Helms' base hit to left field.
Alabama starter Andrew Walker lasted only 3 1/3 innings and allowed one run and seven hits, including three extra base hits. The seven hits are the most allowed by Walker in a game this season.
Matt Downs relieved Walker and struck out Hill and Nathan McCorkle to end the Blazers threat. Downs allowed two runs and four hits in two innings of work before turning the game over to Carter one out in the sixth inning.
UAB out-hit Alabama, 12-11. Hill had three hits and three RBI to pace the Blazers attack, while Miljavic and Helms added two hits each. Miljavic also reached base in all five plate appearances, with two walks and a hit by pitch.
Belcher had two hits and a career-high three RBI for Alabama, while Lyons added two hits and two RBI.
Alabama returns home to face the Auburn Tigers in a three-game Southeastern Conference series this weekend at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The series opener is slated for Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Joe.
GAME NOTES:
*Alabama improves to 26-8 (.765) all-time here at the Hoover Met. The Crimson Tide has won seven straight games in Hoover, including back-to-back SEC Tournament championships in 2002 and 2003.
*Sophomore catcher Charlie Lyons (Northport) returned to the starting lineup against UAB after missing the last four games while he still recovers from surgery to repair a broken hamate bone (left hand). Lyons has missed 30 games this season. He made his fourth start of the season against the Blazers and delivered a two-run single in the second inning to give Alabama a 2-0 lead. It was his first hit since February 14 against New Orleans.
*Freshman shortstop Greg Paiml extended his hitting streak to eight games with a fourth inning single up the middle. During the streak, Paiml is batting 10-for-22 (.455) with four doubles for the Tide.
*Junior left-hander Brent Carter made his first relief appearance of the season tonight against UAB. He entered the game with one out in the sixth inning and Alabama trailing 4-2.
*Alabama is now 4-7 (.364) in one-run games this season.
