Bama Baseball Team Drops Season Opener to Hawaii, 4-1
2/11/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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Box Score
HONOLULU, Hawaii -- Paradise was anything but for the University of Alabama baseball team in the 2005 season opener.
The Crimson Tide had eight hits, but none with runners in scoring position, and ace left-hander and preseason All-American Wade LeBlanc struggled in his sophomore debut as the Crimson Tide dropped a 4-1 decision to the University of Hawai'i in front of 2,611 fans at Les Murakami Stadium on the UH campus.
The loss snapped Alabama's 11-game season opening winning streak which dated back to the 1994 season. Alabama's last loss on opening day was Feb. 20, 1993 with a 4-3 setback to South Alabama at Eddie Stanky Field in Mobile.
Hawai'i (1-0) took advantage of some third inning wildness by LeBlanc and grabbed a 3-0 lead. The sophomore's struggles began with a one-out single up the middle by senior third baseman and No. 9 hitter and Schafer Magana, who fouled off four, two-strike pitches in a 10-pitch at-bat.
Following Magana's base hit, freshman shortstop Joe Spiers drew a walk and senior left fielder Gregory Kish laced a double into the right field corner to give UH a 2-0 lead. Kish then took third on balk and junior center fielder Matt Inouye reached on LeBlanc's second walk of the inning and third of the game. Junior first baseman Adam Roberts laid down a safety squeeze bunt to score Kish from third base just ahead of Bama first baseman Zac Welch's throw.
After the bunt, LeBlanc, who labored with a 39-pitch third inning retired the next two batters to avoid further damage.
UH added another run in the fifth inning to take a 4-0 lead and chased LeBlanc from the game. Spiers, who had walked in his first two plate appearances, reached on a bunt single to open the inning and moved around to third base on a pair of LeBlanc wild pitches. Kish followed with a ground out to second base, scoring Spiers from third base to give UH a four-run lead.
Spiers (1-for-2, 2 R, 2 BB) and Kish (2-for-3, R, 2B, 3 RBI) supplied all the offense the Rainbows would need in the win Thursday night. The duo collected three of the five hits and scored three of the four runs in the victory. Spiers and Kish also reached base five times in the win.
LeBlanc (0-1) was chased with just one out in the fifth inning and suffered the loss. The Lake Charles, La., native allowed four earned runs and three hits, with three walks and five strikeouts. He was also charged with three wild pitches and was called for two balks.
LeBlanc's counterpart UH senior right-hander Ricky Bauer (1-0) was as good as advertised. The Kaneohe, Oahu native and preseason All-WAC selection allowed just one run and six singles in seven innings. He added three strikeouts and did not issue a walk in a most impressive debut.
Alabama (0-1) finally touched Bauer for its first run of the season in the top of the sixth inning. Sophomore Emeel Salem led off with a single up the middle and moved to second on a base hit through the left side of the infield by junior catcher Kody Valverde. Salem then stole third base and scored the first run of the year when junior third baseman Evan Bush grounded out to Magana at third base and cut the UH lead to 4-1, but never threatened again.
Junior right-hander Jordan Davis threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings in his Crimson Tide debut. He allowed two hits, one walk and added five strikeouts.
Guy McDowell worked two scoreless innings in relief for the Rainbows for his first save of the season.
The series will continue with a 10:35 p.m. (CT) game on Friday from Honolulu. Sophomore left-hander Brandon Belcher (3-5, 4.50 ERA in 2004) will pitch for the Crimson Tide, while UH will counter with senior right-hander Stephen Bryant (8-4, 3.52 ERA in 2004).
GAME NOTES:
*The Alabama baseball team was making its first regular season appearance in the state of Hawai'i as they opened a four-game series at UH on Thursday. The Crimson Tide played in Honolulu during a 1957 Far East Goodwill Tour, sponsored by US State Department. Alabama posted a 15-5 record during its 20-game tour to Tokyo (Japan) and Okinawa (Japan), Korea and Honolulu. At the time of its last visit, Hawai'i was not even a state. That did not happen until Aug. 21, 1959 when the Hawai'i became the 50th state.
*Former Alabama placekicker Peter Kim, who is a successful businessman in Honolulu, attended the Crimson Tide's 2005 season opener against UH on Thursday night. Kim was born in Korea and originally signed a football scholarship with the Rainbow Warriors before transferring to Alabama.
*UH right fielder Jose Castenada (Santa Ana, Calif.) turned in the first "web gem" of the 2005 season as he robbed UA first baseman Zac Welch of an extra base hit with a spectacular diving catch to end the second inning.
*UH senior third baseman Schafer Magana, who batted ninth in the Rainbows order, recorded the first hit of the game with one-out in the bottom of the third inning. The Taylorsville, Utah native fouled off four, two-strike pitches before lining a single into centerfield to complete the 10-pitch at-bat.
*Alabama (3) and Hawai'i (1) combined for four balks in the season opener. LeBlanc (UA) was charged with two balks, while Davis (UA) and Bauer (UH) added one each.
*Three players made their Crimson Tide debut in the season opener, including Valverde, Iorg and Davis.
*Valverde went 3-for-4 in his Alabama debut. He accounted for three of the Crimson Tide's seven hits in loss.
*Valverde and Salem (2-for-4) were a combined 5-for-8 (.625) in the season opener and scored the only run of the game. The rest of the team went 3-for-26 (.115) in the loss.
*Alabama was 0-for-8 (.000) with runners in scoring position in the loss to UH.
*LeBlanc (5) and Davis (5) combined for 10 strikeouts in the loss to UH.
*Alabama had its 11-game winning streak in season openers come to an end on Thursday. The loss was the first by the Crimson Tide on opening day since 1993. Alabama coach Jim Wells is 14-2 in his career in season openers and lost for the first time since the 1993 season at Northwestern State, losing a double header to Rice. Overall, Alabama is 73-38-1 in season openers.
*Hawai'i was Alabama's 60th different opening day opponent.
*Alabama fell to 11-3 in Thursday games under coach Wells.
