Vanderbilt Takes 1-0 Win Over Bama in Series Opener
3/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The University of Alabama and Vanderbilt University baseball teams know a little something about pitching and one-run games.
The last five meetings between these two Southeastern Conference rivals have been decided by six total runs, including Friday night's nail-biter in front of a standing room only crowd at Charles Hawkins Field.
Vanderbilt (16-5, 2-2 SEC) scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the first inning and three Commodore pitchers combined for the 1-0 shutout win over Alabama in the SEC series opener for both teams.
Vanderbilt has four straight one-run wins over Alabama, dating back to the 2001 season.
Alabama (19-6, 3-1 SEC) fell behind for the 15th time in 25 games as Vanderbilt plated the only run of the ball game with two outs in the bottom of the first inning.
First baseman and leadoff hitter Mike Baxter drew a walk, stole second and moved to third on Aaron Garza's slow-rolling ground ball to junior Evan Bush at first base.
After Brian Hernandez struck out for the second out, VU second baseman Warner Jones blooped a single to left field to score Baxter with the only run of the game.
Vandy starter and junior right-hander Jensen Lewis (5-0) allowed only four hits in seven shutout innings for the win. He walked two and struck out four and threw 107 pitches.
Alabama starter and junior right-hander T.J. Large (4-1) was the tough-luck loser for the Tide. He allowed only one run and two singles in 7 2/3 innings. Large walked a season-high six batters and struck out six in his first loss on the mound since the 2003 season at St. Pete Community College.
"It was a good game," Alabama head coach Jim Wells said. "There was one erorr on both teams. Even though we walked a lot, Large is a great competitor and only gave up two hits. We had runners and second and third twice.
"The difference was we needed to get a hit. It's not like we needed eight more base runners or six more hits. We needed one hit. We have to get over the hump and believe the you can and be a team that wins 2-1 and then that leads to winning 5-2 and get things going. Large pitched good, but he competes out there. He really wasn't throwing great pitches, he just battles."
Unfortunately, Alabama never got that hit.
Despite outhitting the Commodores 5-2, the Crimson Tide stranded nine base runners and went 0-for-10 in the game with runners in scoring position. Both numbers are tought to overcome in a one-run game.
Alabama had runners at second and third with one out in the third inning after Bush reached on an error by VU third baseman Tony Mansolino and senior left fielder Gabe Scott followed with a base hit to left field.
Senior right fielder Morrow Thomley moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, but sophomore center fielder Brandon Belcher fouled out to the catcher and junior catcher Kody Valverde grounded out to end the threat.
The Crimson Tide mounted a two-out rally in the fourth when Scott singled to right and Thomley double inside the third base bag. The inning ended when Belcher flied out to left field.
Bama wasted a leadoff double by Valverde in the fifth inning and left him in scoring potion after Greg Paiml failed to execute a bunt, Cale Iorg struck out and Rocky Scelfo grounded out to end the inning.
Bama got a pair of one-out walks in the sixth from Bush and Scott, but Thomley and Belcher could not move the runners and the Tide left two more runners on base.
"It's very frustrating," Wells added. "But where we are with this team, this has happened a lot the last two years. We dwelled on it and we just have to believe and build each other up that we can win.
"They are beaten down after the last two years of not winning, but I believe they can do it. It just takes one hit. We made two or three runs at them, we were just one hit away. We certainly put ourselves in position to win a lot of games if we could just do that."
Vandy had more chances, too, but could not scratch out another run against Large. The Commodores left nine men on base and were just 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Vandy stranded two bases runners in four of the eight innings.
Stephen Shao pitched a perfect eighth inning out the Vandy bullpen. Senior Ryan Rote earned his school record 16th career save despite a shaky ninth inning that saw Alabama leave two more base runners.
Thomley reached on an infield single and Belcher walked to put two runners on base with one out, before Valverde struck out and pinch-hitter Matt Grooms tapped out to Rote to end the game.
The two teams will continue this three-game series with a 2 p.m. game on Saturday from Nashville. Senior Brent Carter (4-1, 2.13 ERA) will pitch for Alabama, while Vandy will go with freshman left-hander David Price (1-0, 0.54), who will be making his second career start and first in SEC play. The game will be televised live by CSS Sports (Tuscaloosa Comcast channel 29).
GAME NOTES:
*The Crimson Tide suffered its first shutout of the 2005 season. The 1-0 loss marked the 24th time in school history that Alabama has lost a 1-0 game. The last 1-0 loss was last year in 10 innings at South Carolina.
*Alabama played its first road game tonight since dropping a 7-1 decision to UAB at Young Memorial Field in Birmingham on Thursday, Feb 24, 2005.
*The Crimson Tide opened the season with a four-game series at Hawai'i (Feb. 10-13) and played five of its first eight games away from home.
*Alabama is making its first appearance at Charles Hawkins Field, which opened in 2003. The Crimson Tide is the last SEC team to make its debut at Hawkins Field. Ole Miss, Florida, LSU, Auburn and Tennessee made their debuts in the ballpark's inaugural season, while Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas, Miss. State and Kentucky played here for the first time in 2004.
*Vanderbilt scored in the bottom of the first inning marking the first time in nine games the Crimson Tide has yielded a first-inning run.
*Alabama has trailed in 15 of 25 games this season.
*Alabama senior LF Gabe Scott extended his career-best hitting streak to 12 games with single to left field in the second inning.
*Vandy junior 2B Warner Jones extended his hitting streak to seven games with his first-inning RBI single to left.
*Allen Rice went 0-for-4 against Vandy and saw his streak of reaching base end at 19 consecutive games.
*Rocky Scelfo (0-for-4) saw his 12-game hitting streak as a starter come to an end in the series opener.
*Alabama sophomore left hander Wade LeBlanc was on the travel roster for the Vanderbilt series, but will not pitch. LeBlanc, who saw Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday in Birmingham, began a 10-day throwing program on Thursday and could be available next weekend against LSU.
