Valverde Powers Alabama Past Kent State, 10-2
2/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Valverde Powers Alabama Past Kent State, 10-2
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- Senior catcher Kody Valverde (Baton Rouge) had three hits and a career-high five RBI to lead the University of Alabama baseball team to a 10-2 win on a chilly night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
Valverde broke open a close game with a three-run triple in the Tide’s four-run sixth inning and then added a two-run home run in the eighth inning to lead the Crimson Tide offense.
“We left some runners in scoring position, but Valverde took care of the rest of it,” Alabama head coach Jim Wells said. “He drove in all the runs at the end. He is swinging the bat really well right now.”
With Alabama clinging to a 4-1 lead, Valverde busted the game open with a three-run triple over the head of Kent State centerfielder Joe Tucker to give the Crimson Tide a 7-1 lead. Valverde later scored when junior left fielder Brandon Belcher drew a bases loaded walk.
The senior catcher capped the scoring when he blasted a two-run home run to left field to make the final score 10-2. It was Valverde’s third home run in five games this season.
The five RBI surpassed his previous career high of four RBI set against Arkansas State in 2004. In five games this season, Valverde has 11 RBI.
Alabama (3-2) benefitted from a Kent State error and scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead. Junior centerfielder Emeel Salem drew a lead off walk and stole second base. Senior first baseman Matt Downs followed with a base hit to right field to send Salem to third. Downs moved to second on a wild pitch. Senior second baseman Evan Bush grounded out to score Salem with the 1-0 lead.
After an error and strikeout, Alabama got back-to-back two-out hits from freshman right fielder Ryan Rhoden and redshirt freshman DH Kyle Moore to take a 3-0 lead.
The Crimson Tide manufactured another run in the second inning to stretch its lead to 4-0. Junior shortstop Greg Paiml drew a leadoff walk, stole second, took third on a balk and scored on Bush’s 17th career sacrifice fly to give Bama a 4-0 lead.
Kent State (0-1) cut into the lead with a run in the fifth inning when Will Vazquez drew a one-out walk, moved to third on Brad Winter’s double down the left field line and scored on Jared Humphreys ground out to make it 4-1.
Alabama broke the game open in the sixth inning by scoring four runs to take an 8-1 lead. Senior catcher Kody Valverde delivered the big blow with a three-run triple to center field. Junior left fielder Brandon Belcher drew a bases loaded walk two batters later to plate Valverde with the the seven-run lead.
Alabama starter Wade LeBlanc recorded his first win of the season. The junior allowed one run and three hits in six innings, with nine strikeouts and three walks. Freshman right-hander Tommy Hunter earned the three-inning save and allowed one unearned run and three hits, with four strikeouts.
KSU scored an unearned run off Hunter in the seventh inning when Emmanuel Burris’ two-out single scored Vazquez to make it 8-2.
The Crimson Tide and Golden Flashes will play again on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Persons attending the Alabama-Tennessee men’s basketball game can bring their ticket stub to the box office at the Joe and receive a ticket for one dollar.
GAME NOTES:
- Junior CF Emeel Salem reached base three times in the win over Kent State and has reached base safely in all five games. Salem had two hits in the game to extend his hitting streak to nine games, dating back to last year.
- Senior 2B Evan Bush did not get a hit in the win over Kent State, but did have two walks and a sacrifice fly. Bush drove in the first run of the game and added another RBI with a sac fly in the second inning. The sac fly was the 17th of his career, leaving him one shy of Beau Hearod’s (2001-03) school record of 18 career sac flies.
- Freshman RF Ryan Rhoden had two hits in the win over KSU.
- Redshirt freshman Kyle Moore, making his second consecutive start as the DH, reached base four times in the win. He was 1-for-1 with two walks and one hit batter. For the season, Moore is 3-for-6 with one home run and five RBI in just two games.
- Junior LHP Wade LeBlanc has 17 strikeouts and three walks in 11 innings on the mound this season.
- Kent State’s run in the eighth inning was the first run charged to the UA bullpen in 17 1/3 innings.
- Senior catcher David Ferazza’s pinch-hit double in the eighth inning was the first pinch-hit by Alabama this season. The Tide had gone hitless in their first six pinch-hit opportunities.
