Hunter Tosses First CG as Tide Sweeps Rebels, 9-2
3/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Hunter's first career complete game gave the Crimson Tide a three-game sweep of the Ole Miss Rebels. It was the Tide's first sweep over the Rebels since 1997 and the first in Tuscaloosa since 1991.
Hunter (4-2) held the Rebels to two runs and six hits for his first career SEC win. He walked only one batter and struck out seven for his first win since Mar. 8 at South Alabama.
"He mainly attacked them with fastballs," Alabama head coach Jim Wells said. "His breaking ball was better than last week, but it was mainly his fastball. I was surprised we were able to do that against their lineup. He is getting better. He is such a great competitor. He was nervous last week and I forgot that because he has pitched so well. He does not seem like a freshman."
Ole Miss held a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning as freshman right-hander Lance Lynn, a native of Brownsburg, Ind., and Hunter, a native of Indianapolis, Indiana, engaged in a pitcher's duel. The two rookies have been summer league teammates since their freshman year in high school and pitched together this summer as the Indiana Bulls won the 2005 Sandlot World Series.
Lynn held the Crimson Tide to one run and five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out three in his first SEC road start.
Alabama (19-8, 5-1 SEC) finally found some offense in the seventh and eighth innings. The Crimson Tide scored four runs off reliever Tommy Baumgardener in the seventh inning to take a 5-2 lead. After a one-out walk to junior shortstop Greg Piaml and back-to-back singles by junior center fielder Emeel Salem and senior third baseman Matt Downs, senior Evan Bush gave the Tide its first lead of the game with a ringing double off the wall in left field to score Paiml and Salem with the 3-2 lead.
Senior catcher Kody Valverde, who tied an Alabama single-game record with four walks, was intentionally walked to load the bases and freshman DH Alex Avila drove a sac fly to center to score Downs with the 4-2 lead. Freshman right fielder Ryan Rhoden reached on a throwing error by UM shortstop Zack Cozart to allow Bush to score from third base and give the Tide a 5-2 lead. Valverde, who tried to score from second base on the errant throw, was out at home.
The Crimson Tide scored four more runs in the eighth inning against three different Ole Miss relievers. Senior first baseman Spencer Pennington opened the inning with a single and pinch-runner Jeff Texada moved to second on junior left fielder Brandon Belcher's sac bunt.
Paiml drove in the first run with a single to center that scored Texada to give the Tide a 6-2 lead. Salem and Downs followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases. Bush drew a bases loaded walk to force home Paiml and Salem scored on a wild pitch to make it 8-2. Avila drew another bases loaded walk to score Downs for the 9-2 lead.
"This was a good series," Wells added. "There were a lot of good things besides the winning. There were a lot of good things we did that we have not been doing all year."
Ole Miss (13-11, 1-5 SEC) took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on Justin Brasher's two-run home run down the right field line. It was his team-leading sixth home run of the season.
Alabama finally solved Lynn for a run in the fifth inning to cut the lead to 2-1. Belcher singled to left field with one out and moved to second when Paiml drew a walk. Downs laced a two-out single to right to score Belcher, but tried to take second base on the throw to the plate and was gunned down by the catcher Brashear to end the inning.
The Crimson Tide will host Lipscomb on Wednesday, March 29 at 6:30 p.m. in Tuscaloosa. Alabama returns to SEC action next weekend when they host No. 1 Miss. State (19-1, 4-1 SEC) in a three-game series beginning Friday, March 31 at 6:30 p.m. The two teams will play Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Alabama's annual "Fan Day" and A-Day Football game is also this weekend in Tuscaloosa. Fan Day begins at 9 a.m. and the football game kicks off at 1:30 p.m. at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
