Crimson Tide Rallies to Rout UAB, 14-8
4/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
HOOVER, Ala. -- A disastrous seventh-inning served as a wake-up call for the sixth-ranked University of Alabama baseball team on Wednesday and sparked a 14-8 come-from-behind win in front 3,874 fans at the Hoover Met.
The Crimson Tide turned an 8-5 deficit into a six-run win by scoring six runs in the eighth inning to take an 11-8 lead. Alabama tacked on three more runs in the ninth for its sixth straight win.
Junior center fielder Emeel Salem (Mountain Brook) tied the Alabama single-game record with five hits in the win over UAB. Senior third baseman Matt Downs went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a career-high six RBI in the victory.
The comeback was deemed necessary after the Blazers scored four runs on just one hit in the seventh inning to take an 8-5. Alabama used three different pitchers in the inning and walked four batters, including one with the bases loaded. The Crimson Tide also made three errors in the frame as the Blazers tallied four unearned runs.
Donny Muth's RBI single to center was the lone hit of the inning.
"When the (public address) announcer said four runs, one hit and three errors in the seventh inning, that sums the game up for me," Alabama head coach Jim Wells said. "Our guys came back. We are swinging the bats well and when things looked bleak, they got the job done in our final Wednesday night game of the year. I am happy with the win."
Alabama (32-12, 13-5 SEC) answered the dreadful seventh inning with six runs on six hits in the eighth inning to take an 11-8 lead. Senior Kody Valverde ripped a pinch-hit, two-run double into the left-center field gap to score Wes Henderson and pinch-runner Jeff Texada as UA pulled to within a run at 8-7. Salem followed with an RBI double to tie the game at 8-8.
After Downs walked, freshman DH Alex Avila, who has 10 RBI in his last six games, gave the Crimson Tide the lead for good with a two-run double down the left field line. Senior second baseman Evan Bush capped the inning with an RBI single up the middle.
Josh Copeland (1-0) earned his first win of the season with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. He walked one and fanned two.
Drew Murray (1-4) took the loss for the Blazers. He allowed four runs and three hits and recorded only one out.
Bama added three more runs in the ninth inning as Downs laced a two-run double to left and freshman right fielder Ryan Rhoden added an RBI single. Rhoden was 3-for-5 with an RBI and tied his career high with three hits.
Salem singled and scored in the inning to finish with a 5-for-6 night to tie the UA single-game record for hits. He also scored a career-high four runs.
"I saw the ball well all night," Salem said. "This was definitely exciting to get five hits tonight."
Alabama held a 5-4 lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning. UA scored twice in the top of the seventh inning to take the lead. Downs tied the game with an RBI double and Bush gave Bama the lead with an RBI single.
The Blazers regained the lead in the bottom of the inning when Phillip Bell led off with a double and moved around to scored on a pair of fly outs to center field. Donny Muth's sac fly gave UAB the 4-3 lead.
Alabama took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Salem led off with a triple into the right field corner and scored on Downs' sacrifice fly.
UAB (15-27) manufactured a run to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning. Steven Turned slapped a one-out single through the left side of the infield, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Jorge Gutierrez ground out.
UAB grabbed a two-run lead in the bottom of the fourth inning taking advantage of a walk and error. Phillip Bell reached on a one-out infield single and stole second. Ryne Lovdahl followed with a walk and after a pop out, Ryan Metcalf followed with an RBI single to score Bell and Lovdahl crossed the plate to make it 3-1 when Belcher over-ran the ball in left field.
Alabama got the two runs back in the top of the fifth inning when Downs delivered a two-out, two-run single to tie the game at 3-3. Ferazza drew a lead off walk and moved to second base on Salem's infield hit, his third hit of the game. After a passed ball moved both runners into scoring position, Downs singled down the left field line to tie the game. Downs was thrown out at second base as he attempted to stretch the single into a double.
Alabama will host Auburn in a three-game SEC series this weekend at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, beginning with Friday night's series opener at 6:30 p.m. The teams will also play Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. The Saturday and Sunday games will be aired live by CSS Sports.
GAME NOTES:
*Alabama extended its winning streak to six straight games. The Crimson Tide has scored 65 runs on 98 hits during the streak.
*UA scored nine runs on 10 hits in the final two innings tonight. The Crimson Tide recorded 11 runs on 13 hits in the final three innings.
*The Crimson Tide swept the season series with the Blazers, winning 4-3 on April 5 in Tuscaloosa and 14-8 tonight at the Hoover Met. Alabama has swept UAB three times in the last four years.
*Alabama is now 28-11 all-time at the Hoover Met, including a 4-2 record against UAB. The Hoover Met will host the 2006 SEC Tournament (May 24-28) later this month.
*Salem is 6-for-6 in the first inning in his last six games. For the season, the junior is 19-for-39 with seven walks in the first inning.
*Former Alabama pitcher Jacob Legg pitch against the Crimson Tide on Wednesday night. Legg, a senior, faced four batters in the sixth inning and allowed one hit and walked two. He left the game with the bases loaded.
*UAB reliever Mitch Thorn induced an inning-ending double play off the bat of Ferazza to keep the score tied at 3-3. Thorn worked five innings in the first meeting of the year against Alabama on April 5. He allowed one run and one hit, walked one and struck one in his 65-pitch stint.
