Tide Steals One Against Top-Ranked Vandy, 5-3
4/8/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
With runners and first and third and two outs against Vanderbilt closer Casey Weathers, Bentley, the Tide's 6-3, 220-pound first baseman, stole home on a straight steal in the top of the 10th inning to give the Tide a one-run lead in an eventual 5-3 win at Hawkins Field Sunday afternoon.
"It was a first and third force balk move," Bentley said. "We ran the way you are supposed to against a left-hand pitcher, but not the right way against the right-hander, but it worked out for us. That is first time and probably the last time I will ever steal home again."
Weathers (5-2) suffered the loss after walking pinch-hitter Del Howell and Bentley to open the inning. Pinch-hitter Jeff Texada laid down the perfect sacrifice bunt -- the fourth of the day by
Senior shortstop Greg Paiml slapped a ground ball to the right side of the infield and first baseman Brad French threw out pinch-runner Kyle Moore at home for the second out before the Tide turned to trickery in the inning.
Bentley then darted for home with Weathers freezing on the mound in disbelief. Weathers throw was late to the plate as Bentley slide across the dish with the go-ahead run. Belcher then smashed a single up the middle to score Paiml from second base with the two-run lead.
"When you are struggling to scored runs, something has to happen for you,"
"We have been struggling to score runs the last few weeks and we had so many opportunities to score again today. Matthes had the big hit in the ninth inning and
Alabama (20-14, 5-7 SEC) forced extra innings when sophomore Kent Matthes slapped a two-out single to right field off Weathers to scored Belcher from second base and tie the game at 3-3.
Sophomore right-hander Austin Hyatt, pitching in just his second career SEC game, benefitted from the late inning heroics to earn his first career SEC win. Hyatt (3-1) threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings and allowed three hits, three walks and fanned four.
Vanderbilt stranded 16 base runners in the loss to
The Crimson Tide scored four runs in the final three innings to beat the No.1 ranked Commodores and improve to 14-14 all-time against the nation's top ranked team.
Sophomore Alex Avila hit his second home run of the game in the eighth inning to close the gap to 3-2.
Vanderbilt (29-5, 7-5 SEC) grabbed the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning with two runs on four hits, but left the bases loaded when Dominic de la Osa grounded out to end the inning.
de la Osa's eighth home run of the season and second of the week stretched the Commodores lead to 3-1 in the seventh inning, setting up the late-inning heroics by the Crimson Tide.
GAME NOTES:
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*Sophomore right-hander Tommy Hunter (
Sophomore designated hitter Alex Avila (
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*Sophomore right-hander Austin Hyatt (
