Schmidt, Hogs Too Much for Tide
5/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
HOOVER, Ala. -- Arkansas junior left hander Nick Schmidt was too much for the University of Alabama baseball team Wednesday morning in the opening game of the 2007 Southeastern Conference Tournament.
Schmidt dominated the Crimson Tide and took a no-hitter into the eighth inning as the Hogs posted a 6-0 win. Schmidt, who had never beaten Alabama in his previous three starts, was a much different pitcher Wednesday than the one the Tide beat 10-0 three weeks ago in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama freshman second baseman Brandon May broke up Schmidt's no-hit bid with a lead off single past a diving Tim Smalling in the eighth inning. May's single came on a 0-1 pitch and kept the Tide from being no-hit for the first time since 1968.
"I wanted to be the one to break up the no-hitter," May said. "I led off the inning and was looking for a good at-bat. The pitch I hit was a fastball."
Alabama (31-25) was shutout in the SEC Tournament for the first-time in its 86-game history. The Crimson Tide had not been shutout in a post-season game since a 4-0 loss to Winthrop in the 1995 NCAA East Regional at Clemson. The Winthrop game was the first-ever NCAA Tournament game in the Jim Wells era.
Schmidt (10-3) walked three and struck out six en route to the complete-game shutout. Schmidt's no-hit bid marked the second time this season an Alabama opponent had taken a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Southern Mississippi freshman right-hander Todd McInnis no-hit Alabama for 7 2/3 innings in a 5-0 win at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss. on March 6, 2007.
"Schmidt was dominating today," Wells said. "Sometimes when you lose, it's not always something that you did poorly; the other team has something to do with it, too. Schmidt pitched well today and Arkansas showed they are a very good team."
Senior first baseman Danny Hamblin was the offensive key in the Razorbacks win. Hamblin went 1-for-2 with a home run and three RBI. He drew a two-out walk and scored the Hogs first run in the second inning and capped a four-run inning with three-run home run in the third that gave Schmidt all the support he would need.
Arkansas (39-18) took advantage of a two-out walk in the bottom of the second inning to snap its 10 2/3 inning scoreless innings streak against UA sophomore Tommy Hunter.
Hamblin drew a two-out walk and then stole second base. Wayne Hrozek then bounced a single up the middle to score Hamblin and give the Hogs a 1-0 lead. Tim Smalling then reached on a two-out base hit, but Hunter struck out Jake Dugger to strand two runners on base.
Hunter could not pitch around a walk in the third inning as the Razorbacks put four runs on the board to take a 5-0 lead.
Casey Coon started the rally with a one-out single to center. After a stolen base, Brain Walked lined an RBI single to make it a 2-0 game. After a walk to Logan Forsythe flied out to deep center field to move both runners into scoring position. Hamblin the blasted a three-run home run to left as the Hogs took a 5-0 lead.
Arkansas stretched its lead to 6-0 in the sixth when Hrozek drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored on Dugger's two-out bunt single to third base.
Hunter (7-6) allowed six runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked five and struck out six in the loss.
Alabama will face the South Carolina-Florida loser in a 10 a.m. elimination game Thursday, May 24. Arkansas will play the South Carolina-Florida winner at 5 p.m. on Thursday.
GAME NOTES:
- Alabama was shutout in the SEC Tournament for the first-time in its 86-game history. The Crimson Tide had not been shutout in a post-season game since a 4-0 loss to Winthrop in the 1995 NCAA East Regional at Clemson. The Winthrop game was the first-ever NCAA Tournament game in the Jim Wells era.
- Alabama has now lost its last three SEC Tournament first-round games. The Crimson Tide dropped a 3-1 decision to Ole Miss in 2005 and a 4-3 game to LSU last year.
- The Arkansas game marked the second time this season Alabama entered the eighth inning without a hit. Southern Mississippi freshman right-hander Todd McInnis no-hit Alabama for 7 2/3 innings as the Golden Eagles posted a 5-0 win over the Crimson Tide on March 6, 2007.
- Alabama managed only two hits in the loss to Arkansas to set the SEC Tournament record for fewest hits in a game. The previous record was three hits by seven different pitchers, most recently Connor Falkenbach (Florida vs. Georgia, 2004) and Jeremy Sowers (Vanderbilt vs. Georgia, 2004).
- Freshman second baseman Brandon May (Marietta, Ga.), who broke up the no-hitter in the eighth inning, and senior left fielder Brandon Belcher (Ruston, La.), combined for the Tide's hits.
- Arkansas junior left-hander Nick Schmidt picked up his first career win against Alabama Wednesday. Schmidt was 0-1 with two no decisions in his previous three starts. He lasted only 3 2/3 innings in a 10-0 loss to Alabama on May 11, 2007 in Tuscaloosa, as he allowed five runs and seven hits with four walks and four strikeouts in the regular season loss.
- Senior shortstop Greg Paiml (Hoover) made his 150th career start at shortstop in Wednesday's opening game at the SEC Tournament. Paiml grew up just a few miles away from Regions Park and worked as a bat boy and clubhouse attendant for the Birmingham Barons.
- Arkansas drew four walks in the win over Alabama and three of the walks scored.
