Tide Offense Explodes Past UNA, 17-2
3/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
FLORENCE, Ala. ?? The University of Alabama baseball team’s first trip to Florence in more than 40 years proved to be profitable as the Crimson Tide racked up a season-high 17 runs and 17 hits en route to an easy 17-2 win over the North Alabama Lions in front of a stadium record 1,874 fans at University Field Tuesday night. The game was called after seven innings due to the 10-run rule.
Alabama (8-5) batted around in the first, third and fifth innings to extend its winning streak to five games. Junior DH Alex Avila paced the Tide offense with two home runs and a career-high seven RBI in the win. Avila hit a three-run home run in the first inning and added another three-run home run in the third inning.
“It was a real good night,” Alabama head coach Jim Wells said. “We have had not had a game like this. We swung the bats really well and scored in nearly every inning. The best part, though, was we got a lot of people into the game.”
Junior center fielder Alex Kubal had a career-high four hits for the Tide. He ripped a solo home run in the Tide’s five-run, third inning and added an RBI single in a four-run, sixth-inning.
Junior right hander Casey Kebodeaux picked up the win on the mound for the Tide. Kebodeaux (2-0) held the Lions to two runs and four hits in four innings, with two strikeouts and one walk.
The Crimson Tide sent 11 batters to the plate in the first inning and knocked out UNA starter Branden Tepe with a five runs to take a 5-0 lead. Freshman shortstop Josh Rutledge led off the game with a base hit and moved to second on a throwing error by UNA shortstop Cole Mitchell. Freshman second baseman Ross Wilson was hit by pitch to put runners at first and second, before Avila swatted a three-run, opposite field home run to left to put the Tide in front 3-0.
Tepe (3-1) was charged with five runs and four hits in one-third of an inning. He walked two, hit two and did not strikeout a batter in the shortest outing of his UNA career.
Sophomore left fielder Brandon May followed with a single and senior first baseman Matt Bentley was hit by a pitch to put runners at first for second. Junior right fielder Kent Matthes followed with an RBI single to score May and junior third baseman Jake Smith’s ground out brought home Bentley to stake the Tide to a five-run lead.
Matthes plated another run with an infield ground out in the second inning to give the Tide a 6-0 lead.
Alabama tacked on five more runs in the third inning to take an 11-0 lead. Kubal started the scoring spree with a solo home run to left field and Avila added a three-run home run, his second of the game, to give the Tide a 10-0 lead. Smith, who extended his hitting streak to eight games, drove in another run with a two-out single.
UNA got on the board in the bottom of the third on Matt Horton’s two-run home run to cut the lead to 11-2. It was his first career home run for the Lions.
Kubal doubled and scored on Wilson’s sacrifice fly in the fourth to give the Tide a 12-2 lead. Alabama scored four runs in the sixth to take a 16-2 lead. Junior catcher Mike Sharp and Kubal added RBI singles in the inning.
Alabama extended the lead to 17-2 in the seventh when Ryan Rhoden added a two-out RBI double to score Jeff Texada.
Alabama returns home Wednesday, March 12, for a 6:30 p.m. game against the Samford Bulldogs at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Junior RHP Robert Phares (3 G, 0-1, 6.48 ERA) is expected to make his second career start against the Bulldogs.
GAME NOTES:
*Junior DH Alex Avila went 2-for-3 with a career high two home runs and six RBI in the win over UNA. He clubbed a three-run home run in the first inning and added a three-run home run in the third inning. His first inning home run extended his hitting streak to seven games. During the streak, he is batting .440 (11-for-25) with nine runs scored, three home runs and 13 RBI.
*Sophomore third baseman Jake Smith extended his hitting streak to eight games with a two-hit game at UNA. During the streak, he is batting .357 (10-for-28) with five runs, two doubles and four RBI.
*Alabama has now won five straight games. Alabama is 7-1 when it scores first and 7-1 when scoring in the first inning. UA scored five runs in the first inning tonight.
*Alabama is playing at University Field in Florence, Ala., for the first time since the 1967 season. The Crimson Tide and Lions split a two-game series in 1947, with UNA winning the first game, 10-2, before the Tide rebounded for a 9-2 win in game two. UNA dedicated its new baseball facility on Tuesday night prior to the Alabama game, with a pregame ceremony and postgame fireworks show.
*Alabama now leads the all-time series with North Alabama, 19-3. The Crimson Tide is 2-1 in games played in Florence.
*The Crimson Tide improves to 456-238 all-time against teams from the state of Alabama, including a 2-1 record this season. Alabama hosts Samford tomorrow night in Tuscaloosa. Coach Wells is 105-46 in his career against teams from Alabama, including a 3-0 mark against UNA.
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