Alabama
Tennessee
Seven-Run Innings Dooms Tide, 13-5
4/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 12, 2008
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -
Game Scoresheet 
Combined Season Statistics
SEC Combined Statistics
It was as different as night and day for the Alabama baseball team at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Saturday evening.
After winning an 11-10 slugfest in the first game of Saturday's double header, Alabama watched Tennessee score seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to post an easy 13-5 win in the nightcap as the Tide and Vols split the Southeastern Conference twinbill.
Tennessee freshman Kentrail Davis, a native of Theodore, Ala., smacked two home runs, including a three-run home run to give UT a 10-1 lead in the sixth inning. Davis went 4-for-8 in the double header with two home runs and four RBI. He also scored six runs in the double header.
The Vols broke open a close game with seven runs in the sixth inning to take a 10-1 lead. Yan Gomes started the scoring with a two-run single and Andy Simunic and Josh Lima tallied RBI singles in the inning to make its 7-1 and chase UA starter Robert Phares.
Phares (1-3) was charged with nine runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He added six strikeouts and one walk as he suffered his third straight loss. Phares has yielded 27 hits in those three losses to Ole Miss, LSU and Tennessee.
Davis greeted senior left-hander Stroup with a line-drive home run into the left-field bleachers as UT built a nine-run lead.
Alabama right fielder Kent Matthes homered off UT reliever Bryan Powell in the eighth inning as the Tide cut the deficit to 10-2. It was Matthes' sixth home run of the season.
The Vols added three unearned runs in the eighth inning to make it 13-2 after eight innings.
Alabama scored three runs in the ninth inning to make the final score 13-5. Junior DH Alex Avila, junior backup catcher Kyle Moore and sophomore third baseman Jake Smith tallied RBI singles in the ninth inning.
Junior right fielder Kent Matthes had four hits for the Crimson Tide, including a solo home run in the eighth inning. He also singled and scored in the fourth and ninth innings, accounting for three of the Tide's four runs.
Tennessee managed a 3-1 lead through five innings, as the Crimson Tide struggled to generate any offense against UT left-hander Bryan Morgado.
Alabama (20-16, 6-8 SEC) stranded 14 base runners in the loss, including eight in the first six innings. Alabama was also 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position, with all three hits coming in the ninth inning. The Tide also had two base runners thrown out at the plate.
Morgado (4-2) worked seven innings and allowed one run and five hits, with 10 strikeouts and four walks.
Tennessee (21-13, 8-6 SEC) scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take an early 2-0 lead. Jeff Lockwood's infield ground out scored Davis from third base with the first run of the inning and Cody Brown followed with an RBI double that chased home P.J. Polk to give the Vols the early lead.
Alabama missed out on a chance to score in the top of the second inning leaving the Vols with a 2-0 lead. Alabama loaded the bases with one out, when catcher Mike Sharp lined out to right fielder Josh Liles. Brandon May, who led off the inning with a double off the center field wall, tried to tag on the play, but was called out by home plate umpire A.J. Lostaglio. The home plate umpire originally signaled safe and then changed his call and May as he ruled May did not touch the plate on the slide. Television replays showed the call to be incorrect and the Vols escaped the inning.
The Crimson Tide cut the lead to 2-1 with a run in the fourth inning as Matthes scored from third base on a wild pitch by Morgado. Avila led off the inning with a single to left center and Matthes followed with a base hit to left. Bentley moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Sharp reached on a fielder's choice when Avila was thrown out at home by third baseman Shawn Griffin for the second out, before Morgado bounced a breaking ball to the plate with Jake Smith at-bat to score Matthes.
Davis' seventh home run with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning gave the Vols a 3-1 lead.
Alabama and Tennessee wrap up this three-game series with 2 p.m. (EDT) game on Sunday, April 13, in Knoxville. The Tide is expected to send junior left fielder Miers Quigley (4-1, 2.81 ERA) to the mound, while Tennessee will pitch either junior RHP Ty'Relle Harris (2-0, 2.51 ERA) or junior LHP Joey Rossas (2-1, 6.67 ERA).
GAME NOTES: *Alabama and Tennessee spent almost 12 hours at Lindsey Nelson Stadium for Saturday's twinbill. Both teams arrived before Noon and the second game ended shortly before 10:30 p.m. (EDT). The two games lasted 6:56. The first game took 3:36, while the nightcap took 3:20 to complete.
*Tennessee senior left fielder Shawn Griffin went 0-for-5 in the first game of Saturday's double header to snap his 10-game hitting streak. It is the third double-digit hit streak the Crimson Tide has snapped this season. The Crimson Tide ended Ole Miss third baseman Cody Overbeck's 24-game hitting streak (0-for-5) on March 28 in Tuscaloosa and snapped UAB first baseman Ryan Keedy's 19-game hitting streak (0-for-3) on April 2 at Regions Park.
*Freshman shortstop Josh Rutledge (Cullman, Ala.) extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a third-inning single. During the streak, Rutledge is batting .442 (23-for-52) with 10 runs scored, four doubles and 10 RBI. The freshman has also hit safely in 13 of 14 SEC games this season, including a 10-game SEC hitting streak.
*Tennessee celebrated "Light the Night" at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Saturday as an awareness for lymphoma and leukemia. All fans received attending Saturday's night's game received a cancer awareness t-shirt. After the game, all fans walked one lap around the field in support of cancer awareness. Alabama assistant coach B.J. Green is currently being treated for leukemia and is looking to have a bone marrow transplant.
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