Alabama
Tennessee
Tennessee Defeats Alabama In Baseball, 6-4
4/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 13, 2008
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -
Alabama dropped the final game of a three-game series with the University of Tennessee on Sunday afternoon, a 6-4 loss to the Volunteers at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The Crimson Tide put 20 men on base in the series finale, but stranded 12 base runners, failing to come through with the timely hit with the game on the line.
"I don't know how many base runners we had, but we left 12 men on base," Alabama head coach Jim Wells said. "We had ample opportunities to score runs. We had many chances to win this game, even early in the game."
Alabama (20-17 overall, 6-9 in the SEC) had at least one base runner in seven of the nine innings against the Vols, but never came up with the clutch hit to blow open a tight game, and Tennessee mounted a comeback to win the game with four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The Crimson Tide stranded two base runners in the third and fourth innings and left the bases loaded in the fifth and seventh innings. UA was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position in the loss.
Junior lefthander Miers Quigley did his part on the mound until Tennessee leftfielder Shawn Griffin slammed a 3-1 fastball over the right field wall to give the Vols a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the eighth. Tennessee added an insurance run when Kentrail Davis singled home pinch-runner Allen Wright to make the final 6-4.
Quigley (4-2) allowed six runs and 11 hits in 7 and 1/3 innings, with six strikeouts and two walks in the loss.
"Quigley pitched well," Wells said. "He pitched well enough to win, even with the home run. This was the only well-pitched game we had all weekend."
The four-run eighth made a winner out of left-hander Joey Rossas (3-1), who blanked the Tide over the final two innings while striking out three.
UT starter Ty'Relle Harris allowed four runs and 11 hits in seven innings in his first SEC start. He threw 128 total pitches in the game.
Alabama managed an early 1-0 lead on sophomore left fielder Brandon May's fifth home run of the season into the left field bleachers in the second inning.
Tennessee (22-13 overall, 9-6 in the SEC) answered with two runs in the bottom of the second to take a 2-1 lead. Griffin drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on Andy Simunic's base hit to right to put runners on the corners with no outs. Jeff Lockwood and Josh Liles followed with pop ups and Quigley appeared to be out the inning as he looked to have Simunic picked off at first base, but Simunic beat first baseman Matt Bentley's throw to second and Griffin raced home from third on the back-end of a double steal to tie the game at 1-1. Danny Lima followed with an RBI single up the middle to score Simunic to give UT the 2-1 lead.
Both teams wasted scoring opportunities in the fourth inning. Alabama had runners at second and third base with one out, but did not score. Bentley drew a one-out walk and Matthes followed with a double over the head of right fielder Josh Liles. Sharp followed with a ground ball to third base and Bentley was thrown out at the plate for the second out. Harris struck out Smith to end the inning. Tennessee loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning, but failed to score when Lima hit into a double play.
Alabama scored two runs on three hits in the top of the fifth inning to take a 3-2 lead, but missed an opportunity to add to its lead by leaving the bases loaded. Rutledge, Odle and Avila opened the inning with three straight singles, with Avila's base hit to center scoring Rutledge with the tying run. May walked to load the bases and Bentley's ground out scored Odle with the go-ahead run. Matthes then drew a walk to re-load the bases before Sharp struck out to end the inning.
The Crimson Tide left the bases loaded again in the seventh inning as freshman second baseman Ross Wilson took a called third strike to end the inning.
Alabama will face Southern Mississippi on Wednesday, April 16, at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss., before returning home next weekend to host the Mississippi State Bulldogs in a three-game Southeastern Conference series at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
GAME NOTES: *Alabama dropped an SEC series for the third time this season, losing two of three at Tennessee. The Crimson Tide is winless in its three SEC road series, losing at Kentucky, LSU and Tennessee.
*The Crimson Tide hit seven home runs in the series against Tennessee.
*Sophomore left fielder Brandon May (Marietta, Ga.) led off the second inning with his fifth home run of the season. May has homered in three of his last four SEC games, including two games against Tennessee.
*Freshman shortstop Josh Rutledge (Cullman, Ala.) extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a two-out single up the middle in the third inning. During the hitting streak, Rutledge is batting .456 (26-for-57) with 10 runs scored, four doubles and 10 RBI. Rutledge has also hit safely in 14 of 15 SEC games this season, including an 11-game SEC hitting streak. During the 11-game SEC hitting streak, Rutledge is batting .453 (24-for-53) with eight runs scored, three doubles and four RBI.
*Junior designated hitterAlex Avila hit his team-leading ninth home run in the seventh inning that gave the Tide a short-lived 4-2 lead.
*Alabama suffered its first loss of the season when leading after six innings. The Crimson Tide is now 19-1 when leading after six innings. The Tide is 0-13 when trailing after six innings.
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