University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Alabama
Alabama Defeats Vols In 11 Innings
April 08, 2000 | Baseball
Tuscaloosa, Ala. - Darren Wood accounted for seven runs, four runs scored and three RBI, as the Alabama Crimson Tide (22-14, 5-8 SEC) overcame a five-run deficit to defeat the Tennessee Volunteers (28-11, 4-7 SEC), 7-6, in 11 innings.
Jeremy Brown's single to left drove in Wood with the winning run with one out in the 11th. Wood led off the inning by getting hit by a Brandon Crowe pitch and moved to second on Sam Bozanich's sacrifice. Crowe (2-3) suffered the loss as he pitched four innings in relief of starter Jamie Bennett who allowed five runs, three earned, on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Lance Cormier (3-2), Alabama's third pitcher of the night, picked up the win in 2 2/3 innings. Starter Scott Murphy struckout six while allowing all six Vol runs on 13 hits in 6 1/3 innings.
With the Vols holding a 6-1 lead, Alabama chased Bennett in the seventh as it tacked up four runs to pull with 6-5. After retiring the first batter, Bennett hit Ben King then gave up a bunt single to Scott McClanahan before Brent Boyd reached on an error to load the bases. Wood drove in his second and third runs of the night with a base hit to center and scored the fourth run on Jeremy Brown's sac fly. Bozanich drove in Boyd for the Tide's third run of the inning on his second hit.
Alabama tied the game in the ninth Brown's base hit after it loaded the bases on three hits by Wood, Bozanich and Kelly Gulledge. Crowe struckout the next batter and Casey Lambert lined into a double play to send the game to extra innings.
Tennessee drew first blood in the third when with two out, Stevie Daniel tripled home Jeff Baumtrog, who led off with a single to center, for a 1-0 lead. The lead was short lived, however, as Wood hit his second home run of the season leading off the bottom of the inning to tie the game at one.
The Vols struck for three in the sixth, grabbing a 4-1 lead. Justin Parker led off with a triple and scored on John Massey's single up the middle. Ryan Moffett then singled and stole second while Massey moved to third to set the table for Baumtrog's two-run single with the infield playing in.
Jeff Christensen delivered a run scoring single and Parker followed with a double to right as the Vols extended their lead to 6-1 in the seventh. Game two of the series will be Saturday at 4 p.m. CDT.
Tennessee 001 003 200 00-6 15 2Alabama 001 000 402 01-7 13 1
Bennett, Crowe (7) and Massey. Murphy, Heath (6), Cormier (9) and Gulledge. W-Cormier (3-2). L-Crowe (2-3). HR-UA-Wood (2). T-3:30. Att-6186.
