University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Alabama
Vols Tally 21 Hits In 19-9 Defeat of Alabama
April 08, 2000 | Baseball
Tuscaloosa, Ala. (April 8) - Casey Lambert's fielding error with two outs in the fifth inning opened the floodgates as the Tennessee Volunteers scored 17 runs over the next five innings to erase an 8-2 deficit and post a resounding 19-9 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide at Sewell-Thomas Stadium on a day when the temperatures hoovered in the 40s. Tennessee (29-11, 5-7 SEC) pounded out 21 hits as eight Vols collected at least two hits. Kris Bennett, Stevie Daniel, John Massey and Ryan Moffett had three apiece, while Massey and Moffett each drove in four runs.
Joe Bertolino (4-1) picked up the win in 5 2/3 innings of relief, allowing one Crimson Tide run on four hits. Alabama (22-15, 5-9 SEC) chased Vol starter Jordan DeJong in the fourth after he gave up eight runs on eight hits.
Jonathan Blankenship (4-5), one of six Alabama pitchers used, suffered the loss as he allowed nine runs (three earned) on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings.
The Tide smacked four home runs by Darren Wood, Brent Boyd, Ben King and Rock Mills, as Jeremy Brown led with a 4-for-5 day.
Alabama broke open a 2-2 game with a six runs on six hits in the fourth, keyed by Boyd's two-run blast and Aaron Clark's two-run single with the bases loaded.
The Vols responded with five unearned runs in the top of the fifth, keyed by two bases loaded hits, a Moffett three-run double and a two-run single by Massey helped pull the Vols to within 8-7.
They added three in the sixth with the aid of an error by Tide pitcher Kevin Schomas and tacked on three more in the seventh, keyed by Chris Burke's two-run double and a RBI single by Bennett in taking a 13-8 lead.
Both teams traded single runs in the eighth as Baumtrog doubled home Ryan Case for UT's 14th run and Mills hit a pinch-hit home run for Alabama in the bottom of the frame to make it 14-9 Tennessee.
The Vols ripped two Crimson Tide pitchers in the ninth for five runs, keyed by Christensen's two-run triple, a base hit by Massey, a double by Moffett and a sacrifice fly by Case to post the final margin 19-9.
The Crimson Tide took a 2-1 lead after two on solo home runs by Wood in the first and King in the second.
The Vols picked up one in the second when Justin Parker doubled home Massey who doubled to begin the frame, and one in the third on Jeff Christensen's two-out single that plated Jeff Baumtrog who singled and stole second to lead off the inning. Game three of the series will be Sunday at 1 p.m. CDT.
Tennessee 011 053 315-19 21 0Alabama 110 600 010- 9 12 4DeJong, Bertolino (4) and Massey. Blankenship, Schomas (6), Gingrich (7), Heath (7), Nichols (9), Carroll (9) and Gulledge. W-Bertolino (4-1). L-Blankenship (4-5). HR-UA-Wood (3), King (4), Boyd (8), Mills (2). T-3:06. Att-6176.
