University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Defeat Alabama 8-7 With Ninth Inning Rally
April 15, 2001 | Baseball
KNOXVILLE - A two-out single in the bottom of the ninth by Jeff Christensen plated Justin Parker from second base with the winning run as the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers rallied twice to defeat the No. 19 Alabama Crimson Tide, 8-7, and win the series 2-1.
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| Brandon Crowe, who saved Saturday's win, started today's game against the Crimson Tide. |
Trailing 7-6 following back-to- back home runs by Brent Boyd and Aaron Clark in the seventh, the Vols plated the tying run in the eighth on a sacrifice bunt by Javi Herrera.
Tennessee improved to 31-9 overall and 11-7 in the Southeastern Conference with its 16th come-from-behind victory of the season. Alabama fell to 24-16 and 10-8 in league play, dropping its 10th road game in 15 tries.
Parker (4-0) picked up the win as he struck out two of the final three batters he faced in the ninth as Alabama left runners stranded on first and third. Bryce Heath (1-2) took the loss for the Tide.
After Tennessee got a run in the first on a Kris Bennett single, Alabama scored three runs in the top of the second on Jeremy Brown's two-run home run, his seventh of the season, and a single by Adam Pavkovich. Bennett led the Vols with three hits and three RBI.
The Tide extended their lead to 5-1 with single runs in the third and fourth innings on singles by Clark and Pavkovich, respectively. Clark finished with three hits.
The Vols then rallied to tie the game 5-5 in the bottom of the fourth as they sent eight men to the plate, getting four hits and benefiting from a Tide error. Parker's double started the scoring with no out, while Bennett delivered the biggest blow with a two-out double to left following the second Tide miscue and scored the tying run on Hal Bibee's single to center.
Tennessee took a brief 6-5 lead in the sixth on Bibee's second RBI before Boyd and Clark hit back-to-back home runs as Alabama regained the advantage 7-6 in the seventh. Clark's home run was his fifth in five games as well as his SEC-leading 16th.
SCHEDULE NOTE: Due to over scheduling, the Tuesday Apr. 17 home game against Middle Tennessee State has been canceled and will not be made up. Tennessee must cancel the game in order to remain at the NCAA maximum of 56 regular season games. The Vols will next be in action at Arkansas, Apr. 20-22.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | ||
| Alabama | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 4 | |
| TENNESSEE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 13 | 3 |
Alabama - Sanders, Woodward (5), Heath (8) and Brown. Tennessee - Crowe, Samuels (4), Crowe (8), Curtiss (8), Parker (9) and Herrera.
W-Parker (4-0). L-Heath (1-2).
HR-UA-Brown (7), Boyd (8), Clark (16).
T-3:03. Att-1107.
