Diamond Notes: Pair of 3-Run Innings Prove the Difference in Alabama 6-2 Win over LUM

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The Tide tallied three apiece in the second and sixth innings for the series-clinching victory

3/4/2017

TUSCALOOSA, AL –
A pair of three-run innings were the difference on Saturday afternoon, as Alabama baseball downed ULM, 6-2, at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. With the win, the Crimson Tide earns the series victory and improves to 5-5 on the season.

"I'm really pleased with the way our guys came out again today and put some competitive at-bats together early," said Alabama head coach Greg Goff. "The biggest difference for us now is that we are consistently putting hits together; that gives us a chance to score some runs. We're still not at our final destination, but we're definitely working in the right direction. I was really proud of how Jake (Walters) came out and put up zeros for us and our guys really played great defense behind him."

Alabama was able to clinch the series thanks to a solid performance from its starter, Jake Walters (2-1). The junior right-hander earned his second win of the season behind his 6.0 innings of work. Walters allowed two runs, both unearned, on six hits with no walks and tallied four strikeouts across his 87 pitches of work. Right-hander Garrett Suchey followed in relief, totaling 3.0 innings of scoreless baseball and allowing only one hit to earn his first career save as a member of the Crimson Tide.

The Alabama bats excelled on Saturday, with eight of the nine starters collecting a hit in the contest and 10 of the 11 batters who recorded an at-bat notching at least one knock. The offensive effort was paced by leadoff man Chandler Avant, who finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for his fifth multi-hit game of the young season. Sam Finnerty led the Tide in RBI, finishing with two on the day, both of which came from a two-run double in his pinch-hit effort.

Alabama began the day's scoring once again, grabbing an early lead thanks to a three-run second inning. Cody Henry led off the frame with a single, which was followed by a double from Kyle Kaufman to put the pair in scoring position. A balk allowed Henry to cross for the game's first run and moved Kaufman up to third. In the next at-bat, Chandler Taylor sent a sacrifice fly to right field to plate Kaufman and move UA in front, 2-0.

Connor Short continued the inning's hot hitting, ripping a one-out double to the left-field corner. Short followed one batter later by Avant, who collected his second hit of the day with a double to left to score Short and increase the Tide's advantage to 3-0.

ULM chipped away at the lead, plating one in the fourth to make a 3-1 game. A two-out single followed by a passed ball placed a runner in scoring position for the Warhawks. Another single in the following at-bat allowed one to cross to move ULM into the scoring column.

The Warhawks narrowed the gap in the sixth, scoring one more to make it a 3-2 affair. The leadoff hitter reached on a single and later advanced to second on an errant pickoff move by the pitcher. Two outs later, a double plated the leadoff man for ULM to narrow the UA advantage to one run.

Alabama responded in the next half inning, striking for three runs to widen the advantage to 6-2. Taylor began the stanza with a leadoff single before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt from Short. Tanner DeVinny entered in a pinch-hit role and took advantage of the opportunity, lining a single to right to put runners on the corners. A hit-by-pitch for Avant loaded the bases with one down.

Entering as the second pinch-hitter in the inning, Sam Finnerty followed with a two-run double to right-center to increase the lead to 5-2 and put himself and Avant on second and third. A wild pitch allowed the inning's final run to cross, pushing the advantage to 6-2, the eventual final.

Suchey shut down the Warhawks over the final three frames, facing just one batter over the minimum and using the strikeout to record four of his nine outs for the save.

The Crimson Tide will go for the sweep on Sunday afternoon, as Alabama will look to sophomore left-hander Dylan Duarte in the series finale. ULM will counter with junior right-hander Chase Beal. First pitch of Sunday's contest is set for a 1 p.m. CT start with the game airing on SEC Network+.


-UA-



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