University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Alabama
Vols Fall To Alabama In SEC Opener, 7-3
March 15, 2002 | Baseball
March 15, 2002
Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Beau Hearod's bases loaded two-run single in the seventh broke a 3-3 tie and helped lift the No. 16 Alabama Crimson Tide to a 7-3 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers in the Southeastern Conference opener.
Following Hearod's game-winning hit, the Tide went on two add two insurance runs on an error and a wild pitch as part of a four-run seventh in taking the lead for good.
With Tennessee leading 2-1, Jeremy Brown connected on his seventh home run of the season, a two-run blast put the Tide up 3-2 in the fifth. Dennis Gomez then tied the game 3-3 in the seventh with his second home run of the season to left.
Alabama (17-2, 1-0 SEC), which won its sixth consecutive game, snapped a four-game winning streak for Tennessee (10-11, 0-1 SEC).
Lance Cormier (6-0), who worked eight innings in 9-0 shutout against the Vols two weeks ago at the Hormel Foods Classic, pitched his second complete game of the season as he won for the sixth time in six starts.
Two Cormier wild pitches and a balk contributed to Tennessee's two runs in the first and fifth innings. He struck out four and walked one while scattering six hits.
Vol starter Ben Riley allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings. After being touched for a run in the first, he kept the Tide off the board for the next three innings, allowing two hits before giving up Brown's home run.
Joey Andrews (2-3) took the loss in two innings of work as he allowed all four Alabama runs in the seventh.
Tennessee drew first blood in the first as Nick Crowe scored from third on a balk after singling up the middle, moving to second on a passed ball and third on a wild pitch.
Alabama then tied it 1-1 in the bottom of the frame as Peter Stonard scored from second on Brent Boyd's single to right after doubling with two out.
The Vols grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fifth as Walter Sevilla scored on Chad LeGate's safety squeeze bunt. Sevilla beat out an infield single leading off the frame, before stealing second and advancing to third on Cormier's second wild pitch.
Game two of the series will Saturday at 3 p.m. CT.
