Alabama Takes Rain-Soaked Thriller From Troy

Tuesday, March 8

Tuscaloosa, AL

5 pm

Troy University

University of Alabama

Alabama Takes Rain-Soaked Thriller From Troy

3/8/2011 8:41:27 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Ricky Hazel

FINAL BOX SCORE: PDF | HTML POST-GAME AUDIO

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – On a soggy night when both teams made enough mistakes to cost a victory, Alabama got a clutch double in the 11th inning to score the tying and winning runs in a 6-5 victory over Troy.

Troy closer Tyson Workman (2-1) went to the mound in the 11th with a 5-4 lead, and recorded a strikeout to start the frame. But, with the steady rain increasing in intensity, Workman struggled with his footing on the mound and hit consecutive batters to give Alabama a chance.

Sophomore Andrew Miller came to the plate after having had a rough night. He had struck out twice and been hit by pitches twice. He got ahead of Workman with a 2-1 count and then lashed a double into the gap in right-center to plate both runners, giving Alabama (8-4) the victory.

“It is a tough loss, especially when we had the game in hand twice,” Trojans coach Bobby Pierce said. “Our kids battled hard all night. We had nothing going early, but scratched back and tied it up.”

Alabama took a 3-0 lead over the Trojans (9-3) into the seventh inning, but Troy broke through in that frame against Crimson Tide starter Jonathan Smart with four straight hits. Logan Pierce doubled in the first Troy run and Hayden Hillyer followed with an infield hit to drive in another.

Trey Pilkington came on to pitch for Alabama and Adam Bryant greeted him with a sacrifice fly on the first pitch he through the tie the score at 3-3.

The Trojans appeared ready to take the victory in the ninth when an error on a sacrifice bunt allowed Daniel Peterson to score the go-ahead run from second base. Peterson was running for Boone Shear, who led off the inning with a double.

In the home half of the ninth, with Workman called on to replace Garrett McHenry on the mound, the Trojans came within an eyelash of winning. With the potential tying run at second and two outs, Workman got Alabama's two-time All-American Taylor Dugas to lift a routine fly to left field.

But, on a night that saw steady rain throughout, there were no routine plays. Hillyer ranged under the fly ball but had it bound out of his glove, allowing the tying run to score.

“That was a tough play there in left but I told Hayden that he had nothing to hang his head about,” Pierce said. “He works hard in practice every day and gives everything he has.”

Troy bounced back to score a run in the top of the 11th when Hillyer hit a ground ball to first that was misplayed by Patrick McGavin, allowing Drew Prichard, who led off the inning against Nathan Kennedy (1-0) by drawing a walk.

“I am proud of our team,” Pierce said. “I don't like to lose, especially a game you feel like you should have won. Offensively, we struggled a little. They got a break with the two hit batters, but the mound was like quicksand.”

Shear and Pierce led Troy with two hits each. Dugas had two hits and scored a pair of runs for Alabama. Jared Reaves drove in the first three Crimson Tide runs in the game with a ground out and a two-run triple.

The Trojans will return home to Riddle-Pace Field on Friday to open an 11-game home-stand with a four-game series against former Sun Belt Conference foe New Orleans. The games are scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

“We have another big weekend coming up,” Pierce said. “Hopefully it will be a little dryer. We have to continue to work hard and get better. If we keep battling like we did tonight, we'll be fine.”