Mar. 5, 2001
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Winthrop University sophomore right-hander Ben Thurmond limited the Alabama Crimson Tide to three runs and seven hits through 10 innings to lead the Eagles to a 4-3 10-inning victory over the Crimson Tide Monday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
He also delivered the game-winning double in the 10th inning off losing pitcher Jared Woodward to give the Eagles the one-run win. Thurmond (2-1), who finished in the Top 20 nationally in ERA as a freshman last year, kept the Crimson Tide off balance all afternoon en route to the complete-game victory. He walked three and added six strikeouts for his second win of the season against an SEC foe.
Two weeks ago, he pitched seven innings for an 11-4 win at Florida. "Their pitcher did a real good job today," Alabama Head Coach Jim Wells said. "We have had that happen to us before when we just could not score any runs. We did not do much offensively." The sophomore held the Crimson Tide's top four hitters in check as Casey Lambert, Peter Stonard, Brent Boyd and Aaron Clark were a combined 1-for-16 against the right-hander.
Lambert and Stonard were both 0-for-5 ending Stonard's season-high 15-game hitting streak. In addition, Alabama managed only three singles after the third inning. The Eagles (12-3-1) scored one run off Jared Woodward in the 10th inning to claim the win. Jason Colson opened the inning with an infield single, but was forced out at second base on Bennett Stapf's failed sacrifice bunt. Josh Ury followed with an infield single, putting runners at first and second. Thurmond, acting as the designated hitter, doubled into left field, scoring Stapf with the game-winner.
Woodward (2-1), the fourth of five UA pitchers, allowed one run and four hits in two innings of relief. He walked one and added three strikeouts.
The Crimson Tide (11-5) had taken a 3-1 lead in the seventh inning with a pair of runs off Thurmond. Aaron Clark walked and took second on an errant pickoff throw by Thurmond. Brown's sharp single to right sent Clark to third base. Hearod then executed a safety squeeze bunt, scoring Clark from third base to give Alabama a 2-1 lead. Grant Redding followed with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Brown for the two-run lead. The lead was short-lived as reliever Kavonski Chatman issued a lead off walk to Todd Leathers. After Colson popped out to left field, Stapf launched his second home run of the afternoon, tying the game at 3-3. Winthrop put runners on the corners with one out, but Jared Woodward escaped the jam. Stas Swerdzewski failed on a suicide squeeze bunt resulting in Ury being picked off third base. Swerdzewski then struck out to end the rally. Winthrop took a 1-0 lead in the second inning off Landon Brazell when Stapf smashed a home run to left field. Alabama tied the game in the bottom of the inning on three hits.
Scott McClanahan doubled into the right-center field gap with one out. Jeremy Brown followed with hard ground ball off the glove of third baseman Jason Colson. The ball bounced into foul territory and Colson threw out McClanahan attempted to score on the play at home. Beau Hearod singled, moving Brown to third base. Brown scored on a perfectly executed double steal, with Hearod moving to second and Brown stealing home.
