April 9, 2008

Tuscaloosa, AL (UWIRE) -- The Alabama baseball team recorded a season-high 18 hits en route to a 12-4 victory against Mississippi Valley State Tuesday night.

Three different Crimson Tide players had three hits in the game, led by right fielder Tyler Odle who had a single, a double and a home run and scored five runs in the game.

"There were some good swings put on the ball tonight," head coach Jim Wells said. "We have faced this type of pitching before and struggled, so there are a lot of good things tonight, and swinging the bat was the highlight of it all."

Alabama got on the board in the first inning when Ryan Rhoden hit a two-out RBI single through the left side that scored Odle.

After Odle hit the home run to put the Tide up 2-0 in the third inning, shortstop Josh Rutledge hit a bases-loaded double in the fourth that scored two runs. Brandon May followed that up with an RBI single to make it 5-0.

Alabama starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson cruised through the first four innings, giving up just one hit and striking out six.

"It was certainly the best he's done," Wells said. "He's struggled all year, but he pitched better. It's something to build on for him because he has really struggled, so it was good."

Nelson gave up two unearned runs in the fifth, and MVSU first baseman Hogan Barnes hit a two-run home run off him in the sixth that cut the lead to 6-4.

From that point, Alabama broke it open. In the sixth inning, May hit a two-run double down the left field line. May finished the game 3-for-5 with two doubles and four RBIs.

Odle, Rutledge and May had consecutive hits for the Tide during a three-run seventh inning that made the score 11-4. Odle scored his fifth run in the game in the inning, one shy of the Alabama record.

"It's a team effort," Odle said. "One person gets on, and we always try to do our job at the plate to move him over and get him in."

Alabama added another run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by first baseman Wes Henderson. Henderson finished 3-for-4 in just his second start of the season.

Freshman Connor Hoehn relieved Nelson, who picked up his first win of his career and pitched two and two thirds innings for the Tide. Hoehn allowed just one hit while six of his eight outs were strikeouts.

Alabama remains perfect against MVSU all-time with a 9-0 record now. The midweek game was the first of two this week at home for the Tide. Alabama will play Southeastern Louisiana tonight at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

"It's a big win for us. This will help us out and give us a little momentum, because we have the guys and we have the ability, we just have to believe," Odle said.

(C) 2008 The Crimson White via UWIRE