ATLANTA, Ga. -- A six-run fourth inning helped lead 29th-ranked Alabama to an 11-2 victory over Elon in the opening game of the 2010 Atlanta Regional in the NCAA Baseball Championships. The Phoenix dropped to 38-23 on the year while the Crimson Tide improved to 38-22.
Alabama pushed across the first runs of the game in the bottom of the third. Brock Bennett and Taylor Dugas began the frame with back-to-back singles that put runners on the corners. Josh Rutledge followed with a single to center to score Bennett. After Ross Wilson walked to load the bases, Clay Jones lifted a sacrifice fly to left to drive home Dugas with the second run. Elon escaped further damage as the next two hitters grounded out.
After walks put two Alabama runners aboard with one out in the fourth, Dugas doubled down the left field line to drive home the third run of the day for the Crimson Tide. Rutledge made it a 6-0 game when he belted his ninth homer of the year over the wall in left. Wilson then blooped a single down the right field line and stole second before racing home on a Jones single. With runners on the corners after a Jake Smith single, Jon Kelton put down a sacrifice bunt which brought home the eighth run of the game for Alabama.
The Phoenix got on the board in the sixth inning when Ryan Adams crushed his 12th homer of the year, this one clearing the wall in left-center.
Alabama got that run right back wehn Jones hit his 16th of the year over the wall in left with one out in the bottom of the sixth.
Dugas scored for the third time on the day on a Wilson ground out in the bottom of the seventh. Rutledge would then come in on Jones' double into the right field corner to make it an 11-1 game.
The Phoenix added its final run in the ninth when, after Chris Bresnahan singled, Grant McCoury doubled into the left field corner to drive home the run.
Jimmy Reyes, who had won his last seven starts, fell to 10-4 after taking the loss. Reyes allowed eight runs on eight hits in just 3.1 innings for Elon.
Alabama's Nathan Kilcrease improved to 7-4 after giving up just one run on three hits in seven frames.
Elon's five hits came from five different players. Along with Adams, Harry Austin, Bresnahan, McCoury and Alex Swim all recorded hits.
Much of the damage done by the Crimson Tide came from the top of the order. It's 1-2 hitters, Dugas and Rutledge, combined to go 8-for-10 with five runs and five RBI. In the four hole, Jones was 3-for-3 with two runs and four RBI.
Elon will take on the loser of the Mercer-Georgia Tech game at 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. The game will be broadcast live on WPCM 920 AM and on elonphoenix.com. It will also be televised on CSS.
