Arkansas Ousted From SEC Tournament By Alabama

HOOVER, Ala. - Charley Boyce was the hard-luck loser again on Thursday as Arkansas bowed out of the SEC Tournament with a 5-4 loss to Alabama in front of 6,452 fans at the Hoover-Met.
Boyce (10-9) came on in relief for the second straight day and threw five innings. The only hit he allowed all day was a RBI single by Cale Iorg in the eighth inning. It snapped Boyce's streak of 10.1-scoreless innings against the Crimson Tide dating back to his complete game on May 15 in Tuscaloosa.
The loss was the fifth straight for Head Coach Dave Van Horn's team, and dropped their record to 37-20 on the season. Alabama improves to 38-20 and advances on to play the loser of the Ole Miss/Florida later tonight.
Ben Tschepikow led the Razorbacks' seven-hit with two base knocks. He smoked a ball up the middle with two runners on and two outs in the top of the ninth inning, but Crimson Tide closer David Robertson got a glove on it and threw to first for the final out.
Robertson earned his seventh save of the season by getting the final two outs of the game. Brent Carter (7-3) got the win out of the bullpen with 6.1 scoreless innings. He allowed just three hits and struck out seven.
Iorg got half of Alabama's three hits, including the game winner, and two RBI. Zac Welch also drove in two runs with a first inning double down the right-field line.
Lee Land got the Razorbacks through three innings, allowing four runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out three. He gave way to Boyce, who was making his second appearance of the SEC Tournament and his 27th of the season.
The Razorbacks broke through in the first inning with two runs with a little help from the Crimson Tide. Brock Bond singled home Craig Gentry, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the game, for the Hogs' first run. Bond then stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Alabama starting pitcher T.J. Large unleashed a wild pitch to score Bond and give Arkansas a 2-0 lead.
After tying the game at two, the Tide tacked on another run in the second as Irog scored on a ground ball to shortstop with one out in the inning.
A sacrifice fly by Danny Hamblin and a RBI ground out by Clint Arnold gave the Razorbacks the lead again in the third inning, 4-3. The Hogs were also able to chase Large.
Large allowed four runs - three earned - on four hits in two innings of work and struck out four. Alabama tied it up and got Large a no decision with a two-out RBI single by Iorg in the third inning.
Arkansas will await word on their NCAA Regional fate with the selection show at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 31, on ESPN2. 


 Arkansas Razorbacks #16 Arkansas Razorbacks vs Alabama Crimson Tide May 26, 2005 at Birmingham, Ala. (Hoover-Met Stadium) Arkansas Razorbacks 4 (37-20) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Craig Gentry cf.......... 4 2 1 0 0 2 4 1 0 Ben Tschepikow dh........ 4 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 Brock Bond 2b............ 3 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 Danny Hamblin 1b......... 3 0 1 1 0 1 7 0 1 Clint Arnold lf.......... 3 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 Stephen Robison ph/rf... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Brian Walker c........... 4 0 0 0 0 2 4 1 1 Scott Hode ss............ 4 0 1 0 0 1 3 1 0 Jake Dugger rf/lf........ 2 0 0 0 2 2 4 0 0 Clay Goodwin 3b.......... 4 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 1 Lee Land p............... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Charley Boyce p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Totals................... 32 4 7 3 4 12 24 8 7 Alabama Crimson Tide 5 (38-20) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Scelfo 2b................ 5 0 0 1 0 0 3 2 1 Rice dh.................. 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 Scott lf................. 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Bush 3b.................. 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 Welch 1b................. 3 1 1 2 1 0 6 0 1 Thomley rf............... 3 1 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 Valverde c............... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Kirkland ph/c........... 3 0 1 0 0 2 11 1 2 Iorg ss.................. 4 1 3 2 0 0 1 1 0 Salem cf................. 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 Large p.................. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 B. Carter p............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 Robertson p............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 29 5 6 5 5 4 27 8 8 Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- Arkansas Razorbacks. 202 000 000 - 4 7 1 Alabama Crimson Tide 211 000 01X - 5 6 2 ------------------------------------------- E - Hode(14); Thomley(5); Valverde(6). LOB - ARKANSAS 7; Alabama 8. 2B - Gentry(10); Welch(7); Iorg(11). HBP - Gentry; Rice; Scott. SH - Kirkland(3). SF - Hamblin(4). SB - Bond(4); Rice(8). CS - Hamblin(5). Arkansas Razorbacks IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Lee Land............ 3.0 5 4 4 2 3 15 18 68 Charley Boyce....... 5.0 1 1 1 3 1 14 19 65 Alabama Crimson Tide IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP -------------------------------------------------- Large............... 2.0 4 4 3 1 4 10 12 48 B. Carter........... 6.1 3 0 0 3 7 20 24 86 Robertson........... 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 11 Win - B. Carter (7-3). Loss - Boyce (10-9). Save - Robertson (7). WP - Large(11). HBP - by Large (Gentry); by Land (Scott); by Boyce (Rice). BK - Land(1). Inherited runners/scored: B. Carter 3/1; Robertson 2/0. Pitches/strikes: Land 68/41; Boyce 65/38; Large 48/25; B. Carter 86/55; Robertson 11/7. Umpires - HP: Tony Walsh 1B: Mark Chapman 2B: Paul Gullie 3B: Scott Erby Start: 2:00 pm Time: 2:46 Attendance: 6452 Large faced 3 batters in the 3rd.