BIRMINGHAM | If the University of Alabama and Samford played baseball every day, Kyle Moore would set records that would put Barry Bonds to shame.

Moore, the Crimson Tide's reserve catcher, drove in three runs, including the eventual game-winning run on a two-run homer, as UA defeated the Bulldogs 10-6 on Tuesday night.

Moore, a junior from Wetumpka, has four career home runs – with three coming against Samford.

Thanks in large part to the Moore home run, Alabama was able to erase an early four-run deficit, raising its record to 26-21 on the season. It was the final non-conference game of the season for UA.

Alabama took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning as Matt Bentley was hit by a pitch and eventually came around to score on Moore's RBI single.

Samford came back with five unearned runs in the bottom of the inning. Alabama abetted the Bulldog cause with an error and a catcher's interference, while Samford right fielder Michael Rutledge blasted a two-out, three-run home run in the inning.

The Crimson Tide responded immediately, scoring four runs in the top of the third inning. UA designated hitter Alex Avila walked to start the inning and left fielder Brandon May followed with his sixth home run of the season. After a single by first baseman Matt Bentley and a double by right fielder Kent Matthes, the Tide tied the game on back-to-back sacrifice flies by Tyler Odle and Jake Smith.

'That inning was the key to the game,' Tide head coach Jim Wells said. 'It was typical for us that we had an inning where we give up a lot of runs, but we were able to get right back in it, then come back in the bottom of the inning (with starter Nathan Kilcrease) and put a zero on the board. Even though they went back ahead for a while, that inning sort of got us back in the game.'

Samford regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, moving ahead 6-5 on an RBI single by shortstop Michael Marseco.

Alabama regained the lead with two runs in the top of the fifth inning as Moore blasted a two-run home run to center field on a 2-2 pitch.

'It was a fastball,' Moore said. 'With two outs and a runner on third, I was looking for a hit, maybe something up the middle, and I was actually expecting him to throw a slider. But he threw a fastball and I just happened to be on it.'

Alabama's newly-installed closer, sophomore Austin Graham, came on with two runners on and two outs in the eighth inning. He retired Rutledge on a fly out to end the inning and worked a scoreless ninth inning to record his second save of the season.

Crimson Tide freshman Josh Rutledge had a single in the fifth inning, extending his hitting streak to 22 games.

Attendance for the game was 1,641, the largest ever at Samford's Joe Lee Griffin Field.

The Crimson Tide will play again in a three-game series at Arkansas beginning on Friday night.



(Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil.hurt@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0225.)