NASHVILLE: Price wiggles out of trouble

By Chris Lee - April 06, 2007

Vandy's David Price got in a jam through no fault of his own, but did a masterful job of pitching out of it in the eighth to keep the game scoreless.

With Alabama struggling to hit David Price, 'Bama's Brandon Belcher laid down a bunt to lead off the eighth and reached safely. Greg Paiml followed with a bunt to Pedro Alvarez at third, which Alvarez threw into center field to give the 'Tide men on second and third with none out.

Price got the dangerous Emeel Salem to pop to Matt Meingasner in shallow right, much too shallow for Belcher to tag and score. Price then intentionally walked Jake Smith to get a lefty-on-lefty matchup against No. 3 hitter Alex Avila, who'd fanned three times.

That prompted Jim Wells to bring in right-handed pinch-hitter Kyle Moore. Price threw a beautiful slider on a 1-1 count for strike two looking, then fanned Moore on either a cutting fastball or a slider just above his shoelaces.

That brought cleanup hitter Kent Matthes to the plate, who was 0-3. Matthes hit a weak chopper back back to first on the first pitch, and Price calmly flipped to Brad French at first for the putout.