Coach Rob Vaughn’s second Crimson Tide baseball opened play this weekend and easily swept the Bradley Braves in the three game series. The Tide exploded offensively with wins by the scores of 10-6, 19-3, and 11-4. Bama used power, speed, and their superior talent to put away the visitors.
Game One- Won 10-6
Sophomore left hander Zane Adams drew the starting assignment on opening day. The draft eligible Texas native was picked as a pre season All SEC pick and is considered a first round talent in this summers upcoming MLB Draft. With the scouts section packed full, Adams had a slow start. After one out the southpaw walked two straight batters before giving up a three run home run to the Braves DH Bobby Atkinson. After a single to the next batter, Adams fielded a ground ball back to the mound and started a nifty double play to end the inning.
The Tide bounced back with one run of their own in the bottom half of the first when Justin LeBron walked, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on a single by Jason Torres. Adams settled in after the first, although he allowed two infield singles in the second. The Tide took the lead in the second. Brady Neal walked, followed by a single from Garrett Staton and a walk to Bryce Fowler. LeBron quickly cleared the bases with a double in the right centerfield gap. Adams allowed a single to lead off the third but picked the runner off after two fly outs. The fourth inning was a perfect one on only 10 pitches, and Adams day was done when he reached his 65 pitch limit preset for the game.
Bama added three more runs in the 4th. Brennen Norton blasted the Tide’s first home run of the season to lead off the frame. Neal and Richie Bonomolo, Jr. both singled and scored on a single by Fowler and an sacrifice fly by LeBron. JT Blackwood followed Adams on the mound and pitched a quick inning with three fly ball outs. Red shirt junior left hander Connor Ball started the 6th inning on the mound for the Tide and got two quick outs against left handed batters before being replace by Tyler Fay who recorded the last out of the inning.
Alabama scored their last three runs of the game in the bottom of the 6th inning. With two outs Fowler walked and scored on a double by LeBron, who then stole third base. Torres again singled in LeBron, followed by an RBI hit from Kade Snell. Fay worked out of a jam in the 7th when he walked the leadoff man and allowed a double to the next, putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. The redshirt sophomore native then got a dribbler for out one, a strikeout for out two, and a ground out to end the inning without allowing a run. Zach Kittrell replaced Fay on the mound for the 8th inning. After allowing a lead off walk Kittrell used a ground out and two strikeouts to end the inning.
Arriston Veasey started the 9th on the mound for the Tide with a comfortable 10-3 lead. The sophomore from Tyrone, GA used his 95 mile an hour fastball to strikeout the first man he faced and getting a weak pop out for out two. After a walk to the third batters, Veasey hit the 9th place hitter in the back with a 1-2 pitch. An RBI single and walked followed, bringing Coulson Buchanan out of the bullpen to replace him. Buchanan allowed a two run single and when he walked the next batter, suddenly the tying run was at the plate. Coach Rob Vaughn had not planned to need closer Carson Ozmer in the game, but the U Penn transfer was called on and needed only four pitches to strikeout out Timmy O’Brien to clinch the game and end his first save at Alabama.
The Tide hit 11-33 in the game with five walks, 10 strikeouts, three hit batters, a sacrifice fly, two stolen bases, and left eight men on base. Adams was the winner and is now 1-0 on the season, while Ozmer earned the save. Adams allowed four hits and three runs with two walks. LeBron led the offense with a 2-3 game with two doubles, five RBI, a walk, a stolen base, a sacrifice fly, and two runs scored. Torres was 2-4 with two RBI and a walk. Bonomolo, Jr. hit 2-4 and scored a run.
Bradley hit 7-35 with seven walks, one hit batters, seven strikeouts, and eight men left on base.
Game Two- Won 19-3
On Saturday the much anticipated return of big right hander Riley Quick was on the menu. The 6’6’ Quick injured his elbow in his first start in 2024 and was shut down after three innings on the year. The red shirt sophomores return from Tommy John Surgery has been nothing but miraculous. With the strand again overflowing with scouts to see the big righty, he didn’t disappoint, flashing a 98-99 mph fast ball mixed with some nasty off speed wipe out pitches.
The only blemish for Quick in the 1st inning was a one out opposite field double that the umpires somehow originally called a home run, although it never left the field of play. After a review from the crew the call was corrected. Quick struck out two and recorded the other out on a weak ground ball. The Tide jumped on Braves pitcher Travis Lutz in the first inning. Bryce Fowler was hit by a pitch to start the inning and advanced to third on a double by Justin LeBron. Fowler scored on a passed ball. Will Hodo walked and advanced to second on a ground out. Garrett Staton delivered LeBron and Hodo home with a single for a quick 3-0 lead.
Quick was being held to a 50 pitch limit, and reached that amount with three scoreless innings, with four strikeouts, two hits, and one hit batter with no walks. The Tide placed a six spot on the scoreboard in the third inning. LeBron and Hodo singled, Torres drove in the first run with a another single. Kade Snell drove in two more runs with a double, and Coleman Mizell brought in the sixth run of the frame with a hot single through the shortstop hole.
Hagan Banks, coming off elbow surgery of his own, replaced Quick to start the fourth and struck out the first two batters and induced a ground ball for out three. Bama poured it on in the bottom of the fourth with five more runs, highlighted by a grand slam from Staton and a solo blast by Mizell. Banks recorded two outs in the 5th before being replaced by Tate Robertson. Roberston got a pop out to shortstop to end the inning. Robertson allowed a solo home run to start the sixth, but retired the next three batters. Bama added three more runs in the 7th on a bases loaded walk to Hodo, a run scored on a double play, and an RBI single from Peyton Steele in his first career at bat. Jon Young, Jr also knocked a safety in his first career at bat in the frame.
Matthew Heiberger took over in the mound in the 7th and notched a strikeout and allowed one hit. Bama scored their last two runs of the game in the 8th. Catcher Will Plattner recorded his first hit in a Tide uniform and Hodo drove in another run. Georgia Tech transfer Aeden Finateri pitched the 8th for the Tide and two hits and two errors brought in two unearned runs. Freshman right hander Anthony Pesci closed the game out with a quick 9th inning with one strikeout and two ground outs.
The Tide hit 16-39 in the game with 13 walks, with three hit batters, seven strikeouts, and 12 men left on base. Staton was the big gun for the Bama offense with a 2-3 game with a grand slam, six RBI, a hit by pitch, and two runs scored. Hodo finished 2-3 with two walks, a hit by pitch, three runs, and two RBI. Mizell hit 2-4 with two RBI, a home run, a walk, and two runs scored. LeBron was 2-3 with two walks, and three runs scored. Snell hit 2-4 with a double, two RBI, and two runs scored. Quick was awarded the win and is 1-0 on the season.
Bradley hit 6-35 in the game with two walks, four hit batters, 10 strikeouts, and 11 left on base. Jackson Smith had two hits and Asthon Horchem drove in two.
Game Three- Won 11-4
Right hander Bobby Alcock, a Gardner-Webb transfer in 2024, who missed all of last season was called on to start game three on the mound for Alabama. Brayden Marks was his counterpart for the Braves. Bradley took the early lead in the top of the first. A one out error and two bloop singles plated the games first run. The Tide answered in the bottom half. Justin LeBron was hit by a pitch with one out, stole second base, and scored on a single by Jason Torres.
Alcock tossed a quick second inning and his team took the lead in the bottom half. Coleman Mizell hit his second home run in two days with an opposite field blast over the left field fence. Alcock pitched another scoreless frame in the third and the Tide added to the lead in the bottom half. Bryce Fowler singled, stole second and third, and scored on an RBI ground out by Torres. Alcock finished his day up after the recording the first half in the top of the 4th. Austin Morris replaced him on the mound and after allowing a single, ended the inning with a strikeout and ground out.
In the bottom of the 4th the Tide added four more runs. Brennen Norton and Brady Neal singled with one out. Richie Bonomolo, Jr, followed with a walk to load the bases. Fowler lined a two run single to right, but was thrown out at second trying to stretch the hit into a double. LeBron then blasted his first home run of the season 400 feet with a 104 exit velocity over the bullpen in left center for two runs.
Morris pitched the 5th and allowed two runs. The Tide answered back in the bottom half of the inning with and RBI single from Fowler. Left hander Beau Bryans took over on the mound in the sixth and struck out two batters and allowed two hits with one unearned run. Torres crushed a ball 404 feet at 104 miles an hour for his first home run as a member of the Tide. Connor Ball and Braylon Myers split a scoreless 7th inning on the mound for the Tide. Bama added two more runs in the bottom half when Torres smoked a ball of the right centerfield wall for a triple for the big Miami transfer. Myers and Packy Bradley-Cooney polished things off in the top of the 8th and the game was called for Bradley’s travel agenda with the final score of 11-4.
Bama hit 12-31 in the game with six walks, eight strikeouts, three hit batters, a sac bunt, four stolen bases, and nine men left on base. Torres led the parade going 3-4 with a walk, five RBI, a triple, and a home run. Fowler had a big day out of the lead off spot with his 3-4 game with three RBI, two stolen bases, and a run scored. LeBron topped off his big weekend with 1-2 game with two HBP, an intentional walk, a home run, two RBI, and two stolen bases. Norton hit 2-3 with a run, and Bonomolo, Jr. walked twice and two runs. Alcock was the winning pitcher allowing no earned runs in 3.1 innings.
The Braves hit 9-34 with two walks, 10 strikeouts, one stolen base, and eight men left on base. Bobby Atkinson had three hits and drove in two for Bradley.
For the weekend Alabama hit 39-103 for a .379 average with four doubles, a triple, six home runs, 24 walks, nine hit batters, 26 strikeouts, six stolen bases, and 29 men left on base. Bradley hit 22-102 for a .216 average with 11 walks, five hit batters, 27 strikeouts, two home runs, two doubles, and left 30 men on base.
Who Did What?
- Justin LeBron: 5-8, 7 RBI, 8 runs, 3 doubles, home run, 4 walks, HBP, 3 stolen bases, 1.379 slugging percentage, .773 On base percentage, .625 batting average.
- Jason Torres: 6-12, 8 RBI, 3 runs, 4 walks, triple, home run .500 average, .917 slugging, .625 on base.
- Bryce Fowler: 5-10, 4 RBI, 3 walks, HBP, 5 runs, 3 stolen bases
- Coleman Mizell: 3-7, 2 home runs, 3 RBI, 2 walks, 3 runs
- Garrett Staton: 3-6, 3 runs, 6 RBI, Grand slam home runs, 2 HBP
- Brennen Norton: 3-8, home run, 2 runs, HBP, RBI
- Richie Bonomolo: 3-9, 5 walks, 4 runs
A good opening weekend for the Tide over a team that they should have beaten badly, and did. Coach Vaughn and staff were able to utilize 16 position players and 19 pitchers over the weekend. Thirteen of the 16 hitters had at least one hit over the weekend. Fifteen of the 19 pitchers did not allow any earned runs in the three games. The Tide has a deep squad and this was a good opening weekend to get several guys feet wet. The return of Riley Quick will be huge boost to the very deep pitching staff. Justin LeBron is simply one of the best handful of players in the whole country. Justin Torres should be a solid run producer in the middle of the lineup. Bryce Fowler and Richie Bonomolo,Jr, will set the table at the top and bottom of the order and offer a dose of speed that Alabama baseball hasn’t had in a while. Garrett Staton and Brennen Norton will provide power and Coleman Mizell is a big, powerful, bat that seems ready to explode on to the scene. The catching duo of Brady Neal and Will Plattner is solid behind the plate and at the dish, and both need to stay healthy. Will Hodo and Kade Snell are veteran bats that have been through the battles of SEC play.
What’s next?
The Tide has five games scheduled next week. Middle Tennessee comes to town Tuesday for a 4 p.m. CT game and Alabama State on Wednesday for another 4 p.m. game. Bama will travel to Jacksonville, FL for the Jacksonvill Classic for weekend games with Coastal Carolina on Friday, NC State on Saturday, and Ohio State, on Sunday.
Roll Tide
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