Things didn’t start great for the 12th ranked Alabama Crimson Tide this weekend. In fact the team was run ruled 13-3 in eight innings by the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Friday night before bouncing back and winning game two 4-1, then lost the series finale by a score of 4-2 on Sunday. The Tide improved to 29-8 and 8-7 in the SEC with the series loss. The visitors from Starkville improved to 22-14 and 5-10 in conference play.
Game One- Lost 13-3, eight innings
Tide Friday night starter Zane Adams struggled for the second straight week, allowing nine hits and seven runs in four-plus innings with no walks and two strikeouts. Mississippi State countered with their ace, left hander Pico Kohn. The Bulldogs jumped out early in the top of the first. After a fly ball for the first out, Sawyer Reeves singled and was doubled home by Ace Reese. A ground out to third notched the second out but MSU slugger Hunter Hines then blasted a home run to right field to make the score 3-0 after a half inning.
Justin LeBron lined a double off of Kohn with one out in the bottom half, but that was all the Tide could muster. Adams had a quick 1-2-3 inning in the second to calm things down. The Tide got a one out walk to Garrett Staton and a single by Bryce Fowler, but were the victims of some bad luck when hard hit balls to centerfield and left field were hauled in to strand the runners.
Reeves hit a solo home run off of Adams in the third to push the lead to 4-0. The Tide got on the board in the bottom of the third. LeBron lifted a pop fly into no mans land in short right field and cruised into second with his second double of the day. Kade Snell then rapped a sharp single to plate the speedy LeBron. Will Hodo reached on an error, but three great plays by Bulldog left fielder Gehrig Frei prevented any further damage. Adams tossed a scoreless fourth inning with only one single allowed before the Tide looked to get back in the game.
After two quick outs, Richie Bonomolo, Jr ripped a triple off he right center wall and scored ahead of an opposite field home run by LeBron, cutting the lead to 4-3. That was the last time the Tide scored in the game. The top of the fifth was the undoing for Alabama. Adams faced the first three batters and allowed a single and back to back doubles to chase him from the game in favor of JT Blackwood. Blackwood faced four batters and allowed a single and two doubles while striking out one. Coulson Buchanan was next in for Bama and after allowing a double was finally able to end the nightmare inning after seven runs had scored.
The Tide hit Kohn hard, but often times right at fielders. The southpaw was pulled after four innings, allowing six hits with two walks, three strikeouts, and three runs allowed. Stone Simmons replaced him and mowed down the Tide after the last four innings while striking out five and not allowing a walk or a run. Bama finished up with Aidan Moza and Beau Bryans over the last 2.2 innings. The Dogs were able to score once in the seventh and once in the eighth for the 13-3 lead and the run rule victory.
Alabama hit 11-36 in the game with two walks, eight strikeouts, and 11 men left on base. The Tide hit the ball too well to be held to only three runs. LeBron finished 3-5 with two doubles, a home run, two RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Bonomolo was 2-5 with a triple and run scored. Fowler was the only other multi hit player with his 2-4 game. Adams fell to 4-2 with the loss.
The Bulldogs were 17-37 at the plate with four walks, one hit batter, seven strikeouts, and left five men on base. MSU had six doubles and two home runs among their hits. Reeves was 4-5 with four RBI and three runs scored while Reese finished 3-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Simmons improved to 3-1 with the victory.
All the Tide could do after this one was flush it and move on to the next day.
Game Two- Won 4-1
The Riley Quick everyone has been waiting on showed up on Saturday afternoon as the big right-hander had his best outing on the mound since his Tommy John surgery last spring. The Bulldogs countered with right hander Evan Siary on the hill. Things didn’t start great for Bama as lead off man Gehrig Frei took the fourth pitch he saw over the left field wall for an opposite field home run and a quick 1-0 Dog lead. Quick shook the long ball off and dominated for the rest of his outing.
Alabama got an infield single from Richie Bonomolo, Jr and a bloop single from Kade Snell in the first, but two straight outs ended the threat. Quick struck out the side swinging in the top of the second on only 11 pitches before the Tide took the lead for good in the bottom half. Will Hodo and Coleman Mizell both walked to lead off the inning. After a fly out and a strikeout, Bonomolo ripped a double down the left field line to plate both runners and give Bama a 2-1 lead that they would not surrender.
Quick worked around some trouble in the top of the third when a bunt single and a bloop single put two runners on with one out. However the big righty struck out the next two men to squelch the rally. In the top of the sixth Quick allowed a one out double to Noah Sullivan and was taken out of the game after 5.1 innings pitched where he allowed six hits, one run, with no walks and seven strikeouts. Freshman left hander Connor Lehman was called in to face Bulldog left handed hitter Hunter Hines. Lehman made a good pitch, but Hines was able to dump a little bloop into left field to put runners on the corners with one out. Right hander Austin Morris came in for the Tide and took all of two pitches to get a ground ball to Justin LeBron that the shortstop turned into a double play by stepping on the second base bag and firing to first to end the threat.
Hagan Banks took over in the seventh inning for the Tide and gave up only a walk in the frame. Bama finally added some insurance in the bottom of the seventh. Brady Neal lead off with a double and Young put down a perfect bunt that he turned into a hit. With runners at first and third, Bonomolo notched his third RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to left field. LeBron followed with a single and with two outs Jason Torres singled to score Young for the 4-1 lead.
Banks stayed out for the eighth and after allowing a one out single induced a ground ball to LeBron at shortstop that turned into a double play on a nice turn by Young at second base. Bama went down in order in the bottom of the inning.
With the score 4-1 Alabama closer Carson Ozmer was summoned from the bullpen to lock the game down. And he did, but not before some excitement. Ozmer hit the first batter he faced with his first pitch. After a ground ball for out one the next man singled to bring the tying run to the plate. The sidewinding righty transfer from Penn settled down and got a ground ball out and pop out to end the game and earn his 11th save of the year.
The Tide hit 9-32 in the game with two walks, six strikeouts, and left seven men on base. Bonomolo led the way with a 2-3 game with a double, a sacrifice fly, and three runs driven in. Torres was 2-4 with an RBI. Five other players had one hit each. Quick improved to 5-1 on the season and Ozmer earned his 11th save, pulling within three of the single season record of 14 set by Ben Short.
The Bulldogs hit 9-34 in the game, walked only once, had one hit batter, struck out seven times, and left eight men on base. Frei had two hits with his home run providing the only run of the day for Mississippi State. Siary was the loser and fell to 0-1 on the year.
A very well pitched game by the Tide. Quick had his best game in Crimson, Morris, Banks, and Ozmer were fantastic on the backend. The offense left some run scoring opportunities slide by, but did enough to take the victory.
Game Three- Lost 4-2
For the first time this season right hander Bobby Alcock was not the game three starter for the Tide. After struggling in his last few starts Alabama elected to go with right hander Tyler Fay for his first start in his Tide career. The Bulldogs called on right hander Karson Ligon to start the game.
For the third straight day the Tide got in an early hole. Lead off man Gehrig Frei lined a single to left and Sawyer Reeves followed with a two run blast to stake the Dogs to a 2-0 lead after two hitters. Fay then retired the next 10 men in a row.
Bama cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third with out the benefit of a hit. Brady Neal walked to lead off the frame and moved to second on a passed ball. Freshman Jon Young Jr, starting at second base for the second game in a row, put down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance Neal to third. Richie Bonomolo, Jr lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to plate the run.
When Fay walked Noah Sullivan with one out in the fourth he was replaced by Matthew Heiberger. Heiberger needed one pitch and a ground ball to Justin LeBron at shortstop to end the inning. LeBron snagged the ball, stepped on second for a force out and threw to first base to complete an inning ending double play. Ligon kept the Tide off the board in the third, but when he walked Hodo to lead off the fourth he was replaced by Chase Hungate. Ligon left after 63 pitches and allowed only one hit with two walks and three strikeouts. With one out Neal bunted against the shift for a base hit to put two runners on. A wild pitch advanced both runners into scoring position. In a critical time of the game Young and Bonomolo struck out back to back to strand both Hodo and Neal on base.
Heiberger had tossed a scoreless fifth inning, but got into trouble in the top of the sixth. After a ground ball for the first out, Heiberger walked the next two men and Braylon Myers was called in from the bullpen. Myers struck out the first man, walked the next to load the bases, but induced a ground ball to third to end the threat with the bases loaded.
In the bottom of the sixth the Tide finally tied the game up. LeBron led off with an opposite field shot to right field that just missed leaving the park and turned into a triple for the star shortstop. Kade Snell did his job, tying the game with a sacrifice fly to centerfield. In the top of the seventh Myers struck out the first two batters he faced but allowed a solo home run to pinch hitter Ross Highfill to give the lead back to the Bulldogs 3-2.
Nate Williams was now on the mound for MSU and over 3.1 innings allowed only a walk. Austin Morris came in for the Tide in the top of the eighth and with one out gave up a home run to Ace Reese to push the lead to 4-2. Morris struck out the next batter and was replaced by Connor Lehman who recorded the last out of the inning. In the bottom of the eighth, LeBron walked with two outs to bring Snell to the plate as the tying run. A ground ball to second base ended that chance. Carson Ozmer pitched a perfect ninth for the Tide but Williams retired Bama in order in the ninth and the Bulldogs took the series two games to one.
Bama hit only 3-27 in the game with three walks, 10 strikeouts, and four men left on base. Hodo, Neal, and LeBron had the only safeties for the Tide. Bonomolo and Snell drove in the runs, both on sacrifice flies. Myers suffered the loss and fell to 2-1 on the year.
MSU hit 5-31 in the game with four walks, 12 strikeouts, and four men left on base. Reeves two run home run and Reese and Highfill’s solo shots provided the Dogs only runs. Williams was the winner and is now 1-2 on the year.
Despite going with a bullpen game, pitching was not the problem for the Tide. The hurlers did a good enough job to win the game, especially on a Sunday. However the offense could never get anything going, and when they did, couldn’t come up with the big run scoring hit when needed.
Overall the Tides offensive was stale all weekend, scoring only nine total runs in the three games. The team hit 23-95 for a .263 average, walked only seven times, and left 22 men on base.
Mississippi State hit 28-102 for a .274 average, with 10 walks, two hit batters, 26 strikeouts, and left 18 men on base. The Bulldogs had eight doubles and six home runs among their hits.
Who Did What?
*Richie Bonomolo, Jr 4-11, four RBI, double, two sacrifice flies, walk, run
*Justin LeBron 5-12, three runs, walk, stolen base, two doubles, triple, home run, two RBI
*Riley Quick W (5-1) 5.1 innings pitched, six hits, one run, no walks, seven strikeouts
*Carson Ozmer S (11) two appearance, 2 innings pitched, one hit, no walks, one strikeouts, no runs
This was a disappointing and frustrating series loss against a team the Tide has to feel like they are better than. The Bulldogs have had Alabama’s number for many years, the Tide last won the season series with the boys from Starkville in 2015. Bama has not defeated Mississippi State in a series in Tuscaloosa since 2010. The biggest plus of the weekend was seeing Quick look to be all the way back after his surgery and blister issues. Quick was constantly 97-99 on the radar gun with plus off speed pitches and was throwing his cutter at an unheard 96 mph. The past two weekends the Tide has been run ruled by their opponent on Friday night, putting the team behind the eight ball right off the bat. Alabama has bounced back both times to win game two, but have not been able to take either game three. The offense is going to have to find ways to plate runners when they are in scoring position. Bama has not been drawing walks at near the rate they were earlier in the season, and those free bases are important. Despite all that the team is still 29-8 and 8-7 in the SEC halfway through the conference season. Right the ship and match that record in the second half and the Tide should be in the conversation of hosting a NCAA Regional.
Next up the Birmingham Blazers will come to Tuscaloosa on Tuesday at 6 p.m CT. The game will be available on SEC Network Plus. The Tide will the head to Baton Rouge to take on a pissed off LSU team that was swept by Auburn this weekend. The games or on Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 6 p.m., and Saturday at 5 p.m. Thursday and Saturday’s game will be on the SEC Network, while Fridays contest will be on SEC Network Plus.
Roll Tide
Bama Baseball Fever, catch it
