Coach Rob Vaughan has his Alabama Crimson Tide team on a roll, improving to 20-1 by sweeping 19th ranked Texas A&M this weekend in College Station. The Aggies were consensus preseason number one, but have fallen on hard times and have a 10-8 record. The Tide took game one by a score of 6-4, game two by a 6-2 margin, and took game three 2-0.
Game One: Won 6-4
The Crimson Tide took a thrilling game one victory 6-4 on two late home runs. Texas native Zane Adams drew the starting assignment, facing off against Texas A&M All-American Ryan Prager. The pair of lefties both had perfect first innings. Bama struck first in the top of the second. Jason Torres led off with a walk and scored in front of Will Hodo, who blasted a no doubter home run after the right-centerfield fence.
The Tide’s next two batters were out, but a Will Plattner walk kept the inning alive. Richie Bonomolo, Jr. ripped a double down the left field line, and when Plattner tried to score he was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
The Aggies plated a run in the bottom of the third when Jamal George led off with a single, stole second, and scored on a one out bloop double by TAM star Jace LaViolette. A fly out and a ground out ended the frame with Bama holding the 2-1 lead. Texas A&M tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. A lead off double by Terrence Kiel III turned into a runner on third with no outs when the umpire got in the way of the throw in by Bonomolo from centerfield. A ground out to second base tied the game at two each.
Alabama took the lead back in the top of the fifth inning. Plattner drew another walk and after a fly out by Bonomolo, trotted home in front of Bryce Fowler’s blast over the right field wall. The Aggies drew closer in the sixth when Adams allowed three singles with Sawyer Farr driving the run in. With two outs in the sixth and two men on, Adams was replaced by Matthew Heiberger who struck out Jacob Galloway to strand the two runners and end the inning.
Heiberger was back out for the seventh, but after striking out the first two men allowed two singles. Vaughn called on the team’s closer Carson Ozmer to slam the door. A fly out to centerfield and pop out to second base tied left the score 4-3 in favor of the Tide.
Ozmer allowed his first run of the season in the bottom of the eighth when Hayden Schott lined an opposite home run to left field. Farr followed with a single, but after a strikeout for out two, George was called out for interference as Farr attempted to steal second base.
In the top of the ninth, Aggie skipper Michael Earley outsmarted himself. A&M relief pitcher Luke Jackson was plowing through the Tide hitters, retiring four straight with his 97 mile an hour fastball. With left handed hitter Will Hodo up, Earley called on lefty Kaiden Wilson. Hodo was retired on a ground ball for out two. Earley then made another change, bringing in right hander Brad Rudis to face Brennen Norton. Norton blasted the second pitch he saw for a go ahead home run. Rudis stayed in to face Kade Snell, and Snell rocketed the first pitch he saw over everything in right field for a 6-4 lead.
Ozmer was back out in the bottom of the ninth, and things got interesting. Kaden Kent was hit by a pitch to start the inning. LaViolette drew a walk, putting the winning run at the plate with no outs. The batter happened to be Aggie third baseman Wyatt Henseler, who was Ozmer’s teammate at U Penn, three year roommate, and best friend. Hensler hit a liner at the mound that Ozmer was able to snare and turn into a double play at first base.
A single by Ben Royo again brought the winning run to the plate in the person of Kiel. A ground ball to Norton at second base ended the game with the Tide winning 6-4.
The game saw Alabama superstar Justin Lebron playing the game with an illness. The star tried to play through it but had to leave in the eighth inning. Freshman Jon Young, Jr. replaced LeBron in the field.
Alabama hit 8-32 in the game with two doubles, four home runs, three walks, a hit batter, six strikeouts, and three men left on base. Fowler drove in two with his home run and 1-4 night. Hodo was 1-3 with a HBP, home run, and two driven in. Norton and Snell were both 1-4 with their solo home runs. Plattner hit 1-2 with two walks and scored one run. Adams pitched 5.2 innings, allowing seven hits, one walk, four strikeouts, and one earned run. Ozmer was the winner with 2.2 innings of one run ball and is 1-0 on the year.
Texas A&M hit 11-37 in the game with three walks, a hit batter, eight strikeouts, two doubles, and left 10 men on base. Kiel was 3-5 with a double. Rudis took the loss.
Game Two: Won 6-2
Right handed fireballer Riley Quick started for the Tide against the Aggies left hander Justin Lamkin. Both are considered among the best in the country, and both lived up to the hype. Quick is still working his way back from Tommy John surgery that he had in February of 2024, and has been gradually amping up his pitch count.
In the top of the first, the Tide got a wind blown, pop up, double from Justin LeBron, followed by a walk to Coleman Mizell, both with one out. Strikeouts of Jason Torres and Will Hodo stranded the runners. Quick retired the Aggies in the bottom half on three straight ground ball outs.
Through five innings Quick and Lamkin mowed down their opposition. Lamkin struck out eight and walked three, with the LeBron double the only hit allowed after the top of the fifth. Quick ended his day after five innings, finishing strong, striking out the side in the frame.
In the top of the sixth, Bama finally put a run across on a home run to right centerfield by LeBron. The home run was the shortstop’s 12th of the year, tying his total of last year. Mizell followed with a single and Lamkin’s day came to a close after 95 pitches. Lamkin allowed three hits, walked three, struck out eight, and allowed just one run.
Hagan Banks replaced Quick in the bottom of the sixth. After a fly out to start the inning, Aggie star Jace LaViolette drew a walk but was thrown out attempting to steal on a strong throw by catcher Brady Neal and an even better tag by LeBron. Texas A&M challenged the call, but it was upheld after review. Wyatt Henseler then flew out to centerfield to end the inning.
The Tide added a run in the seventh, but couldn’t capitalize on a chance to blow the game open. With one out Neal reached on an error by shortstop Kaden Kent (son of former MLB star Jeff Kent). Richie Bonomolo, Jr struck a ball to deep right field that Aggie right fielder Jamal George couldn’t handle and Bama quickly had runners on second and third. Bryce Fowler walked to load the bases before LeBron lined a single to left to drive in Neal. Mizell struck out for out two. Jason Torres then drove a ball deep into the right center field gap that LaViolette ran down from his centerfield position and made a leaping catch while crashing into the wall. LaViolette held onto the ball and robbed the Tide of three runs.
Banks struck out the lead off man in the bottom of the seventh, then walked the next two men. Coach Rob Vaughn and pitching coach Jason Jackson called in Tyler Fay out of the bullpen to replace Banks. Sawyer Farr singled to score on run but Fay induced a double play started by Brennen Norton to end the threat with Bama still in the lead at 2-1.
Norton doubled for the Tide in the eighth, but was stranded at second. Fay hit Blake Binderup leading of the eighth, and pinch runner Sam Erickson advanced on a ground out then scored on a two out single by Henseler. Matthew Heiberger then replaced Fay and recorded the third out on a ground ball.
In the top of the ninth, Bonomolo led off the inning with a walk, but was picked off first base for out number one by left hander Kaiden Wilson. Fowler reached on an error by Farr at second base and LeBron drew a walk. Mizell singled to load the bases. Luke Jackson replaced Wilson and struck out Torres for the second out, bringing Will Hodo to the plate. Hodo drilled the second pitch he saw on a line into the Tide’s bullpen in right field for a grand slam home run and a 6-2 lead.
Heiberger made in interesting in the bottom of the ninth, allowing one out single and walking the next man. A ground ball to Norton at second base turned into a game inning twin killing, giving Bama the 6-2 win.
Alabama hit 8-32 in the game with six walks, 10 strikeouts, two doubles, two home runs, a sac bunt, and left nine men on base. LeBron finished 3-4 with a double, a home run, a walk, two RBI, and two runs scored. Hodo had the game winning grand slam in his 2-5 night with four RBI and a run scored. Mizell was 2-4 with a walk and run scored. Norton had a double in five tries for the teams only other hit. Quick pitched five brilliant innings, allowing only one hit with two walks and six strikeouts over 86 pitches. Heiberger was the winner and improved to 2-1 with 1.1 innings of one hit, scoreless ball.
Texas A&M hit 4-28 in the game with six walks, a hit batter, seven strikeouts, and six men left on base. The Aggies committed three costly errors. Kaiden Wilson was tagged with the loss and is 0-1 on the season.
Game Three: Won 2-0
Game three turned into an old fashioned pitchers duel between Alabama right hander Bobby Alcock and Aggie left hander Myles Patton. Justin LeBron walked with one out in the top of the first. Coleman Mizell then drove a ball to the opposite field-left where Terrence Keil III made an outstanding play, robbing Mizell of a double and run driven in. Jason Torres was hit by a pitch to put two runners on but a ground out ended the threat.
Alcock had a shaky start, walking Kaden Kent to lead off the bottom of the first then allowing a single to Wyatt Henseler to put two men on with no outs. Jace LaViolette smoked a ball up the middle at 108 mph off the bat that LeBron snared, stepped on second, and fired to first for a double play. Alcock then got Keil to ground out to second base to end the inning.
In the second, Bama got a walk to Kade Snell and a single by Will Plattner with one out, but both were stranded. A Mizell single in the third was wasted, and a double by Snell and a single by Bonomolo in the fourth also ended with no runs. Through four innings, the Crimson Tide stranded seven men on base.
Alcock settled in after the rocky start, tossing a perfect second inning, allowing a lead off single in the third, followed by three straight strikeouts, and worked around a walk and infield single in the fourth by notching two more strikeouts.
Both teams went down in order in the fifth before the Tide was finally able to plate the game’s first run in the sixth. Snell smashed a two out double to deep center field and scored on Plattner’s double down the left field line. Alcock had another perfect inning in the sixth inning and allowed only a bloop single in the seventh. The big righty finished up his outstanding day with 95 pitches over seven innings, allowing four hits, walking two, striking out eight, and allowing no runs.
In the top of the eighth inning, Will Hodo led off with single, but was erased on a double play rapped into by Brennen Norton. Snell then yanked a one strike pitch into the right center field stands for his fourth home run of the year and a 2-0 lead.
Braylon Myers replaced Alcock in the bottom of the eighth and made quick work of the Aggies, retiring all six men he faced over two innings, and earned the save with two strikeouts, three fly outs, and ground out to second base to end the game and clinch the sweep for the Tide.
Alabama hit 9-36 in the game with two walks, one hit batter, 10 strikeouts, three doubles, one home run, and left 10 men on base. Snell was the star with his 3-3 game with a walk, two doubles, home run, and scoring both runs. Plattner was 2-4 with a double and run driven in. Mizell hit 2-5 in the game. Alcock improved to 3-0 with the win and Myers earned his first save of the year.
The Aggies hit 4-30 in the game with two walks, 10 strikeouts, and left five men on base. Patton was the hard luck loser, allowing only five hits and one run over 5.2 innings pitched.
Over the three game series, the Tide hit 24-104 for a .240 average, with 11 walks, two hit batters, 26 strikeouts, 22 men left on base, and had six doubles and seven home runs. The Aggies were held to a .195 average with 19-97 at the plate with 11 walks, 24 strikeouts, a hit batter, and 21 left on base.
Who Did What?
*Kade Snell 4-9, two home runs, two doubles, three walks, three runs, two RBI
*Will Hodo 4-12, two home runs (grand slam), six RBI, two runs, walk, hit by pitch
*Will Plattner 3-6, double, RBI, two walks, run
*Coleman Mizell 5-13, run, walk, double
*Justin LeBron 3-12, home run, double, two walks, two runs, two RBI
*Bobby Alcock W (3-0), 7 IP, 4 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts, 0 runs
*Braylon Myers S (1) 2 IP, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 runs, 2 strikeouts
*Zane Adams 5.2 IP, 7 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
*Riley Quick 5 IP, 1 hit, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
*Carson Ozmer W (1-0) 2.2 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts
*Matthew Heiberger W (2-1) 1.1 IP, 1 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
A great start to SEC play for the Tide. The sweep over the struggling Aggies was the first ever SEC season opening road sweep in Alabama history. Bama last had a sweep to start conference action was a home sweep over Kentucky to start the 2005 season. Texas A&M has three outstanding starting pitchers, but struggle out of the bullpen. The Tide did just enough offensively to win all three games. The Aggies have had suffered with injuries to some key position players and have struggled to score all season.
LeBron was held hitless in two of the games, and Torres and Norton were a combined 3-24 with 10 strikeouts and three double plays during the series. The team showed their resiliency and toughness by winning on the road when things could have easily turned sideways.
On the mound, Alabama’s three starters pitched a combined 17.1 innings, allowed 12 hits, walked five batters, struck out 18 men, and allowed only one earned run. The staff as a whole allowed only four earned runs out of the six the home team scored. Just overall a great weekend for the team. The series had to be extra sweet for coach Rob Vaughn, the Texas native that grew up wanting to be an Aggie, and who’s father played at Texas A&M, and his close friends with TAM coach Michael Earley.
NEXT
A tough week coming for the Tide. Alabama will host South Alabama Tuesday at 6 p.m. then welcome top ranked and defending National Champion, Tennessee to Sewell-Thomas Stadium for a Thursday-Friday-Saturday series. Thursday’s game will be at 6:30 p.m. and be shown on ESPNU. Friday’s first pitch is 6 p.m. and the finale will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday. All times are CT and the other game will be available on SEC Network Plus.
Alabama baseball, its rolling baby! Catch the fever.
