The 23rd ranked Alabama Crimson Tide traveled to Troy to take on the Trojans on Tuesday and headed home with a big 10-2 win. The Tide swept the two game series from Troy, winning 3-1 in Tuscaloosa. Alabama improved to 37-12 while the Trojans fell to 34-15. With the win the Tide finished 13-0 in midweek games, the first time in program history the team went unbeaten in midweek. Also the team went 24-1 in out of conference games, the best mark in school history.
The Tide started JT Blackwood on the mound against Jacob Roettgen for the Trojans. Alabama wasted little time jumping on the home team in the top of the 1st inning. After Bryce Fowler grounded out on a check swing Justin LeBron launched a ball over the 340 sign in left field for his 16th home run of the season, and first since April, 11th. Kade Snell and Richie Bonomolo, Jr followed with singles and Will Hodo was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Garrett Staton blasted a double to score two runs, but was shaken up on the carpet field as he dove into second base. After a few moments he recovered and stayed in the game. Coleman Mizell drove in the fourth run of the inning with a ground out.
Blackwood had a perfect 1st inning, with Staton involved in all three outs from his second base position. The Tide piled on three more runs in the top of the second. Fowler and LeBron were both hit by pitches with one out, bringing Snell to the plate. The Captain smoked a long three run home run, his ninth of the year. Blackwood had another quick inning in the second on only eight pitches. Blackwood allowed two singles in the 3rd, but used two strikeouts and a line out to keep the Trojans off the board.
After a scoreless 3rd, the Tide added another run in the 4th, but it may have been costly. LeBron laced a one out liner down the left field line, and has he slide (headfirst) into second, apparently jammed his neck. After being down for a few minutes and being checked out by coach Rob Vaughn and trainer Sean Styrker, was removed from the game as a precautionary measure, and was replaced by Jon Young, Jr. Snell drilled a single up the middle to plate Young and give the Tide an 8-0 lead.
Aeden Finateri replaced Blackwood in the bottom of the 4th inning and worked around a walk and a single to keep Trojans scoreless. Jason Torres singled for Alabama in the 5th, and Fowler did in the 6th, but Bama could not add to their lead. Finateri kept the home team scoreless in the 5th, but that changed in the bottom of the sixth. A lead off double and a single cut the lead to 8-1 before Finateri bounced back with a strikeout and a ground out. With two outs and three left handed hitters coming up, the Tide brought freshman left hander Conner Lehman into the game. It didn’t work out. Lehman walked the two batters he faced on full counts before being replaced by Austin Morris. Morris needed only two pitches to notch the third out.
The Tide added a run in the 7th, when Bonomolo walked and raced home on another double by Staton. Morris tossed a scoreless bottom of the 7th, with a walk and a strikeout. Bama plated their last run of the game in the top of the 8th. Young singled with two outs, and advanced to second when the right fielder fumbled the ball. Here came that man again, as Snell ripped another run scoring hit to give the Tide 10 runs. Morris had another scoreless inning in the bottom half.
In the top of the 9th Brennen Norton blasted a double while pinch hitting for Staton, but the Tide could not add to their lead. Coulson Buchanan took over for the 9th, and allowed two hits and one run while striking out two batters.
Alabama hit 14-39 in the game with two walks, three hit batters, eight strikeouts, and left seven men on base. The Tide had four doubles and two home runs among their hits. Snell was the big gun, going 4-5 with a home run, five RBI, and two runs scored. Staton drove in three with his 2-4 game with two doubles. LeBron finished 2-2 with a hit by pitch, his 15th double, 16th home run, and two runs scored. Young and Bonomolo both scored two runs. Blackwood allowed only two hits with no walks and two strikeouts in his three innings. Finateri was awarded the win and is 3-0 aver allowing one run in 2.2 innings. Morris tossed 2.1 scoreless frames with not allowing a hit.
Troy hit 8-36 in the game, drew six walks, struck out eight times, and left 13 men on base. Steven Meier was 2-5 with two RBI and Sean Darnell added two hits. Roettgen fell to 1-1 with the loss.
This was a big bounce back win for the Tide after the heartbreaking loss to Vanderbilt on Sunday. Somehow this Troy team is/was ranked ahead of Alabama in all the major polls. In 18 innings of play the Trojans scored a total of three runs against the Tides midweek pitchers. LeBron getting back on track was a great sign, his injury does not appear to be serious and he should be fine for the weekend. Snell just continues to impress, and leads the SEC in hitting with with his .394 average. Staton is rounding into form from his broken finger. Will Plattner caught this game for the first time in several weeks as he recovers from a broken bone in his hand. If Bama can win three of their last six games they will have 40 wins in the regular season for the first time since the 2002 campaign. This weekend will be a huge test for the Tide as topped ranked Georgia comes to town for a three game series. Friday the game is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT, Saturday’s first pitch is 4 p.m. CT, and Sunday’s finale will be at noon on the SEC Network. Friday and Saturday will be shown on SEC Network Plus.
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