The 23rd ranked Alabama Crimson Tide shook off multiple rain delays, a 19-3 shellacking in game one, a full day off, and a 10 am start on Sunday morning to bounce back and win the series from #6 Georgia, two games to one. Alabama won game two 9-3 and took a 5-4 win in the series finale. With bad weather expected all weekend the Friday night game became a double header starting at 4 p.m. for game one and around 8 p.m. for game two. Game three was to be played at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Not much of that happened. The Dogs took the big 19-3 win in game one. Game two began around 7:30 p.m. and was in the top of the 5th inning with the Tide ahead 6-2 when the skies opened up. The thought was to finish game two on Saturday and then play game three on Saturday night. That didn’t happen either. Finally 10 a.m. Sunday morning was selected to finish game two, and game three would be a seven inning affair after the completion of game two. The resilient Tide took both games on Sunday to improve to 39-13 overall and 15-12 in the SEC. The highly regarded Bulldogs fell to 40-13 overall and 16-11 in conference play.
Game One- Lost 19-3 in 7 innings
Alabama’s Tyler Fay faced off with Georgia’s Brian Curley in game one. Fay allowed a one out home run to Georgia slugger Slate Alford in the first, but used two strikeouts and a ground out to end the inning. Fay allowed only a single and had two strikeouts over the 2nd and 3rd frames. The Tide got a walk to Richie Bonomolo, Jr and a Will Hodo single in the 2nd, but couldn’t push a run across.
In the third inning the Tide took the lead on a base clearing double by Kade Snell. The blast scored Will Plattner, Bryce Fowler, and Justin LeBron. Plattner and Fowler had walked and LeBron reached on a fielders choice were all runners were safe. Snell was stranded and the Tide was unable to score again in the game.
Fay had a perfect 4th inning, but ran into major trouble in the fifth. A lead off walk, a single, another walk, a two run double, and another walk chased the right hander from the game. Matthew Heiberger replaced Fay and allowed a walk, a sacrifice fly, and two home runs before being lifted for Austin Morris. Morris struck out two batters in a row to end the nightmare inning after eight runs had scored.
In the top of the sixth Morris retired the first two batters he faced but after two walks and a two run double was replaced by Bobby Alcock. Alcock lasted one inning allowing seven hits with seven runs, only two earned, with a walk and two strikeouts. Tate Robertson game in and struck out the only batter he faced to end the carnage. The Dogs scored three in the 6th inning and seven more in the 7th for their 19 runs. Bama loaded the bases in the bottom of the 6th on a Garrett Staton, a walk to Plattner, and at hit by pitch to Snell.
The Dogs took the run rule win in seven innings, just bludgeoning the Tide. Alabama hit 4-25 in the game with five walks, one hit batter, had 12 strikeouts, and left seven men on base. Snell was 1-2 with a double, three RBI, and reached after being hit by a pitch. Plattner was 1-1 with two walks. Hodo and Staton had the other safeties. Fay fell to 0-2 on the season with the loss.
The hard hitting Bulldogs hit 15-35 in the game with seven walks, 10 strikeouts, two doubles, six home runs, and left three men on base. Tre Phelps was 3-5 with six RBI with a home run and a double. Kolby Branch was 3-5 with five driven in on two home runs and a double. Catcher Henry Hunter was 2-4 with a home run and four RBI. Curley moved to 4-2 with the win.
Nothing to say about this one, just an old fashioned butt kicking. The Tide has been great about bouncing back from bad performances all season, and that trend continued.
Game Two- Won 9-3
Game two started 30 minutes after the end of game one on Friday night. It was finished starting at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning. Alabama sent big right hander Riley Quick to the mound against Kolten Smith for Georgia. Quick struggled through the first, allowing back to back singles to begin the game. An RBI ground out by Robbie Burnett brought in one run and a single by Tre Phelps scored another. Quick struck out Kolby Branch for out two, hit Ryan Black with a pitch, and induced a ground out by Cade Brown to end the uprising with only two runs scoring.
The Tide bounced right back. Smith’s first pitch of the game was lined by Bryce Fowler for a single. Justin LeBron then blasted a 1-2 slider from Smith over the play ground in left field for his 17th home run of the year, and a tie game. Kade Snell and Richie Bonomolo, Jr both walked and moved up on a wild pitch. Will Hodo popped out for the first out before Garrett Staton hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Snell. Coleman Mizell worked a walk to put runners on first and third. Jason Torres lined a single to left to score Bonomolo for the 4-2 lead, and chasing Smith from the game. Charlie Goldstein followed Smith and walked Brady Neal to load the bases for Fowler. Fowler’s ground ball forced Neal out at second base. The Tide left the inning with a 4-2 lead.
Quick settled in over the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings, allowing only two harmless singles and striking out four more. In the bottom of the 4th the Tide added on. Neal drew another walked and trotted home in front of Fowler’s 6th home run of the season. LeBron walked and stole second, but was stranded as the next three men went down in order.
Quick was back out for the top of the 5th inning. After a strikeout, Phelps lined a double into the left field corner. Branch was next up and with a 1-2 count the skies opened up, forcing the teams off the field and the tarp onto the field. After an hour plus delay, and no let up in sight, the game was suspended. With rain expected all night and through the majority of the day on Saturday, things were put on hold.
The rain continued all night and into the morning. Eventually the decision was made to try and comeback on Sunday at 10 a.m. to finish game two, and play a seven inning game three after.
Thirty-six hours later when the game resumed, the Dogs had a runner on third with one out and a 1-2 count on Branch. However now they were facing Alabama’s Braylon Myers. Myers finished off the strikeout of Branch and retired Black on a comeback to the mound to keep the score 6-2 in favor of the Tide.
Myers walked David Jackson with one out then allowed a single to Henry Hunter. Jackson stole second base before Myers picked Hunter off of first base. Nolan McCarty learned into a pitch and was awarded first base. Myers struck out Slate Alford swinging to survive the rally. The Tide was kept off the board in the 5th and 6th innings before UGA crept closer in the top of the 7th. Myers allowed a single to Robbie Burnett, before Phelps laced a ball to right field that Fowler made a running, diving, catch for the out. Branch doubled to put runners on 2nd and 3rd, and Black hit a sacrifice fly to plate Burnett, cutting the lead to 6-3.
Bama closer Carson Ozmer replaced Myers to begin the eighth inning. Ozmer made quick work of the Dogs with a strikeout, a ground out, and a fly out. The Tide added breathing room in the bottom half. Neal walked for the third time and moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a sac bunt by Fowler. LeBron was called out on strikes for the second out. Georgia changed pitchers to Paul Farley, who intentionally walked Snell. The move back fired. Bonomolo launched a massive three run home run over the left field wall for a 9-3 lead.
With a six run lead in the 9th Ozmer allowed two singles but ended the game with fly out to earn his program record 15th save of the season. The Tide hit 7-29 in the game with nine walks, one hit batter, struck out nine times, and left eight men on base while hitting three home runs. Fowler was 2-4 with two RBI, a home run, and two runs scored. LeBron was 2-4 with a home run, two runs driven in, a stolen base, a walk, and a run scored. Bonomolo drove in three with his home run and was 1-3 with two walks and two runs scored. Torres had a 2-4 day with an RBI. Myers was the winner and is 3-1 on the year. Ozmer earned his 15 save.
Georgia hit 12-37 with two walks, two hit batters, 13 strikeouts, with two doubles, and 13 men left on base. Phelps was 3-5 and Burnett and Henry both had two hits. Smith fell to 4-3 with the loss.
With the win the Tide moved to 14-12 in the conference and looked to get to the magic 15 win mark in the series finale. Huge bounce back for Bama in a must win situation with a lot on the line. The resilience of the Tide has been remarkable all year.
Game Three- Won 5-4 in 7 innings
Game three started 30 minutes after the completion of game two. The Tide had lefty Zane Adams to face off with Georgia right-hander Leighton Finley. Adams struck out two and had a fly ball out in a perfect 1st inning. The Tide took the lead in the bottom half. Fowler was hit on the ankle by the first pitch from Finley. LeBron singled to chase Fowler to third, then stole second base. Kade Snell lined out to third base for the first out. Richie Bonomolo, Jr walked to load the bases. Will Hodo went opposite field down the left field line with a fly ball. The runners had to hold up to make sure it the ball was caught, and as a result only Fowler scored on the base hit. Two straight strikeouts with the bases loaded followed, squandering a change to take a big opening inning lead.
Adams notched two more strikeouts in the 2nd, only allowing one base runner on an error by Garrett Staton at second base. The Tide used the long ball in the bottom of the second to extend their lead. Third baseman Jason Torres ripped a laser over the visitors bullpen in right center field for his 11th long ball of the year. After Brady Neal and Fowler were out, LeBron legged out an infield single, setting the table for Snell. On the first pitch of his at bat Snell hit a line drive rocket into the right field plaza for his 10th home run of the year, giving the Tide a 4-0 lead.
The Bulldogs got on the board in the top of the 3rd when Bryce Clavon hit a home run off of Adams, the Dogs second baseman’s first of the season. Henry Hunter then singled and with one out Slate Alford singled to put runners on first and second. A wild pitch advanced both. Bama catcher Brady Neal picked Hunter off third with a rocket throw to Torres for out two. Robbie Burnett drew a walk to put two on again, and a blooper by Tre Phelps that second baseman Garrett Staton tried to haul in with an over the shoulder catch, but couldn’t hold on, and fell for an RBI single. Adams struck out Kolby Branch to strand two runners and left the inning with a 4-2 lead.
Adams allowed a lead off double to Daniel Jackson to lead off the 4th, then struck out Devin Obee and Clavon before walking Hunter. The big lefty then ended his day by striking out Nolan McCarthy to strand the two runners. Adams allowed two runs on five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts over his four innings.
Alabama got one of the runs back in the bottom half of the 4th inning. Brady Neal drew a one out walk and scored on a two out double by LeBron down the left field line for a 5-2 lead. That would be the last run the Tide scored in the game. Hagan Banks replaced Adams to begin the 5th, and needed only eight pitches to retire the side in order.
In the top of the 6th Banks walked Kolby Branch to lead off the inning. Daniel Jackson blasted a 1-2 pitch over the right field wall to cut the lead to 5-4 with no outs. Left hander Matthew Heiberger was then brought in for Bama. The sophomore from Birmingham struck out the first man he faced, allowed a little bloop single, and then retired the side on two fly outs. The Tide was down in order in the bottom half, setting up the last chance for the Dawgs.
Heiberger retired Alford on a ground ball leading off the top of the 7th. Burnett was up next and was hit by a pitch, putting the tying run on base. Closer Carson Ozmer was called on for the second time of the day. Tre Phelps hit a ground ball to second base, after a force out at second, LeBron threw high to first, allowing Phelps to reach second with two outs. With the tying run in scoring position Ozmer calmly struck out Branch flailing on a sweeper to end the game and earn his 16th save of the year.
The Tide hit 6-24 in the game with four walks, one hit batter, nine strikeouts, two home runs, one double, and left six on base. LeBron finished 3-4 with a double, run scored, and run driven in. Snell was 1-2 with a walk, two RBI, a home run, and run scored. Torres was 1-3 with his home run, and Hodo had the teams other hit and was 1-2 with a walk and a run driven in. Adams improved to 7-2 with the win, Heiberger was excellent in 1.1 innings of work, allowing one hit with no walks, no runs, and one strikeout. Ozmer does what he does, and earned his 16th save with 0.2 innings with a strikeout.
UGA hit 7-28 in the game, drew three walks, had one hit batter, struck out 10 times, and left 10 men on base. Jackson was 2-4 with two driven in. Finley fell to 2-2 with the loss.
In the series Alabama hit 17-78 for a .217 average, had 18 walks, three hit batters, struck out 30 times, left 21 men on base, hit five home runs and three doubles. UGA were a robust 30-100 in the series for a .340 average with 12 walks, three hit batters, 33 strikeouts, 22 men left on bases, eight home runs, and six doubles.
Who Did What?
* Justin LeBron 5-11, three runs, three RBI, walk, stolen base, double, home run (17)
*Jason Torres 3-9, two RBI, run, walk, home run (11)
*Kade Snell 2-5, five RBI, HBP, three walks, double, home run (10)
*Bryce Fowler 2-10, four runs, walk, hit by pitch, sac bunt, two RBI, home run (7)
*Carson Ozmer two saves (16), 2.2 innings pitched, two his, 0 walks, 0 runs, three strikeouts
*Braylon Myers W (3-1) 2.2 innings pitched, three hits, one run, one walk, four strikeouts
*Zane Adams 4 innings pitched, five hits, two runs, two walks, eight strikeouts
*Riley Quick 4.1 innings pitched, seven hits, two runs, one walk, seven strikeouts
An absolute must win series by the Tide to keep their hopes of hosting a regional alive. Beating the 6th ranked team in the land, especially after being demolished in game one was a huge accomplishment. To be out hit .340 to .217, outscored 26-17, and be out homered 8-5, how did Bama take the series? Clutch hits, clutch pitches, and a strong will that doesn’t allow this team to give up. For the fourth time in nine SEC series the Tide was run ruled in game one, but have yet to be swept in a series all year. Each time the team bounced back to win the next game. With a 39-13 record and an RPI of eight, Alabama is on the cusp of clinching a hosting spot in the NCAA Tournament. The last series of the regular season will see the Tide travel to Gainsville to take on the suddenly red hot Florida Gators. One win will assure the team of their first 40 win regular season since 2022, and possibly lock in as a national seed. Two wins would give Alabama 17 SEC wins and lock down a host spot, Three wins, and suddenly they may be looking at a top eight seed, assuring home field for Regional and Super Regional play. On top of that the SEC Tournament will be another chance to polish the resume.
The series at Florida begins on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT, continues on Friday at 5:30 p.m, and concludes with a 3 p.m. game on Saturday. All will be available on SEC Network Plus.
Roll Tide
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