In a day of upsets in Hattiesburg the two top seeded teams fell to lower seeds. The second seeded Alabama Crimson Tide lost the days first game 5-3 to third seeded Miami Hurricanes. The top seed and host, Southern Miss, got blasted by Ivy League champions the Columbia Lions 11-4 in game two. The Crimson Tide and the Golden Eagles will play at 2 p.m. CT on Saturday. The winner will live to play another day, while the losers season will end.
After not pitching during the Tide’s stay in the SEC Tournament last week, Riley Quick drew the starting assignment for Alabama. Things did not begin well for Quick. Jake Ogden led off the game with a walk. Max Galvin then lifted a ball to deep right field that Bama’s Bryce Fowler kept on the park by leaping and getting his glove on. However his arm banged the top of the wall on the way down, jarring the ball loose and the Caine’s had runners on first and third. Miami star Daniel Cuvet then hit a no don’t home run to right for a 3-0 lead after just three men and come to the plate. The U had two more runners reach base in the inning, but a double play started by Quick ended the frame after 26 pitches.
Freshman AJ Ciscar started on the mound for Miami. Justin LeBron lined a one out double for the Tide, and advanced to third on a fly out by Kade Snell. But was stranded there after a strikeout by Richie Bonomolo, Jr.
Quick worked around a two out single by Ogden in the second to half the Hurricane’s off the board. Ciscar disposed of the Tide in order in the bottom half. Miami added to their lead in the top of the 3rd inning. Cuvet doubled on a 3-0 pitch leading off the frame and eventually scored on a two out single by Renzo Gonzalez for a 4-0 lead. Bama got a two out single from Fowler in the 3rd, but nothing further.
Quick had his best inning in the 4th, needing only nine pitches to retire the side. Alabama finally came to life in the bottom half. Snell was hit by a pitch leading off and advanced to third on out singles by Will Hodo and Jason Torres. Brady Neal grounded out to first base and Snell barely beat the throw home for the Tides first run. Brennen Norton then stroked a two run double down the left field line to make the score 4-3. Coleman Mizell walked, bringing Fowler to the plate. On a 3-1 pitch, Fowler lifted a foul ball down the left field line that third baseman Cuvet was able to go back and corral to end the uprising.
Galvin led off the top of the 5th with a solo blast to right centerfield that turned out to be the last run of the game. Quick retired the next two batters before walking Derek Williams. On the first pitch to Gonzalez, Williams attempted to steal but was gunned down on a perfect throw from Neal to LeBron covering the bag. LeBron singled leading off the bottom half but the Tide could do no further damage.
Quick gutted it out through the 6th inning, stranding two runners and finishing his day after 108 pitches, allowing five runs on eight hits with four walks and eight strikeouts.
Ciscar lasted through seven innings for the ‘Caines, allowing six hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. Matthew Heiberger took over for Quick in the 7th inning and tossed three scoreless frames, allowing no hits with one walk and notching three strikeouts.
The Tide had an opportunity in the bottom of the 8th inning but could not capitalize. Snell led off with a single and was forced out at second on a fielder choice off the bat from Bonomolo. Cuvet continued to be a thorn in Bama’s side but making a fantastic diving stop and throw on a ball off the bat of Hodo that looked like a sure double down the third base line. Torres worked a walk, bringing left hander Rob Evans out of the bullpen to face the left handed hitting Neal. Evans fanned Neal to end the threat.
Heiberger worked a quick, five pitch, top of the 9th to set up the Tides last chance. After two quick outs, Fowler put up an outstanding at bat, fouling off seven straight 3-2 pitches before hitting a hard ground ball on the 13th pitch he saw that Gonzalez couldn’t handle at first base. Walters then hit LeBron with a pitch, bringing the potential winning run to the plate in Snell. On a 1-0 pitch, Snell blasted a ball to centerfield, that earlier in the day would have left the park. As it was Miami centerfielder Michael Torres put his back to the wall and made the catch, leaving Bama about one foot short of a thrilling walk off victory.
The Tide hit 7-35 in the game with two walks, had two hit batters, struck out 10 times, left nine men on base, committed one error and had one passed ball. Quick fell to 8-3 with the loss. LeBron finished 2-4 with a double and hit by pitch. Norton was 1-4 with a double and two RBI, and is now 7-20 with three doubles in his last six games. Snell, Hodo, Fowler, and Torres had the other Bama hits.
Miami hit 8-33 in the game with five walks, nine strikeouts, two doubles, two home runs, and six men left on base. Galvin and Cuvet both had two hits, scored two runs, and hit home runs. Ciscar improved to 6-1 with the victory and Walters collected his ninth save of the season.
This was a frustrating loss by Bama. The team continues to have the one big inning a game and the go dormant for several innings. The pitching did their job but the offense couldn’t generate enough to take the team across the finish line. Still too many strikeouts and half the total of 10 were batters called out looking. The team now has to regroup quickly and play the host Southern Miss Eagles at 2 p.m. today in an elimination game. USM was blasted 11-4 by 4th seeded Columbia last night. The Eagles held out their ace JB Middleton, so he will be ready to face the Tide today. Middleton is 10-1 with a 2.01 ERA in 98 innings pitched and has stuck out 114 batters. Bama will counter with either Tyler Fay or Zane Adams.
Roll Tide
