The 11th ranked Alabama Crimson Tide traveled to the Magic City to take on Birmingham’s Blazers on Tuesday night. The Tide took the win by a score of 12-6 and improved to 27-11 on the season. The Blazers fell to 23-14. Alabama coach Rob Vaughn has been extremely high on his freshman start from the get-go, dubbing them “The Young Pups.” The game was played at the home of the AA Birmingham Barons, Regions Field. Vaughn placed three of his heralded freshmen in the lineup, Eric Hines in left field, Andrew
Purdy at first base, and Caleb Barnett at designated hitter. A fourth, outfielder Chase Kroeberger, would enter the game later.
Senior J T Blackwood made his sixth start of the year on the mound for the Tide. Braxton Shelton drew the starting nod from Blazer coach Casey Dunn. Bama came out swinging. Bryce Fowler led off and hit the first pitch deep to left field, where it was caught just short of the fence. Justin LeBron followed and blasted a long home run over the left field wall, his 12th of the year and first since March 22. Up next Brady Neal drilled a ball deep in the left center gap for a double, one of three two baggers on the night for the catcher/outfielder. The next two batters went down and the Tide had the early 1-0 lead.
Blackwood worked out of a jam in the bottom half of the 1st inning. Leadoff man Kevin Hall hit a fly ball in left center field which at the time was a sun field. Fowler in center and Hines in left both had a hard time seeing the ball. Hines finally lunged at the ball late and got his glove on it, but couldn’t hold on and was charged with an error. Hall ended up on second base. After two outs, Blackwood walked JP Head but forced a ground ball from, Brady Waugh to end the inning.
Alabama went down in order in the top of the second, and the Blazers tied it up in the bottom half. Andrew Hunt singled, stole second base, moved to third on a ground out to second, and scored on a ground out to shortstop. The third out was a pop out on a bunt attempt by Baylor Roberts. In the 3rd Bama went down in order, and the Blazers took the lead in the bottom half. After two quick outs, Landon Beaver reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Head hit a ground ball up the middle for an infield single that LeBron fielded behind the bag, made a spin and fake throw, then threw wildly home when the runner kept running. A passed ball advanced runners to second and third and a deep fly ball ended the inning with only one run scoring for a 2-1 Birmingham lead.
The Tide retook the lead in the top of the fourth. Neal led off with his second double of the night. Hines followed with a single to put runners on the corners. After Johnny Lemm popped out, Jason Torres put down a perfect safety squeeze bunt to plate Neal and tie the game. Purdy then yanked his first career home run over the right field wall for two runs and a 4-2 Alabama lead.
Bobby Alcock replaced Blackwood on the mound in the bottom of the fourth. Alex DuPay led off with a single and stole second and moved to third when Lemm’s throw sailed into centerfield. Max Price drilled a single to score DuPay and Roberts drew a walk. Hall reached on catchers interference to load the bases. A double play scored a run and left runners at first and third. Beaver singled in another run, but was immediately picked off first base by Alcock to end the innings, but not before the Blazers took a 5-4 lead.
Brennan Holt led off the top of the 5th with a walk and advanced to second on a ground out by Fowler. Holt moved to third on an arrant pick off throw that went into centerfield. LeBron lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Holt and tie the game at five apiece.
The Tide had an adventurous bottom of the 5th defensively. Evan Steckmesser took over for Bama on the mound. Head lifted a foul pop fly between the plate and first base. Catcher Lemm, Steckmesser, and first baseman Purdy all gathered around the ball with Lemm calling Purdy to make the play. Steckmesser reached over to try to catch it himself and collided with Purdy and dropped the ball. With new life Head drew a walk. Steckmesser made a great pick off play and had Head dead to rites. After several throws in a rundown Steckmesser threw the last one into left field to allow Head to land safely on second. A Brady Waugh sac bunt moved Head to third. A wild pitch allowed Head to score a run reminiscent of the Bad News Bears. DuPay hit a long fly ball to right field that Neal made a running, sliding, catch in foul territory. Max Price was then hit by a pitch on a 0-2 offering, leading the Tide to bring in Sam Mitchell to record the third out. Despite all the chaos and miscues, Birmingham only scored once for a 6-5 lead.
Alabama had a big top of the 6th to take control. Hines led off with a double and with one out Torres drew a walk. Purdy had an excellent eight pitch at bat and also walked on a full count. Barnett then walloped the next pitch for a base clearing double in the left center gap to give the Tide an 8-6 lead. Mitchell walked one and struck out one in the bottom half of the frame. Bama added one in the 7th when LeBron was hit by a pitch, went to second on a passed ball, and scored on a single by Neal. Three straight outs followed. Mitchell allowed a lead off double to Waugh in the bottom half, then walked Hunt. Torres fielded a ground ball and got the first out on a force at third base. The do everything Neal had moved to catcher to begin the inning and threw Hunt out trying to steal third. Torres made a great snag and tag to eliminate the runner. A strikeout ended the inning.
Alabama couldn’t add anything in the eighth. Matthew Heiberger took the 8th inning for Bama and had a perfect inning, punctuated by a strikeout. Bama piled on in the top of the ninth. LeBron led off and blasted a long fly ball to the deepest part of the park that was hauled in. Neal then ripped hit third double, and fourth hit, of the night to deep centerfield. After a fly out by Hines, Kroeberger was hit by a pitch and Torres walked to load the bases for Purdy. Purdy ripped a 1-0 pitch down the right field line for a base clearing triple and a 12-6 lead.
Bama inserted Hagan Banks to pitch the 9th, and after allowing a lead off double, got two strikeouts and a ground out to end the game with the Tide on top 12-6.
Alabama hit 10-35 in the game with five walks, two hit batters, two home runs, five doubles, a triple, a sacrifice bunt, a sacrifice fly, a stolen base, nine strikeouts, five men left on base, and a remarkable six errors. Neal finished 4-5 with three doubles, two runs, and one RBI. Purdy was 2-4 with a walk, home run, triple, five runs driven in, and a walk. Barnett drove in three with a 1-4 day with a double and walk. Hines was 2-5 with a double and two runs. LeBron was 1-3 with a home run and sac fly, drove in two runs, and scored twice. Mitchell was the winner and is 1-1 on the season.
The Blazers hit 8-32 with seven walks, one hit batter, six strikeouts, and nine men left on base. Beaver had two hits. Christian Helmers was the losing pitcher and is 1-2 on the year.
Notes:
Neal is the first Tide player since Chandler Avant in 2018 to have three doubles in a game. Neal now has a 29 straight game in base streak.
Hines has a seven game hitting streak, where he has hit 12-26 for a .461 average.
LeBron has a seven game streak with 9-29 with 2 doubles, 5 RBI, and 5 stolen bases.
Fowler had a 31 game on base streak end.
The four freshmen combined to go 5-14 with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run, 5 runs. 2 walks, and 1 HBPm and 8 RBI.
Alabama travels to Austin to take on the 4th ranked Texas Longhorns in a three game series. The Tide needs to make up from being swept by Arkansas at home last week.
Roll Tide
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