The 19th ranked Crimson Tide hosted the 15th ranked Ole Miss Rebels this weekend in the final SEC regular season series of the season. Bama won a 5-4 thriller on Thursday night, got beaten 9-0 on Friday and finished the series with a 6-2 win on Saturday. Alabama finished the regular season 37-18 and 18-12 in the SEC, while Ole Miss fell to 36-20 and 15-15 in conference play. The Tide won six SEC series this season, including sweeping four different opponents in three game sets.
Game One- Won 5-4
Tyler
Fay faced off with Hunter Elliott in game one in what should be Fay’s last regular season start at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Tide should be hosting a NCAA Regional in two weeks. Fay was rudely greeted by the Rebels Dom Decker with a first pitch home run into the right field plaza. Fay recovered to strike out the next three batters. Bama took the lead in the bottom half of the first. Bryce Fowler led off with a double to left field, bringing Justin LeBron to the plate. LeBron was returning from missing the last two games after suffering a concussion in last weeks game one against South Carolina. It didn’t take long for the star shortstop to make his mark. On the first pitch he saw LeBron blasted a 395 foot home run over the left center field fence for a 2-1 Alabama lead. The next three batters went down in order.
Hayden Frederico led off the top of the 2nd with a single for Ole Miss and advanced to third on a one out double by Daniel Pacella. Austin Fawley drilled a single to score Frederico and put runners on first and third. With Brett Mosley at the plate Pacella broke for home and was easily tagged out by Alabama catcher Johnny Lemm for the second out. Fay then struck Mosley out to end the inning.
Fay and Elliott both settled in to keep the score tied through the 5th inning. The Tide gave up a chance to score in the bottom of the 5th after a Peyton Steele walk and a Fowler single when Steele was caught off of third after fielders choice off the bat of LeBron. Tristan Bissetta led off the top of the 6th with a monster home run off of Fay, his 20th of the year. The ball traveled 461 feet over the visitors bullpen. Fay retired the next three hitters and Bama trailed 3-2. After the Tide went down in order in the bottom half, Fay was back for the seventh. After a leadoff single the big right hander retired the next three men, two via strikeouts. Fay finished his night allowing seven hits, one walks, three runs, with 11 strikeouts on 115 pitches.
The Tide took the lead in the bottom of the seventh. Brennan Holt led off and beat out an infield single. Luke Vaughn put down a sacrifice bunt to advance Holt, but also reached first when the throw was low to the bag. JoJo pinch hit for Steele, and after failing to excute a bunt, lined a single to left field to load the bases. Fowler lined a single to right field to tie the game. LeBron hit a sharp ground ball to third base and Fowler was forced out at second, but LeBron beat the relay to first and notched an RBI when Vaughn scored to take the lead 4-3. With two outs Eric Hines walked, and Lemm walked with the bases loaded to drive in the games last run. Jason Torres hit a deep fly ball to right to end the inning.
Matthew Heiberger took over for Fay to begin the 8th inning and struck out the side on 15 pitches. Bama managed a Chase Kroeberger single in the 8th, but that was all. Heirberger allowed a run in a walk and two singles in the top of the 9th, but struck out pinch hitter Cannon Goldin looking to end the game and earn the save.
Alabama hit 8-32 in the game with four walks, one double, one home run, a sacrifice bunt, two stolen bases, 10 strikeouts, and left eight men on base. Fowler finished 3-5 with a double, RBI, two runs, and a stolen base. LeBron drove on three on a 1-3 night with a walk, home run, run scored, and stolen base. Lemm was 1-3 with a walk and run driven in. Holt, Williamson, and Kroeberger had the other safeties. Fay improved to 9-3 on the season and now has 99 strikeouts in 85 innings pitched. With one more win Fay would be the first Bama player since Tommy Hunter in 2006 to have 10 wins in a single season.
Ole Miss hit 9-34 in the game with two walks, two home runs, one double, 16 strikeouts, and left five on base. Elliott fell to 5-3 with the loss after allowing five hits and four runs with eight strikeouts. Fredrico and Fawley had two hits each and Decker and Bissetta both were 1-4 with a home run.
A gritty win by the Tide that boasted their hopes for hosting both a Regional and Super Regional by improving to 17-11 in SEC play and 36-17 overall.
Game Two-Lost 9-0
Alabama’s Zane Adams faced off with Taylor Rabe of Ole Miss in Friday’s game two. The story of the night was Rabe, along with some Rebel long balls. The Rebels got the only run they would need in the top of the first after a one out single by Judd Utermark and a RBI double by Tristan Bissetta. Rabe struck out the side in the 1st and 2nd, needing only 28 pitches for the six punch outs.
Adams kept Ole Miss from adding to the lead from the 2nd through 4th innings, allowing only one single and walking two. Meanwhile Rabe continued to carve up the Tide, adding three more strikeouts and no base runners through the 4th frame. The Rebels put the game away in the top of the fifth. Owen Paino led off with a home run and after a walk and a single, Will Furniss finished it off with a long three run home run for a 5-0 lead. In the bottom half Rabe lost his perfect game when Jason Torres drew a two out walk.
Sam Mitchell and Evan Steckmesser combined to pitch a scoreless 6th for Bama. The Tide had some what of a rally in the bottom half. Luke Vaughn broke up the no-hitter with a lead off single, and with one out Bryce Fowler was hit by a pitch. Justin LeBron rapped into a fielders choice and a strikeout ended the inning, and Rabe’s night. Rabe allowed two hits, with one walk, one hit batter, and 13 strikeouts.
Ole Miss touched Evan Steckmesser, Austin Morris, and Zach Kittrell for four runs in the 8th snd 9th innings to build the margin to 9-0. The Tide managed three more base runners, a single by Torres, a hit by pitch for Brennan Holt, and a walk to LeBron.
Alabama hit 2-29 with two walks, two hit batters, 16 strikeouts, and four left on base. Vaughn and Torres had the only safeties. Adams fell to 6-4 with the loss, allowing six hits with three walks, five runs, while striking out seven hitters. Rabe improved to 4-3 on the year.
The Tide never really had a chance in this one, Rabe just totally dominated the strike zone with his 98 mph fast ball and his incredible movement on his off speed pitches. This was the best pitched game I have witnessed this season.
Game Three-Won 6-2
Freshman star Myles Upchurch took his game three turn in the rotation and faced off with the highly touted Cade Townsend for the Rebels. The young pup got the better of the matchup, pitching a career high 7 innings and throwing a season high 101 pitches.
Upchurch set the tone with a quick, perfect, 1st inning with a strikeout. The Tode took an early lead. Bryce Fowler led off the bottom of the 1st with a single on a 3-2 pitch. Justin LeBron also worked a full count before hitting a laser double in the left-center field gap to plate Fowler for the 1-0 lead. Upchurch had another perfect inning in the second with another strikeout and two ground outs. Bama got a two out single from Luke Vaughn in the bottom half.
Upchurch ran into trouble in the top of the third when the Rebels loaded the bases with no outs. Austin Fawley led off with a single bringing up Owen Paino. Paino hit a drive to right field that he “pimped”, thinking it was a home run. However it hit off the wall and Paino had to settle for a very long single that advanced Fawley to third base. Topher Jones was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Dom Decker singled to score Fawley and Tristen Bissetta hit a sacrifice fly to right field to plate Paino. Decker was gunned down trying to reach third base, and Upchurch struck out Judd Utermark to end the inning and limit the damage to two runs.
Bama tied the game in the bottom of the third when Fowler led off with a double and scored on a two out single from Johnny Lemm. Upchurch had a quick 4th, walking one, but needed only 12 pitches to retire the side. The Tide broke through to chase Townsend in the bottom half. Brennan Holt was hit by a pitch leading off before Vaughn singled. Peyton Steele drew a walk on a full count pitch to load the bases. Fowler lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to give the Tide the 3-2 lead. After LeBron was retired for the second out Brady Neal was intentionally walked to load the bases. Jason Torres made Ole Miss to regret the call by ripping a two run single for a 5-2 lead and chasing Townsend from the game. Hudson Calhoun replaced Townsend and struck out Lemm to end the inning. Upchurch allowed a one out double to Jones in the 5th but used three fly ball outs to retire the side.
Alabama scored the last run of the game in the bottom of the 5th when big freshman Eric Hines crushed his 7th home run of the season 408 feet over the center field wall. Upchurch cruised through the 6th and 7th innings, allowing no hits with one walk and three more strikeouts. Ashton Crowther replaced Upchurch and brought the win home with two hitless, scoreless, innings with one walk and two strikeouts. Ole Miss left hander Walker Hooks kept the Tide off the board in his three innings, allowing only singles to Torres and Fowler in his stint.
The Tide hit 11-33 in the game with three walks, a hit batter, nine strikeouts, and eight left on base. Fowler finished 3-4 with a sacrifice fly, double, RBI, and two runs scored. Torres was 2-4 with two runs driven in and Vaughn was 2-4 with a run scored. LeBron, Lemm, and Hines drove in one run each. Upchurch improved to 8-3 with his impressive 7 innings, allowing four hits, two walks, two runs, and six strikeouts. In the series Alabama hit 21-94 for a .223 average with nine walks, three hit batters, 35 strikeouts, and 20 men left on base.
Ole Miss finished 4-29 with three walks, one hit batter, eight strikeouts, and five men left on base. Townsend fell to 5-3 with the loss, lasting only 3.2 innings, allowing seven hits and five runs. In the series the Rebels hit 24-99 for a .242 average with 10 walks, three hit batters, 38 strikeouts, and left 16 on base.
What an incredible series win for the Tide to improve to 18-12 in conference play and win six of 10 SEC matchups for the first time since 2009. The teams metrics don’t indicate the record should be that good, but the job coach Ron Vaughn and staff, especially pitching coach Jason Jackson, have done has been amazing. Three players expected to be starters enetering the season never saw the field due to injury. Closer Kaden Humphrey was lost for the season after two appearances and 1.2 innings pitched. Vaughn pieced together what he had left and earned the four seed and double bye in the SEC Tournament. Bama is all but assured to host a Regional and very likely a top eight National Seed which would mean being a Super Regional host if they win their Regional.
Who Did What?
*Bryce Fowler 6-12, 2 doubles (17), 2 RBI, HBP, stolen base, 4 runs
*Luke Vaughn 3-10, sac bunt, 2 runs
*Jason Torres 3-11, 2 RBI, walk
*Justin LeBron 2-11, HR (14), double (10), 4 RBI, 2 walks, stolen base
*Tyler Fay W (9-3) 7 IP, 7 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts, 3 runs
*Matthew Heiberger Save (4), 2 IP, 2 hits, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts, 1 walk
*Myles Upchurch W (8-3) 7 IP,4 hits, 2 walks, 2 runs, 6 strikeouts
Up next:
The SEC Tournament starts Tuesday.
The Tide will play Thursday against either Florida, Vanderbilt, or Kentucky.
Roll Tide
Bama Baseball Fever, Catch it!
