The Alabama Crimson Tide traveled to Austin, Texas to take on the second ranked Texas Longhorns this past weekend. The Tide lost their second straight SEC series, losing Friday 10-2, Saturday 3-1, but pulled out game three by a score of 2-1. Alabama fell to 28-13 overall and 9-9 in the SEC. Texas improved to 30-8 and 11-6 in conference play. The win on Sunday was Alabama baseball’s first win over Texas in 122 years, April 3rd, 1904 is the only other win in the history of the program. Texas holds
an 11-2 margin in victories. Now that the Longhorns are in the SEC the teams will play more often.
Game One-Lost 10-2
Alabama right hander Tyler Fay took his game one spot against Texas left hander Dylan Volantis. Volantis had been in the Sunday slot for the Longhorns but when they had a rainout last weekend and Volantis missed his turn, he was moved to game one. That worked out pretty well for the home team.
The Tide a couple of ball hard in the top of the 1st, but didn’t make much contact after. Justin LeBron smoked a ball at Texas shortstop Adrian Rodriguez’s glove that couldn’t be held and was ruled an error, then stole second base. With two outs Eric Hines slammed a line drive to deep centerfield that Aiden Robbins was able to track down to end the inning. The Longhorns scored all the runs they needed in the bottom of the first. Robbins lined a double down the right field line to lead off the frame. All American catcher Carson Tinney then blasted a ball over the right field wall for a quick 2-0 lead. Rodriguez then singled, advanced on a ground out, and scored on a single by Ethan Mendoza. Fay induced two fly balls to end the inning down 3-0.
Volantis struck out the side in the second, and five of his first outs were via punch outs. Fay hit a batter in the second, but a ground out and double play keep the deficit at three runs. Bryce Fowler drew a two out walk I. The 3rd, and moved to third on a throw away pick off attempt, but was stranded there. Texas added a run in the bottom of the third. Tinney, Rodriguez, and Anthony Pack all singled to load the bases, and when Mendoza hit into a double play, Tinney scored. A strikeout ended the inning with the Horns holding a 4-0 lead.
Brady Neal finally recorded the Tide’s first leading off the 4th inning, but a strikeout and double play retired the side. Fay allowed two one out singles and hit a batter to load the bases in the bottom half, but a strikeout and fly out kept the score at 4-0. Volantis had a perfect fifth with two more strikeouts, giving him 10 K’s at the time. Pack hit a lazy pop up that became a wind blown double to lead off the bottom of the fifth. A ground out and sacrifice fly scored Pack for a 5-0 lead.
The Tide showed signs of life in the top of the 6th inning. With one out Fowler singled and moved to third on a LeBron single. When LeBron stole second the ball was thrown into centerfield, allowing Fowler to score. LeBron then stole third base and scored on a wild pitch. The swiped bags were LeBron’s 31st and 32nd of the year, and has yet to be caught. With two outs Eric Hines lined a double off the third base bag, but was stranded. Bama had closed the deficit to 5-2.
Fay began the bottom of the 6th inning but after a single and RBI double with one out was replaced by Connor Lehman. Lehman allowed a run scoring double and single before ending the inning with the score now 8-2. Sam Cozart replaced Volantis to start the 7th inning and shut the Tide down only allowing one walk over three scoreless innings. The Longhorns tacked on two more runs in the bottom the 8th inning off of Lehman before Owen Sarna took over and notched the last two outs. Cozart induced and ground out and line out sandwiched around a strikeout to close the game out with the Longhorns winning 10-2.
Alabama hit 4-30 in the game with one double, two walks, three stolen bases, 16 strikeouts, and left four men on base. The top four in the order, Fowler, LeBron, Neal, and Hines all had one hit each. LeBron stole three bases and scored a run. Fay fell to 6-3 with the loss.
Texas finished 16-35 with one walk, three hit batters, five doubles, a home run, four strikeouts, and left eight on base. Pack was 4-5 with two doubles, Tinney was 3-4 with a hit by pitch, home run, double, three RBI, and four runs scored. Volantis improved to 5-0 with the victory and Cozart earned his fifth save.
Game Two-Lost 3-1
Alabama started left hander Zane Adams on the mound against righty Ruger Riojas for Texas in Saturday’s game two. Adams, a Texas native, had a huge contingent of friends and family in the crowd, and he put in a show for them. The Tide took an early lead in the 1st inning. Bryce Fowler led off with a walk and moved to third on a base hit to left field by Justin LeBron. LeBron tried to stretch his hit to a double and was thrown out in a close play at second base. Brady Neal blasted a double to left center field to score Fowler. The next two hitters struck out to end the only real scoring chance the Tide had the rest of the game.
Adams worked around some trouble in the bottom half of the first. Aiden Robbins reached on an infield dribbler to lead off but was thrown out trying to steal by Bama catcher Johnny Lemm. Carson Tinney drew a walk, and Anthony Pack slapped a two out single. Adams induced a ground ball to third base to strand the two runners.
Riojas retired the Tide in order with two more strikeouts in the second. Adams again worked around some base runners in the bottom half. Temo Becerra led off with a single, but was erased on a double play started by first baseman Andrew Purdy and turned by LeBron. Casey Borba followed with a double but was left in base when Jayden Duplantier grounded back to Adams for out three. Brennan Holt led off the third for Bama with their last hit of the game, but was caught stealing. Adams had a perfect third. Eric Hines reached base for Alabama in the 4th when he struck out but reached on an error by the Horn’s catcher, Tinney. All that did was allow Riojas to strike out four Tide hitters in the inning.
Adams was perfect in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th, innings, allowing no base runners and striking out three. Riojas’s day ended after five innings, allowing only one run in three hits, with one walk and 11 strikeouts. Adams exited after the 6th inning. In that frame Robbins led off with a single and stole second base, and moved to third on a wild pitch with one out. After a walk a stolen base put two runners in scoring position, Adams struck out Ethan Mendoza swinging after a grueling nine pitch at bat with three foul balls. The junior southpaw left with a 1-0 lead after allowing five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Haiden Leffew replaced Riojas for the Longhorns on the mound in the sixth. Neal drew a walk in the 6ths and Johnny Lemm walked in the 7th, but those were the only baserunners the Tide could muster. Matthew Heiberger relieved Adams to begin the bottom of the 7th inning. Heiberger walked Becerra to lead off the inning. Ashton Larson popped out while trying to bunt, but a wild pitch advanced Becerra to second base anyway. A walk to Casey Borba followed before Jayden Duplantier lined a single to score Becerra. Robbins followed with a single to chase Heiberger from the game in favor of Sam Mitchell. Tinney singled to score Borba and a sacrifice fly by Adrian Rodriguez played the third run of the inning. A ground out ended the inning with the Horns on top 3-1.
Over the final two innings a walk to LeBron was the only base runner for the Tide and five of the last six outs were via the strikeout.
In the game the Tide “hit” 3-29 with four walks, 19 strikeouts, and left five men on base. LeBron was 1-3 with a walk, Neal was 1-3 with a double, a walks and the teams only RBI. Holt had the other hit and was 1-3. Heiberger was tagged with the loss and is 2-2 on the year.
Texas hit 8-29 in the game with four walks, one double, two stolen bases, one sac fly, with eight strikeouts, and six men left on base. Robbins was 3-4 and five players had one hit each. Leffew was the winning pitcher and is 3-1 on the season. Sam Cozart earned his 6th save of the year.
Game Three- Won 2-1
Alabama turned to freshman right hander Myles Upchurch to save the weekend, and he did his part. Texas grad student left hander Luke Harrison was on the mound in opposition. Harrison struck out Bryce Fowler and Justin LeBron to start the game. Brady Neal took the first pitch he saw the opposite way for a hit, but was thrown out at second base trying to stretch the hit into a double. Upchurch worked around three walks in the bottom half and used a groundout and two strikeouts to escape without any damage.
The Tide got on the board in the top of the 2nd inning with a two out rally. After Eric Hines lined out and Will Plattner grounded out Luke Vaughn was hit by a pitch. Peyton Steele ripped a single to move Vaughn to third base. Jason Torres then lined a single up the middle to score Vaughn. Brennan Holt drew a walk to load the bases, but Fowler struck out to leave the bases jammed. Upchurch looked to have a quick bottom of the 2nd, retiring the first two batters on five pitches. Dariyan Pendergrass dribbled an 0-2 pitch back to the mound that Upchurch fumbled, then threw wildly, allowing Pendergrass to reach safely. Aiden Robbins flew out to end the inning with Bama still in front 1-0.
Harrison retired the Tide in order in the 3rd and 4th innings with four strikeouts. Upchurch allowed a two out infield single in the third to Anthony Pack, but immediately picked him off first base to end the inning. The little infield squibber by Pack ended up being the only hit Upchurch allowed. In the top of the 5th the Tide couldn’t capitalize on a Torres single and Holt walk to begin the frame. Fowler struck out, LeBron hit a ball up the middle where it was fielded behind the bag. Both runners advanced while LeBron was out on a close play at first base. Neal then put a charge in a ball to deep centerfield where Robbins was able to haul it in just short of the fence.
Upchurch made quick work of the Horns in the bottom of the 5th on three ground ball outs. Bama had another chance in the top of the sixth. Plattner led off with an infield single and moved to third on a ringing double in the right center gap by Vaughn. Steele struck out before Torres was intentionally walked to load the bases for Holt. Holt struck out to end the threat. Upchurch was back out for the 6th and retired Adrain Rodriguez before being replaced by Ashton Crowther. Crowther ended the inning on a ground out and pop out. The Tide finally broke through to score again in the top of the seventh. Fowler singled to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a single by LeBron. When Brady Neal hit into a double play, Fowler scored what turned out to be the winning run. Temo Becerra reached on an infield to lead off the bottom of the seventh. After a fly ball for the first out, a ground ball to LeBron turned into a double play to end the inning. Steele reached on a two out walk for Bama in the 8th but never left first base. Crowther retired the Horns in the bottom half on a fly out, strikeout, and pop out.
In the top of the 9th LeBron reached on a two out hit by pitch, but the Tide was not able to do anymore damage, setting up an exciting bottom half. Crowther remained in the game and worked out of a jam. Rodriguez flew out to begin the inning before Pack double to centerfield, with Fowler just missing a spectacular diving catch. Ethan Mendoza lined a single up the middle to score Pack with Texas first run of the game. Becerra grounded to third base where Torres fielded the ball and was able to cut down pinch runner Maddox Monsour for out two. Crowther was able to notch a swinging strikeout on a full count pitch to secure the must win game 2-1 for the Tide.
Alabama hit 8-33 in the game with four walks, two hit batters, 13 strikeouts, and left 10 men on base. Torres was 2-3 with a walk and one RBI. Vaughn was 1-3 with a double, hit by pitch, and run scored. Holt reached twice on two walks, and Lebron was 1-4 and reached on a hit by pitch. Upchurch improved to 5-2 with the win, throwing 5.1 innings, allowing one hit with three walks, four strikeouts, with no runs with a career high 102 pitches thrown. Crowther worked 3.2 innings allowing three hits with no walks, two strikeouts, and one run in earning his first save of the year. For the series Alabama hit 15-92 for a .163 average, with 10 walks, one hit batter, 48 strikeouts, and left 19 men on base.
Texas hit 4-31 in the game with three walks, six strikeouts, and left six men on base. Pack was 2-4 with a double and the Horns only run scored. Harrison was the losing pitcher. The Longhorns finished 28-95 for .294 in the series with eight walks, 18 strikeouts, and 21 men left on base.
Alabama did what they needed to, figure out how to take at least one game from the highly ranked Longhorns. Despite only scoring five runs all weekend, striking out 49 times, and walking only 10 times, the Tide had the lead in 15 of the 27 innings played this weekend. Bama only scored in four innings in the series. Huge props to Zane Adams and Myles Upchurch, as they combined for 11.1 innings while allowing only six hits and no runs in their starts. Even though they have lost five of their last six conference games, Bama sits a 9-9 in the SEC and is still battling to be selected as a host in the NCAA Tournament.
Who Did What?
*Myles Upchurch W (5-2) 5.1 IP, 1 hit, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts, 0 runs
*Ashton Crowther S (1) 3.2 IP, 3 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 1 run
*Justin LeBron 3-11, 3 stolen bases (32-32 on season), 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, 1 run
*Brady Neal 3-12, double, 1 RBI,1 double, 1 walk
*Jason Torres 2-8, 2 walks, 1 RBI
Up Next:
Birmingham Blazers at home Tuesday night at 6 p.m., followed by a Thursday, Friday, Saturday series in Knoxville with Tennessee.
Roll Tide
Bama Baseball Fever, Catch it!
T
