The 16th (or 10th, 12th, 17th or 18th) ranked Crimson Tide won their 8th straight game on Tuesday night as a 9th inning home run by Brady Neal proved to be the winning run in beating Jacksonville State 4-3 in a road contest. Bama got an early two run home run from Johnny Lemm and an RBI double from Justin Osterhouse to complete their scoring.
JT Blackwood started in the mound for the Tide against Josh Sibley for the Gamecocks. JSU was on a nine game winning streak entering the game and sported an RPI
of 28 and were ranked in at least one poll this week. Sibley struck out the side in the top of the 1st on 12 pitches. Blackwood allowed a two out single and a stolen base to Cooper Blauser in the bottom half but three ground outs kept the ‘Cocks off the board.
Jason Torres led off the 2nd with a single and scored in front of a big bomb from Johnny Lemm which chased Sibley from the the game. Brady Thomas replaced Sibley and walked and hit the first two batters he faced. Luke Vaughn attempted to sacrifice them over, but popped the bunt up to the catcher for out one. Brennan Holt singled to load the bases but Bryce Fowler popped out to the second baseman and Justin Lebron’s long fly ball was tracked down in deep centerfield to end the scoring chance.
Blackwood had perfect innings in the 2nd and 3rd to end his night, allowing only one hit with two strikeouts, and no walks or runs. In the top for the 4th the Tide wasted another great opportunity. Vaughn reached on an error, but was erased on a ground ball by Holt. Fowler was hit by a pitch and with LeBron at the plate Holt and Fowler pulled off a double steal. LeBron had a 3-0 count but ended up striking out looking and Neal grounded out to first base to end another scoring chance for Bama.
Left handed Luke Smyers replaced Blackwood to start the 4th inning and allowed a lead off single. LeBron and Holt turned a double play and Smyers caught Matthew Cash looking to end the frame with the Tide still ahead 2-0. Smyers allowed a lead off infield single to Caleb Johnson and when Blauser drilled a ball toward shortstop LeBron turned it into a 6-4-3 double with a nice grab and turn by Holt at second base. A strikeout ended the inning. Bama added to their lead in the top of the 5th. Lemm walked with one out and raced home and barreled across the plate on a double by Osterhouse, just beating the throw home.
With a 3-1 lead, Smyers was back out for the 5th inning. After two quick outs Sam Richardson pinch hit for the Gamecocks and blasted a long home run to cut the lead t0 3-1. Ryan Geraghty had entered the game for JSU in the 4th and other than the run in the 5th was tossing zeros at the Tide. Morris ran into trouble in the 7th inning. After recording the first out, a single and throwing error put Matthew Cash on second base. Grayson Ashe singled to left. Osterhouse fielded the ball and unleashed a perfect throw to the plate. Somehow Cash avoided the tag on the throw that had beaten him by a couple of steps. Alabama challenged the call, but it was upheld to cut the lead to 3-2. Morris walked the next man and was replaced by Owen Sarna. Sarna induced a weak ground ball for an out, but the runners both advanced into scoring position. With a left hander at the plate Connor Lehman replaced Sarna and was able to get a ground ball out to end the inning.
Bama was held scoreless again in the 8th and Bobby Alcock was brought in to handle the bottom half for the Tide. Alocock allowed a single to Greg LeChance to lead off the innings, followed by a stolen base. Jaxon Pate grounded out, advancing LeChance to third base. Johnson walked, then stole second base, putting the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. Blauser was intentionally walked to load the bases. Cash struck out for the second out of the frame. Alcock then walked Ashe to force in the tying run and then was replaced by Evan Steckmesser. With a 2-2 count to Trey King-and the bases loaded- Johnson tried a delayed steal of home but was out as Steckmesser made the throw to Will Plattner behind the plate to end the inning with the game tied at 3-3.
In the top of the 9th Fowler and LeBron were quickly retired before Neal came ro the plate. With a 2-2 count Neal destroyed an offering from Skyler Hutto for his 6th home run of the year, and a 4-3 Alabama lead. Steckmesser was back out in the bottom to nail the game down. King lined out to first, Richardson struck out looking before Orlando Pena worked a walk. LeChance drilled a ball to shortstop that LeBron corralled and tossed to Holt at second base to end the game with the Tide on top 4-3.
Bama hit 5-32 in the game with five walks, three hit batters, 11 strikeouts, two stolen bases, two home runs, one double, and stranded nine men on base. Lemm was 2-3 with a walk, two runs, two RBI, and his home run. Osterhouse was 1-2 with a double, hit by pitch, walk, and a run driven in. Neal was the hero with his game winning home run in four at bats. Steckmesser was the winner and his 2-0 on the season.
JSU finished 5-31 with five walks, three stolen bases, one home run, seven strikeouts, and left six on base. Hutto fell to 2-2 with the loss.
After seven straight wins, with two sweeps of ranked teams, this would have been an easy game to have a let down. Although the bats fell off, the pitching and defense carried the day. JSU is a legitimate mid major team what is on pace to reach the NCAA Tournament. The Tide is playing lose and easy and as coach Rob Vaughn told me after the game, “‘good teams find a way to win these games.”
Next up, a quick turn around. After getting home after midnight the team flys out this afternoon for Norman, OU to take on the ranked Oklahoma Sooners in a Thursday-Saturday series. The first two games are at 6:30 p.m. CT and the Saturday finale is at 2 p.m. CT. All games will be available on SEC Network Plus.
Roll Tide
Bama Baseball Fever, Catch it!
