Alabama Baseball Wins Another Series
· Yahoo Sports
The 16th ranked Alabama Crimson Tide traveled to Norman, Oklahoma to take on the 11th ranked Oklahoma Sooners this week. The series was played Thursday, Friday, and Saturday due to Easter. The Tide won game one 10-7, the Sooners prevailed 4-2 on Friday, and the rubber game was taken 3-2 by Alabama. Bama improved to 25-8 overall and 8-4 in the SEC. Oklahoma fell to 21-10 overall and 5-7 in conference play. The Tide has now won 10 or their last 11 games and eight of their last nine SEC contests. Bama won the series despite only scoring runs in five of the 27 innings played.
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Game One- Won 10-7
The Tide jumped out early, scoring 10 runs in the first two innings and held on to win 10-7 on Thursday night. Tyler Fay took his regular game one start against LJ Mecurius for Oklahoma.
On the first pitch of the game Bryce Fowler drilled an opposite field home run over the left field wall for a 1-0 lead. With one out Brady Neal unloaded on a ball and smashed it 405 feet to deep centerfield on a drive that should have been a home run. Neal cruised into third with a triple, and after a review the call, somehow, was upheld. With two outs Johnny Lemm singled up the middle for a 2-0 lead. Fay allowed a one out single in the bottom half to Camden Johnson, who advanced to second on a ground out, and scored on a single by Jaxon Willits, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
Alabama exploded in the top for the 2nd inning, scoring eight times, on two home runs, a double, two hit batters, and a walk. Justin Osterhouse led off and was hit by a pitch. Luke Vaughn flew out deep to centerfield for out one, Brennan Holt was then also hit by a pitch. Fowler came up and again hit the first pitch he saw for a three run home run. Justin LeBron walked and stole second, his 24th in 24 tries, and scored on a sharp single by Neal. Mercrious was then replaced by his younger brother, Xander. Jason Torres then slugged the first pitch for a long home run and a 8-1 lead. Lemm doubled and then Will Plattner grounded to third base for out two. Osterhouse was up for the second time in the inning and slammed his third home run of the season the opposite way over the left field fence.
Armed with the 10-1 lead, Fay cruised through the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings, facing only nine batters. The younger Mercrious got into a grove of his own and faced the minimum -thanks to a double play, from the 3rd through the fifth. OU finally got to Fay in the bottom of the 5th inning. After a strikeout of Deitan Lachance, Noah Stevens blasted a home run to cut the lead to 10-2. Kyle Branch a scored on a two out home run by Trey Gambill. Fay induced a ground ball to end the inning with Bama still leading 10-4.
Xander Mecuriois continued to mow down Tide hitters through the 7th inning, into the eighth. After 97 pitches Mecurious was finally pulled with one out in the top of the 8th inning. After the home runs in the 2nd, Mecurious allowed only one other hit while striking out seven. In the 6th inning Fay allowed two one out singles before facing Alec Blair, Blair lifted a drive to deep right field where Neal was located. With perfect timing Neal got to the wall, leapt, and brought back a sure home run for out two. A strikeout ended the inning and Fay’s night. Fay completed six innings, allowing six hits, with one walk, one hit batter, four runs, and seven strikeouts.
Sam Mitchell replaced Fay to begin the 7th inning and allowed a single by not further damage. Mitchell tossed a perfect 8th with two strikeouts. The Tide still couldn’t add to their lead. With a 10-4 lead Mitchell was back for the 9th inning. Blair led off and this time he made sure Neal couldn’t rob him by hitting an opposite field home run on a 3-2 pitch. Mitchell hit Stevens then struck out Drew Dickerson for one out. A ground ball force out was the second out. Gambrill hit a ball right back at Mitchell on the mound. Mitchell knocked the ball down but could not locate the ball in time to get the batter. Johnson then slammed a long triple scoring two and shrinking the lead to 10-7. Matthew Heiberger was called in, and on a 3-2 pitch struck out Brendan Brock to end the game with the Tide on top 10-7.
Alabama hit 10-36 in the game with two walks, three hit batters, two doubles, three home runs, two stolen bases, nine strikeouts, and left four men on base. Fowler was 2-5 with two home runs, two runs and four RBI. Neal was 4-4 with a triple, a double, a walk, a run driven in, and two runs scored. Lemm was 2-5 with a double, run, and RBI. Osterhouse finished 1-3 with a hit by pitch, home run, two RBI, and two runs scored. Fay improved to 6-2 with the victory, and Heiberger earned his second save of the season.
Oklahoma finished 10-37 at the plate with three home runs, a triple, one walk, one hit batter, 11 strikeouts, and left five on base. Gambil had three hits to lead the attack. LJ Mecurious took the loss and fell to 5-3 on the season.
Game Two- Lost 4-2
Two marquee left handers, Zane Adams for Alabama and Cameron Johnson for OU, faced off in game two. On a blustery, windy day, the high scoring affair most expected never materialized. The Tide scored first in the 1st, using Justin Lebron’s speed. With one out Lebron beat out an infield single and was awarded second when the throw went into the Alabama dugout. LeBron moved to third when a ball in the dirt bounced in front of the Sooners catcher. After a wild pitch LeBron scampered home for a quick 1-0 Bama lead. Jason Torres followed with a single, but a third strikeout of the frame ended the inning.
Adams struck out the first two batters he faced, walked the third, and got a line out to end the bottom of the first. OU tied things up in the bottom of the 2nd in a walk and two singles. A bloop hit to short CF by Jason Walk plated the run. Johnson stranded two Tide runners in the third as Bryce Fowler, Brady Neal, and Jason Torres all singled to no avail.
The Sooners took the lead in the bottom of the 3rd, loading the bases after only three pitches. Camden Johnson doubled, Brendan Brock singled, and Jason Willits was hit, all on the pitch if their at bats. A wild pitch scored Johnson and Deuten Lachance hit a sacrifice fly to score another. A fly out and a strikeout ended the inning with a 3-1 Sooner lead. OU scored their last run of the game in the 4th on a single, a bunt single, a sac bunt, and a ground out.
With a 4-1 lead Johnson continued to keep the Tide off the board until running into trouble in the top of the 7th inning. Luke Vaughn singled with one out and moved to second when Brennan Holt was hit by a pitch. Bryce Fowler singled Vaughn in and Johnson was replaced by Kayden Leon. Leon struck out LeBron and Brady Neal to strand runners at second and third base.
Adams made it through the 5th for Alabama, allowing six hits, four runs, three walks, with seven strikeouts. Austin Morris pitched the 6th and 7th for the Tide and struck out four with no hits allowed and one walk. Leon dispatched of Bama in order over the 8th and 9th frames with three more strikeouts.
Alabama hit 8-33 in the game with two walks, one hit batter, 13 strikeouts, and seven left on base. Fowler was 3-4 with an RBI, Torres was 2-4, Vaughn, Lebron and Neal had one safety apiece. Adams took the loss and fell to 4-2 on the season. OU finished 7-28 with four walks, a hit batter, two doubles, 11 strikeouts, and left seven on base. Johnson improved to 4-1 with the win and Leon earned his first save.
Game Three-Won 3-2
Alabama sent freshman right handed Myles Upchurch to the mound against OU left handed Trent Collier to try and secure the series win.Alabama scored early, but not often, plating three runs in the top of the first, and held on for dear life to win 3-2 and take the series. Bryce Fowler and Justin LeBron opened the game with singles before Brady Neal walked to load the bases. Jason Torres and Johnny Lemm both struck out looking, bringing freshman DH Eric Hines to the plate. Hines was making his first SEC start of his career. Fowler and LeBron both scored on back to back passed balls by catcher Brendon Brock. Hines smashed the next ball to deep right-center field where centerfielder Jason Walk battled the strong wind and was not able to corral the ball, allowing Neal to score and Hines to end up on third. The official scored charged Walk with an error on the play that I felt should have been a triple for Hines. A ground out stranded Hines at third base. The Tide took a 3-0 lead to the bottom of the first.
Upchurch walked Trey Gambill to lead off the inning. A ground out advanced Gambill to second and he scored on a single by Brock. While moving to back up the play Upchurch got his cleats on a seem in the turf and wend down hard when he “felt something pop.” The big righty stayed down for several minutes before being helped to the dugout for a tape job. Upchurch came back out and after a few warm up tosses, stayed in the game. Jaxon Willits walked, but Upchurch bounced back to strike out Drew Dickerson and induced a ground out from Alec Blair.
Brennan Holt walked with one out in the top of the 2nd, but was picked off by Collier. Fowler followed with a single and LeBron was retired when his line drive to center was grabbed by Walk on a sliding catch. Upchurch was victimized by the wind in the bottom for the 2nd inning. Diten Lachance lifted a high pop up on the infield that wreaked havoc on the infielders, and ended up dropping between them, but which time Lachance was standing on second base with a gift double. Kyle Branch tried to bunt Lachance over but popped out to Bama catcher Lemm. Walk flew out to right field, followed by Gambill walking. Camden Johnson grounded out to end the threat.
Alabama tried to mount a two out 3rd inning rally. After two quick outs Lemm and Hines both singled, but a ground out by Justin Osterhouse ended the inning. After Hines hit the next 11 Tide hitters went down in order. Upchurch worked around a one out single and walk to notch a strikeout and pop out to strand the runners with Bama still in front 3-1. After walking the leadoff man in the bottom of the 4th, Upchurch was replaced by Ashton Crowther. Walk hit a line drive to right field that Neal ran down and threw to Luke Vaughn at first base to double up Branch. Gambill walked but Crowther got Johnson to ground out to end the inning.
Nick Wesloski and Gavyn Jones both retired the Tide in order in the 4th and 5th innings. Crowther looked to have a clean inning in the bottom half of the fifth, however the Sooners had other ideas. After a strikeout and a ground out a weak ground ball turned into an infield single for Dickerson. Blair followed with a check swing infield single and Lachance then walked to load the bases. Branch hit a ground ball that Holt fielded behind second base. His flip to LeBron for the force proved to be a hair late, and one run scored. Lachance kept running past the bag and LeBron ran him down and tagged him. Originally Dickerson and Blair were both called safe at the plate, but after a review the tag out came before the second run scored, making it a 3-2 Bama lead after 5 innings.
The Tide was again down in order in the 6th inning. Crowther had a perfect 6th as well with two strikeouts. Bama finally added another base runner in the 7th when Holt drew a one out walk. Fowler and LeBron both struck out to end the inning. Crowther retired the first two hitters in the bottom half before Dickerson singled. Matthew Heiberger was called in to replace Crowther. Dickerson stole second base to get in scoring position, but Heiberger stranded him there by striking out Blair looking. Jason Bodin cruised through the 8th for the Sooners striking out two Tide batters in a perfect frame.
Heiberger worked the bottom half for the Tide. Lachance walked leading off the inning and was bunted to second by Branch. Walk lined out to right field and Heiberger struck out Gambill looking to hold the 3-2 lead. Bodin hit Hines leading off the top of the ninth as Bama tried to add as insurance run. Chase Kroeberger entered ro pinch run for Hines. Jackson Cleveland was brought in to replace Bodin. Osterhouse attempted to bunt Kroeberger to second base, but after two failed attempts, struck out swinging. With Vaughn at the plate Kroberger reached second on a ball in the dirt. Vaughn eventually walked to put two on with one out. Holt hit a drive deep to right field that the wind helped hold in the park for Blair to catch. Fowler struck out to end the inning. The Tide called in senior right hander Hagan Banks to slam the door on the Sooners. Banks needed only eight pitches to get two ground outs and one fly out to end the game with Bama on top 3-2.
Bama hit 5-32 in the game, with no hits after the third inning. The Tide drew four walks, and one hit batter, struck out 12 times, and left seven men on base. Fowler was 2-5 and LeBron, Lemm, and Hines had one hit each. Upchurch was awarded the win to improve to 4-2 on the season. Banks earned his 5th save of the year. Crowther, Heiberger, and Banks combined for six innings, allowing four hits, two walks, one run, and striking out five. In the series Alabama hit .227 as a team in 23-101 with eight walks, five hit batters, 34 strikeouts, four home runs, two doubles, a triple, two stolen bases and stranded 18 men on base.
Oklahoma finished 7-35 in the game with seven walks, seven strikeouts, and 10 left on base. Collier fell to 0-1 with the loss. Dickerson led the team with two hits. OU was 24-100 over the series for a .240 average with 12 walks, two hit batters, 29 strikeouts, three home runs, two doubles, three stolen bases, and left 22 runners on base.
This was a huge series win for the Tide on the road. Alabama has now won three straight SEC series, all over ranked teams. Since the stumble in Lexington to start conference play Bama has righted ship and is finding ways to win. It isn’t always pretty, but you can bet the team will fight until the end. The players are taking coach Rob Vaughn’s three tenats to heart, ownership, toughness, and grit and forging what could be a memorable season.
Who Did What?
*Bryce Fowler 7-14, 2 home runs (6), 5 RBI, 3 runs
*Brady Neal 5-11, double, triple, 2 walks, 3 runs, RBI, home run saving catch, double play turned
*Tyler Fay W (6-2) 6 IP, 6 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts, 4 runs
*Austin Morris 2 IP, 0 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
*Matthew Heiberger 2 appearances, Save (2), 1.2 IP, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, 0 runs
*Myles Upchurch W (4-20 3 IP, 3 hits, 1 run, 5 walks, 2 strikeouts
*Hagan Banks Save (5) 1 IP, 0 BB, 0 hits, 0 runs
Next Up:
Samford at home on Tuesday at 6 p.m. followed by a visit from Arkansas for a Friday, Saturday, Sunday series. Fill The Joe and let’s keep rolling.
Roll Tide
Bama Baseball Fever, Catch it!