Since Alabama and Samford played on February 27th in Birmingham, the teams have gone in opposite directions. When the Tide beat the Bulldogs they improved to 8-0, while Samford was 5-4. Since then ‘Bama is 13-17 and Samford has gone 19-10, including 13 wins in a row after Tuesday night’s 6-0 victory over the Tide in Tuscaloosa.
The red hot Dogs jumped on Alabama starter Mason Duke for two first inning runs on four singles. Samford increased the lead in the third when Duke allowed a leadoff single, then threw away a pickoff attempt at first and uncorked a wild pitch to place the runner on third. Brooks Carlson followed with an RBI single, chasing Duke in favor of Davis Vainer. Vainer was lights out, pitching three innings of hitless, shutout ball, walking one and striking out five.
Meanwhile, a leadoff walk in the first for Cobie Vance and a second inning single by Jett Manning were the only baserunners the Tide could muster through three innings. In the fourth Sam Praytor lined a one out single for the only other Bama hit of the game.
Sam Gardner relieved Vainer in the sixth and allowed a long home run to Carlson, who almost hit his face on the scoreboard in left field. All along the way the Tide was meekly putting up one-two-three innings at the plate. With two outs in the eighth, the fourth and final baserunner for Bama reached base when Walker McCleney was hit by a pitch.
The Bulldogs added to the leadoff walk of Brock Guffey in the ninth when Ayrton Schafer reached on a misplayed bunt at first base, the Tide’s third error of the game. A double, an RBI single, and a successful suicide squeeze bunt plated two more runs for the final margin.
The pitching was adequate, with Vainer standing out, but the offense - two hits, one walk, one hit batter were the only four baserunners - was dismal. The defense was not much better with three errors. The Tide sleepwalking through another Tuesday night was disappointing, after being swept this weekend at Texas A&M. ‘Bama was playing without three regular starters, including their leading hitter in second baseman Chandler Avant and outfielders Keith Holcombe and Jeaux Breaux. Avant and Holcombe have ankle issues and Breaux was battling an illness. The team looks to wake up Wednesday night when Alcorn State comes to town for a 6 p.m. match up.
Who Did What?
- Davis Vainer 3 IP 0 H 1 BB 5 strikeouts.
Only performance worth mentioning, TBH
Whats next:
Wednesday night Alcorn State 6 p.m. SEC Network Plus, followed by the Auburn Tigers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday’s game is at 6 p.m. on SEC Network Plus, Saturday’s is set for a 7 p.m. first pitch on the SEC Network, while Sunday’s 1 p.m. game will be back on SEC Network Plus.
With it being A Day weekend huge crowds are expected this in a series that the Tide typically wins. AU usually (almost always) wins the Capital City Classic game in Montgomery, but the Tide bounces back to win the season series. Bama has not lost the season series since 2011, and have swept the Tigers three times during that tenure. Hopefully that trend will continue this year.
Roll Tide
Bama Baseball Fever, Catch it
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