Alabama Baseball Drops Two at Ole Miss

Brad Bohannon brought his Crimson Tide baseball team to Oxford for this weekends series riding a 12 game winning streak. The ninth ranked Ole Miss Rebels broke that streak on Friday night in a classic pitchers duel by a score of 1-0. Bama bounced back on Saturday to take an exciting 8-6 victory, before dropping the series on Sunday by losing by a 12-2 score.

Game One- Lost 1-0

Senior Sam Finnerty took his Friday night turn on the mound, and could not have pitched any better. However the Rebels Will Ethridge was just one pitch better, and Ole Miss took the 1-0 victory on the back of a Cole Zabowski second inning home run.

The Tide had two runners on in the first inning via the walk, but also struck out three times in the frame, a theme that followed them throughout the night. Finnerty wiggled out of trouble in the bottom of the first after giving up back to back singles to start the inning. Bama got a walk to Drew Williamson and a single by Kobe Morris in the second, but once again couldn't get them across the plate. Zabowski led off the bottom of the second with his bomb, scoring the only run of the game.

Finnerty settled in and kept the Rebels at bay through the sixth inning before being relieved by Garrett Rukes. Rukes, for 1.2 innings, and Kyle Cameron for .1 inning didn't allow the Rebels to add to their lead. The Tide only had two baserunners from the sixth inning on, a walk to John Trousdale in the seventh, and a double by Morgan McCullough in the eighth.

Alabama had four hits, walked four times, struck out 14 times, and left seven runners on base. Bama pitching held Ole Miss to six hits, only walked one, struck out five, and the Rebels stranded seven on base. McCullough was 1-3 with his double and a walk as the most productive Bama batter.

Game Two: 8-6

Brock Love drew the starting assignment for the Tide in game two, and never got comfortable, lasting only 1 ²⁄₃ innings. Bama took an early 2-0 lead by scoring twice in the second on a sacrifice fly by Kolby Robinson and a bases loaded walk to Jeaux Breaux. The Tide did not have a hit in the inning, taking advantage for three walks and a Rebel error.

Ole Miss answered by scoring five times in the bottom of the second on four singles, a walk, an error, and a hit batter. Chase Lee relieved Love with two outs in the second, and of the 13 combined pitchers for both teams, threw the most innings with 2.1.

The Tide took the lead by scoring four times in the fourth. Robinson led off the inning with a triple off the left field fence, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Kobe Morris. Breaux followed with a solo home run into the student section in right field. Brett Auerbach doubled and scored on a Tyler Gentry single, and Gentry was driven in by a Keith Holcombe hit. The Rebels tied the game in the bottom half on two singles and a Tide error.

Lee, Davis Vainer, Brock Guffey, Deacon Medders, and Jeremy Randolph combined to silence the Rebels the rest of the way, giving the Tide a chance to plate the winning runs in the top of the eighth. McCullough led off with the single, but looked to be stranded when the next two batters struck out. John Trousdale lined a pinch hit single to keep Bama alive. Freshman first baseman Drew Williamson then lined a double just inside the third base bag to score both runners.

With the lead, coach Brad Bohannon called on his closer Jeremy Randolph in the eighth to work the two inning save. A double play got him out of a two on, one out, jam in the eighth, and back to back strikeouts in the ninth ended the game. Randolph earned with fourth save in four chances, and has yet to allow a run in 12.2 innings of work this season. Medders earned the victory, moving his record to 2-1.

Bama had 13 hits, drew nine walks, had one hit batter, struck out 10 times, and left 13 runners on base (including the bases loaded three times-twice with bases loaded and no outs). Ole Miss was held to six hits, but walked eight times, had three hits batters, struck out five times, and left 11 runners on base. Robinson had his third three hit game of the year with his 3-4 night with a triple, sacrifice fly, run scored, and a run batted in. Breaux was 2-3 with two walks and his second home run, two runs driven in, and a run scored. Gentry and McCullough also had two hits apiece.

Game Three: Lost 12-2

After two close, hard fought games, Sunday’s game three was never really competitive. Wil Freeman started for the Tide the mound, and like Love had a short day. Freeman retired the first seven batters he faced, before running into trouble. After retiring the lead-off man in the third, Freeman allowed a single, a walk, an RBI single, and a two run double before being replace by Kyle Cameron.

Cameron walked the first man he faced the allowed a run scoring single, hit a batter, and then a two run single. A sacrifice fly scored the Rebels seventh run of the inning, and Cameron was replaced by Casey Cobb. Cobb struck out Cooper Johnson to end the nightmare inning.

Cobb ran into trouble of his own in the fifth, not all by his own doing. The first man flew out to right field before the strangeness of the inning came into play. A pop up to short centerfield fell in for a single. Three Bama defenders couldn't find the ball in the sun and it fell harmless to the ground. A walk, a wild pitch, and a run scoring single followed, bringing Dylan Smith out of the bullpen for the Tide. Smith struck out his first man for out two, but then allowed a infield single and a walk. Another seemingly innocent pop fly found the ground in the same spot between the shortstop, second baseman, and centerfielder for a two run double.

The game turned on three plays, the two pop ups that fell, and an uncalled check swing for a third strike on the Rebels in the third. Those events alone led to eight Rebel runs, and changed the whole complexion of the game, and the way it was played.

The Tide finally was able to scratch a couple of runs across in the sixth when T.J. Reeves walked and advanced to third on a Morgan McCullough double. Keith Holcombe drilled a single to right scoring both runs. Freshman Conner Shamblin pitched the final two innings for the Tide, walking three, striking out one, with no hits or runs allowed.

Bama collected five hits, walked three times, struck out 14 times, and stranded seven runners. Ole Miss had 10 hits, drew eight walks, had one hit batter, and left six runners on base. Holcombe and McCullough were the whole offense for the Tide. Holcombe was 3-4 with two doubles, and two runs driven in. McCullough was 2-3 with a walk, a double, and a run scored. Freeman fell to 2-1 with the loss.

Overview

The Tide showed on Friday and Saturday that they could go toe to toe with a top 10 team. Sunday showed some warts, and where there is work to be done. Way too many strikeouts, 38 in three games - with 10 looking - has to be addressed. Several times with runners in scoring position and basically only needing to make contact to score a run, Tide batters went down via the strikeout. Bama has been very good about drawing walks this season, averaging almost six a game entering the weekend, but that went down to 16 in the three games in the series. Nine of the sixteen where in game two. The starting rotation, after Sam Finnerty has been inconsistent. Neither the Friday or Saturday night starters made it as far as three innings. Having to go to the bullpen that early is going to bite you in the butt more times than not. On Saturday the Tide survived with five relievers combing to go 7.1 innings and only allowing one unearned run and three hits. On Sunday it backfired, with eight runs being scored in 5.2 innings off of the pen. Getting only four hits in game one and five hits in game three also won't win many games.

Who Did What

• Morgan McCullough 5-12, three doubles, two walks, two runs
• Keith Holcombe 4-10, two doubles, three RBI, two BB, HBP, run
• Kolby Robinson 4-11, triple, Sac Fly, stolen base, RBI, run
• Sam Finnerty L -4-1, 6 IP, 4H, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 run
• Jeremy Randolph, Save (4), 2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K
• Deacon Meders, W (2-1)

What’s Next ?

A Tuesday night game vs Maine, and a home weekend series with Arkansas. Tuesday and Friday games are at 6 p.m., while Saturday is a 2 p.m. first pitch, and Sunday will start at 1 p.m. Check SEC Network+ for online broadcasts.

Roll Tide, Bama Baseball Fever, Catch it

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