The Crimson Tide baseball team did what they were supposed to this weekend, sweeping the Binghamton Bearcats in a three game series. The Tide improved to 12-5 on the season while the Bearcats fell to 3-9. Bama used great pitching, timely hitting, and good defense to win the games by scores of 9-3, 14-2, and 5-3.
Game One- Won 9-3
Garrett McMillian continued his role as Friday night starter and once again shined. The junior right hander from Tuscaloosa was masterful over seven innings, allowing only two hits and one run with no walks and seven strikeouts over 85 pitches.
After a quick perfect inning from McMillian in the top of the first, the Tide wasted no time jumping on top. Shortstop Jim Jarvis led off with a single, stole second, and scored on an RBI single by Tommy Seidl. Zane Denton then blasted a two run home run and Bama had a 3-0 lead without a batter getting out. The Bearcats got the only blemish on McMillian in the second on a solo home run by Cavan Tully to cut the lead to 3-1.
Tide bats cooled down until the bottom of the fifth. Andrew Pinckney led off the inning by being hit by pitch and swiftly stole second base. The red hot Seidl plated him with a double to make the score 4-1. Bama added to the lead in the sixth with a single run. Drew Williamson doubled to start the frame, advanced on a single by Dominic Tamez, and scored on a perfect squeeze bunt from Caden Rose. The Tide added two more in the seventh. Pinckney doubled leading off and scored on another Seidl double. Denton then doubled Sidel home.
Freshman Luke Holman replaced McMillian to start the eighth but quickly ran into trouble, walking one and allowing two hits and a run without retiring a batter. With runners on first and third Hunter Hoopes was called on to squelch the rally. Hoopes struck out the first two batters he faced and got a fly out to put out the fire.
Bama added two more in the bottom of the eighth. Eric Foggo blasted a solo home run and Seidl drove in another run with a sacrifice fly. Junior Brayden Gainey took the ninth inning for the Tide and allowed one unearned run to finish the game with the 9-3 Alabama victory.
The Tide finished 13-39 with two walks, five strikeouts, and left seven runners on base. Binghamton hit 6-32 with one walk, nine strikeouts, and four left on base. Seidl and Denton carried the offense on the night. Seidl, the Harvard grad transfer known as Sarge, was 3-4 with four runs driven in, two doubles. and two runs scored. Denton was 2-4 with three driven in, a home run, double, a walk and run scored. Foggo was 2-3 with his home run while Pinckney was 2-3 with a double, stolen base, and two runs scored. McMillian was the winner to move to 2-0 on the season.
Game Two - Won 14-2
Junior left hander Antoine Jean took his normal Saturday start and followed up McMillian’s gem with a nice outing of his own. Jean allowed three hits and one run in six innings while walking two and striking out four. The Tide scored a lot early, and none late, to take the 14-2 win over the Bearcats.
Again the Tide started quickly. Jim Jarvis led off the bottom of the first with a triple and scored on a single by Tommy Seidl. Zane Denton then singled before Drew Williamson blasted his third home run of the season into the visitors bullpen for a 4-0 lead. Two batters later Eric Foggo continued his tear with his third home run for the fifth run of the inning. The home run kept his streak of hitting a home run in each game he has started. The Tide added to the lead in the second on an RBI single by Dominic Tamez.
The Bearcats notched one run off of Jean in the third on a walk and two singles. The Tide put the game out of reach in the fourth by scoring eight times with 14 batters going to the plate. The key blows were a two run double by Andrew Pinckney, and RBI double from Williamson, a two run single by Denton and RBI’s from Seidl and Owen Diodati. Four walks and two hit batters contributed to the carnage.
Seidl again was the main man going 3-5 with two runs scored, two driven in, a walk, and two stolen bases. Denton was 2-4 with three runs, two RBI, and two walks. Williamson drove in four men with his home run and double while finishing 2-4. Jean improved to 1-1 with the win while left hander Jake Leger made his Tide debut with a perfect inning with a strikeout followed by a perfect frame from Eli Giles. Trace Moore finished the game out and allowed the Bearcats second run in the ninth.
Overall the Tide was 14-38 with five walks, five hit batters, three stolen bases, two home runs, three doubles, a triple, and 10 runners left on base. BU finished 4-31 with two walks, seven strikeouts, and four men left on base.
Game Three- Won 5-3
Sophomore left hander Grayson Hitt drew the starting assignment on Sunday to follow up the two stellar pitching performances of Garrett McMillian and Antoine Jean from Friday and Saturday.
Hitt struck out two in the top of the first and once again the Tide jumped out on top with their first three batters scoring. Jim Jarvis walk and stole second to begin the inning. Tommy Seidl then singled Jarvis home and scored in front of Zane Denton’s mammoth blast off of the batters eye in center field. Three batters, three runs, and a 3-0 lead.
Hitt struck out the side in the second, but two walks and a single led to a Bearcat run. A walk, an error, and a sacrifice fly in the top of the third pulled Binghamton within in one run at 3-2.
The Tide scored twice in the third but those runs were taken off the board on an unfortunate decision by the first base umpire. Jarvis led off with a single and stole second. After a Seidl fly out Denton drew a walk. With two out Dominic Tamez hit a ball to center field that the Garrett Matheny dove for but did not catch. Tamez strolled into second with a double while Jarvis and Denton both crossed the plate. The first base umpire who apparently didn’t see the ball bounce called (very late) the play a catch. After a review the call was overturned, but each runner was only given one base, loading the bases with two outs. A strikeout ended the inning and no (official) runs scored.
Jacob McNairy replaced Hitt in the fifth and held the Bearcats scoreless in the fifth and sixth. In the bottom of the sixth the Tide added two on a Tamez single, and RBI double by Owen Diodati that banged off the wall, and an RBI single for Will Portera. McNairy began the seventh and allowed a single, walk, and double to cut the lead to 5-3. Dylan Ray came out of the pen to get a strikeout to strand the tying runs on base. Ray pitched the final two innings with four more strikeouts to earn the save, while McNairy improved to 3-0 with the win.
Bama finished 10-33 with three walks, three strikeouts, and eight left on base. Binghamton was 4-30 with seven walks, 15 strikeouts. and stranded eight runners. Denton led the way with his 2-2 including his fifth home run, two driven in, and a run. Tamez was 3-4 with a run scored. Seidl, Diodati, and Portera (all roommates) drove in one run each.
Analysis
The Tide did what they were supposed to do, sweep an overmatched team. It was good to see the team hit well, 37-106 for an average of .349. The team still isn't walking enough, only 10 times in the three games, but struck out only 12 times and left 25 on base. We also saw Bama run some, 5-5 on stolen bases, and use some small ball tactics perfectly like Rose’s safety squeeze to score a run. The pitching was very clean until Sunday. The staff walked 10 batters over the weekend with seven of those in game three, and struck out 31 while stranding 16 runners. The team was very good defensively again and added two players caught stealing and one base runner picked up.
Unfortunately injures continue to pile up. Second baseman/ centerfielder Caden Rose aggravated a leg injury in game two. Rose was already filling in for the previously injured second baseman Bryce Eblin. Outfielder William Hamiter has been out since game two at Texas with a broken foot. On top of that are the four pitchers that have been out all season: Connor Prielipp, Jake Eddington, Brandon Clarke, and Kade Woods.
Who Did What?
* Zane Denton 6-10, 2 home runs, 7 RBI, double, 3 walks, 5 runs
*Tommy Seidl 7-13, 6 RBI, 3 doubles, 2 stolen bases, 5 runs, walk
*Dominic Tamez 5-11, double, 2 RBI, run, walk
*Jim Jarvis 3-12, 4 runs, stolen base, walk, hit by pitch, triple
*Drew Williamson 3-11, home run, 4 RBI, 3 runs, 2 doubles, hit by pitch
*Garrett McMillian W (2-0) 7 IP, 2 Hits, 0 walks, 7 strikeouts, one run
*Antoine Jean W (1-1) 6 IP, 3 Hits, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts, one run
*Dylan Ray S (2) 2.1IP, 0 Hits, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts, 0 runs
What is next?
A road game on Tuesday at Southern Miss at 6 p.m followed by the SEC season starting on the weekend when Florida comes to town.
Roll Tide
Bama Baseball Fever, Catch it