Alabama Baseball Takes Home 5-4 Walk-Off Win Over South Alabama
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — In its first game inside Sewell-Thomas Stadium since March 20, Alabama baseball downed South Alabama in walk-off fashion on Tuesday night by a score of 5-4.
With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth, a wild pitch by the Jaguars closer advanced Jim Jarvis home from third, giving the Crimson Tide the walk-off win.
"Really glad to get a win tonight over a really good South Alabama team," Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon said. "Captain Obvious, elephant in the room — no pun intended — that we haven't been great midweek in the last few weeks.
"I'm not sure that we played our best tonight but just proud of our guys for doing enough to get a win over a good team."
The win comes following a four-game road stint that saw Alabama at UAB before dropping the first two games at Mississippi State. The back-to-back wins for the Crimson Tide marks the first time that the team has done so since March 12-13 against Binghamton.
It is also Alabama's first midweek win since March 2 against Troy.
The Jaguars got on the board first with a two-run home run by center fielder Will Turner. The Crimson Tide was unable to respond in the second or third innings.
In the bottom of the fourth with two outs, Alabama's scoring problems came to an end. Center fielder Andrew Pinckney drew a two-out walk before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Up next, first baseman Drew Williamson singled up the middle, bringing Pinckney around third and all the way home.
In what might have been one of the most confusing plays of the season thus far, designated hitter Eric Foggo hit a fly ball to the warning track in right. However, the Jaguars' right fielder Mile Simington seemingly lost track of the ball and failed to adjust. The ball bounced on the warning track and up and into the Right Field Ragers. With two outs, the Crimson Tide now had runners on second and third.
A mound visit for South Alabama proved to be of no avail for the Jaguars, as Alabama second baseman Bryce Eblin crushed a two-out, three-run home run up, over and past the bullpen located in right-center field. With the home run, the Crimson Tide led the game 4-2.
Video evidence of Eblin’s murder of that ball: pic.twitter.com/HaGRKJ8yRz
— Joey Blackwell (@_JoeyBlackwell) March 30, 2022
"I was down 0-2, I wasn't trying to do too much and just trying to get those runners in and somehow put it over the fence," Eblin said. "So it felt good."
In the top of the seventh, South Alabama added a third run when an RBI-groundout by first baseman Hunter Stokes scored the runner from third.
In the top of the eighth, Alabama relief pitcher Landon Green took to the mound to replace fellow reliever Hunter Hoopes. The outing signified his first time on the mound since all the way back on March 6 against Murray State.
That same inning, Green surrendered the game-tying run — an RBI-double by Hunter Donaldson. A phenomenal throw by left fielder Owen Diodati hit the cutoff man in shortstop Jim Jarvis, who then relayed the ball to catcher Dominic Tamez at home plate. Tamez stood his ground and tagged third baseman Landon Jordan at the plate to end the inning and keep the game tied at 4.
In the bottom of the ninth, Jarvis doubled down the right-field line to lead off the side. A groundout to second by right fielder Tommy Seidl advanced Jarvis to third. Interestingly, the Jaguars then elected to intentionally walk third baseman Zane Denton, then Diodati — loading the bases with one out and bringing Tamez to the plate.
Tamez stuck out, but it was Pinckney's turn. With two outs on the board and down in the count 1-2, a wild pitch by South Alabama closer Jackson Boyd gave Jarvis all the time he needed to slide across home plate for the 5-4 win.
"I was kind of expecting that the entire time," Jarvis said after the game. "I would say that I was probably as ready for that as I could have been. As soon as I actually saw it down, I got the green light (points at Bohannon). I heard 'Go, go, go,' so I tried to beat the ball, which we did."
B9 | WILD pitch brings home Jarvis from third and that's the ballgame! (📺 https://t.co/JI0V1j2lsA)
— Alabama Baseball (@AlabamaBSB) March 30, 2022
FINAL | 5-4, Alabama#RollTide pic.twitter.com/ZBZDiwPMyU
Alabama reliever Jake Leger (1-0) was credited with the win, while Boyd (0-1) was saddled with the loss for South Alabama.
With the win, Alabama baseball improves to 15-11 on the season. South Alabama falls to 16-7 with the loss. Up next, the Crimson Tide will host the Texas A&M Aggies on Friday (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network+).
"Glad to get a win and we'll take tomorrow off and be rested and excited for a big weekend against Texas A&M," Bohannon said.
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Gallery: Alabama Baseball Highlights vs South Alabama
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