Guscette's Eighth-Inning Home Run Lifts Alabama Baseball to Series Win Over No. 5 Vanderbilt
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — What a whirlwind of a week it was for Alabama Baseball.
On Monday morning, the initial report came out regarding "suspicious bets" placed during the Crimson Tide's opening game at No. 1 LSU last weekend.
On Thursday, former head coach Brad Bohannon was fired.
And now, on Saturday, Alabama (32-16, 11-13 SEC) took down the fifth-ranked team in the land — defeating the Vanderbilt Commodores 2-1 to take the weekend series at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
"Huge series win," interim head coach Jason Jackson said. "That's one of the best teams in the country — but I think we're one of the best teams in the country. You knew it would be a really good series. […] Today was going to be a tight ballgame. […] Can't say enough about our guys. Just the overall effort — I was just so proud of them. […] We always say good teams win close games. We've been in a bunch of those this year that haven't gone our way. Today we took it and made it happen."
The hero? Who other than Mac Guscette — who was in a hospital in Baton Rouge just last weekend. His solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning put the Crimson Tide ahead on the scoreboard just in time for the ninth inning.
The freshmen in the bullpen continue to impress. Kade Woods and Alton Davis II tossed three shutout innings — stepping up when the Commodores (34-13, 17-7 SEC) put runners on base late.
RHP Jacob McNairy put together his best start of the season. He threw six innings, allowing just a single run on four hits. He racked up seven strikeouts.
It truly was a perfect day for Alabama, which is now looking up as the regular season is nearing its end. The Crimson Tide is currently in eighth in the SEC. If that holds, it would be the best season in the conference for Alabama since it finished tied for eighth with Kentucky in 2016.
Jackson took the field as a head coach for the first time this weekend. What was that experience like for him?
"Exhausting," Jackson laughed. "Not a whole lot changed from what I do. […] I wrote out the lineup card and I talked to the team a little bit. It was different but it is what it is. It was way more about the players than it is me. If those guys go out and play, we're going to be in good shape going forward."
The Crimson Tide has just seven regular season games remaining on the schedule. Alabama will face off with Troy on Tuesday night in Montgomery before heading to College Station for a series with Texas A&M next weekend.
How It Happened
See Also:
Jenna Johnson Home Run Saves Alabama in Seventh, Crimson Tide Takes Series from Ole Miss
Alabama Baseball Silenced by No. 5 Vanderbilt in Game 2
Pinckney, Williamson Lift Alabama Baseball to Series-Opening Mashing of No. 5 Vanderbilt
