No. 20 Alabama Baseball Clinches the Series with 10-6 Win over High Point

The Crimson Tide used a seven-run fifth inning to defeat the Panthers.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — If you like offense, this was the game for you as Alabama baseball defeated the High Point Panthers 10-6 inside Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

"What an exciting game today," head coach Brad Bohannon said after the game. "really proud of our team on so many levels. You know, you get down six [runs] and a lot of times young players would try to hit seven-run home runs, and our guys just kept playing.

"Really proud of our team, that's a really good win for us."

After both teams went scoreless in the first two innings, High Point's Charlie Klingler hits a double and was soon driven in with an RBI-single by Cole Singsank. 

Then, Patrick Matthews hits a ground ball, but Drew Williamson couldn't handle the throw. Matthews reached on an error, and after a sacrifice bunt by Brett Ahalt, Javon Fields hit a three-run homer to make the score 4-0.

The inning would only get worse for starter Ben Hess, who gave up back-to-back home runs to Adam Stuart and Xavier Cumbee to make the score 6-0 after the top of the third inning.

Alabama's offense was pretty quiet for the first four innings, making a comeback hard to imagine. But after the Crimson Tide loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth inning, the offense flipped the switch.

Caden Rose beat the throw at first base, avoiding the double play and driving in Jim Jarvis while Tommy Seidl advanced to third. The exact same play happened with Andrew Pinckney, who beat the throw to avoid another double play and drive Seidl home.

With the score 6-2 in favor of High Point, Mac Guscette was walked to load the bases again, and Bryce Eblin hit a two-run single to make the score 6-4.

The biggest hit of the inning came from Dom Tamez, who hit a three-run homer to give Alabama the lead, 7-6.

"That's kind of been the story of our season to this point offensively: production up and down the lineup," head coach Brad Bohannon said about the big inning. 

It looked like Alabama had to hold off High Point with only a run between the two teams, but Drew Williamson delivered the dagger in the bottom of the eighth inning: a three-run home run to give Alabama a 10-6 lead.

"It's just learning from the previous one," Williamson said about the at-bat. "You use what you learned and you go back into it. He hung that [pitch] a little bit, you stay on that one a little better and you put a barrel on it."

Connor Ball was credited with his first win of the season and Braylon Myers was credited with his second save.

With the win, Alabama improved to 7-0 and clinched the series. The Crimson Tide will aim for the sweep against High Point on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+. 

How It Happened:

FINAL - Alabama 10, High Point 6

Alabama box score

High Point box score

Top 9

• Stuart flies out to end the game.

• Chatham flies out in foul territory for the second out

• Javon Fields legs out a single

• Brett Ahalt flies out to start the inning

Bottom 8

• Eblin flies out to end the inning.

• Guscette hits a double. Bryce Eblin to bat

• Drew Williamson hits a three-run home run to give the Tide some breathing room. Score is 10-6 Alabama with Mac Guscette to bat

• Pinckney strikes out swinging. Drew Williamson to bat with two runners in scoring position and two outs

• Rose steals second

• Rose hits a single to left field. Runners are on the corners with one out and Pinckney is at the plate

• Johnson hits a sacrifice bunt to move Seidl to second. Caden Rose to bat with one out

• Seidl is walked. Ed Johnson to the plate

• Jackson Melton is now the second baseman for High Point

• Tommy Seidl will lead off for Alabama

Top 8

• Matthews grounds out to end the inning

• Trenton Pallas is pinch-running for High Point

• Blake Sutton leads off for High Point

Bottom 7

• Jarvis pops out to end the inning

• Tamez singles to right field. Jim Jarvis to bad with two outs

• Eblin grounds out. Dom Tamez to bat

• Josh Deslauriers comes in to play right field for High Point

• Guscette grounds out. Eblin to bat

• Mac Guscette is due up for the Crimson Tide

Top 7

• Myers strikes out the last batter to end the inning

• Adam Stuart is walked

• Braylon Myers comes in to pitch for Alabama

• After striking out the first two batters, Probst walks Cael Chatham

• Brett Ahalt leads off for High Point

Bottom 6

• A 1-2-3 inning for High Point

• Caden Rose will lead off for Alabama

Top 6

• The call stands and the runner is out to end the inning

• The runner was called out at first for the final out of the inning, but High Point is challenging the call

• Probst couldn't hang on to the throw from Jarvis. Singsank reaches first on the fielder's choice. Two outs and Patrick Matthews at the plate

• Zane Probst comes in to pitch for Alabama

• Blake Sutton leads off for High Point and he is hit by a pitch

Bottom 5

• Ed Johnson flies out to end the inning

• Seidl is walked

• Jarvis is walked. Tommy Seidl heads to the plate

• Jim Jarvis will take his second at-bat of the inning. Keep in mind: all of the scoring has taken place with two outs

• Carter Sheppard is in to pitch for High Point

• Tamez hits a three-run homer to give the Tide the 7-6 lead

• Bryce Eblin's hard-hit ball could not be caught by the second baseman. Pinckney and Williamson come in to score. Score is 6-4 High Point with Dom Tamez up to bat

• Guscette is walked to load the bases. The ball got away for what might've been a chance for Pinckney to score, but he did not

• Patrick Libby comes in to pitch for High Point

• Williamson hits a single and Pinckney makes it to third base with two outs. Mac Guscette is at the plate

• Pinckney beats the throw at first but Rose is thrown out at second. Seidl scores to make the score 6-2 High Point with Drew Williamson at the plate

• Johnson is thrown out at second base but Rose beats the throw at first. Jarvis scores and Pinckney is up to bat with runners on the corners. Score is 6-1 High Point

• Johnson hits a single to load the bases with no outs. Caden Rose is up to bat

• Tommy Seidl is walked, putting runners on first and second with no outs and Ed Johnson to bat

• Jim Jarvis leads off and hits a single to right field

Top 5

• Jim Jarvis takes the lead on a 6-3 double play

• Cael Chatham leads off for High Point

Bottom 4

• Two diving plays by the High Point infielders ends the inning for Alabama

• Guscette singles to left field

• Williamson strikes out. Mac Guscette is up to bat

• Drew Williamson leads off for Alabama

Top 4

• Javon Field grounds into a double play, ending the inning

• Ball walks Brett Ahalt

• Connor Ball comes in to pitch for Alabama

Bottom 3

• Pinckney flies out to end the inning

• Rose grounds into a double play, but Seidl was able to reach third base. Andrew Pinckney to bat with two outs

• The ball bounced of the shortstop's glove to allow Johnson to reach first. Caden Rose is up to bat

• Seidl is walked. Ed Johnson to the plate

• Tommy Seidl leads off for Alabama

Top 3

• Hess gets the batter to ground out to end the inning.

• Adam Stuart and Xavier Cumbee hit back-to-back home runs off Ben Hess. Score is 6-0 High Point

• Fields hits a three-run home run to left field. Score is 4-0 High Point

• Brett Ahalt uses a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over. Javon Fields bats with both runners in scoring position and one out

• Williamson couldn't secure the throw, allowing Patrick Matthews to reach on the error. Two on and no outs

• Cole Singsank hits an RBI-single to drive Clinger home. 1-0 High Point over Alabama

• High Point's Charlie Clinger hits a double to lead off the inning

Bottom 2

• Jim Jarvis strikes out looking to end the inning

• Tamez reaches on a fielder's choice as Eblin is tagged out

• Bryce Eblin singles to right field. Dom Tamez up to bat

• Mac Guscette leads off for Alabama

Top 2 

• Another 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts for Ben Hess

• Adam Stuart leads off for High Point

Bottom 1 (Alabama hitting)

• Williamson grounds out to end the inning

• Andrew Pinckney hits the ball off the top of the left field fence and slides in for a double. Drew Williamson is up to bat with two outs

• Ed Johnson leads off for Alabama

Top 1 (High Point hitting)

• Hess strikes out the third batter for a 1-2-3 first inning. 

• After a full count, Hess strikes out the first batter looking

• Ben Hess throws the first pitch and the game is underway

Pregame

• First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT on SEC Network+

• Umpire Crew for the game
• Home plate: Ryan Gregson
• First base: Nathan Huber
• Second Base: Eddie Loggins
• Third Base: Guss Curtis

🐘 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/HfntTqXXlG

— Alabama Baseball (@AlabamaBSB) February 25, 2023