Bama Central

Alabama Baseball Opens No. 1 Tennessee Series With Statement Win

The Crimson Tide rose to the occasion on a big stage again, coming through in multiple high-leverage moments to start SEC play 4-0.

Peyton Davis

Mar 20, 2025; Tuscaloosa AL, USA; Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron (1) connects for a three-run double during the game with Tennessee at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
Mar 20, 2025; Tuscaloosa AL, USA; Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron (1) connects for a three-run double during the game with Tennessee at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. / Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It has been a meteoric rise for the Alabama Crimson Tide baseball program in the second year of the Rob Vaughn era. After beginning the year unranked, the team won 21 of its first 22 games, climbing all the way to No. 12 in the nation after a sweep of the preseason No. 1, Texas A&M, in College Station to open the SEC schedule.

On a brisk Thursday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, the Crimson Tide got its first opportunity to measure up against the nation's current top-ranked team, and defending national champion, Tennessee. Game 1 of the series went to Alabama, 6-5.

"The credit belongs to the dude that's out there that's unafraid to crash and burn," said second-year Alabama coach Rob Vaughn while referring to a Teddy Roosevelt quote that hangs in his office. "That is willing to put himself out there who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails daring greatly. That's kind of who we are. We are going to be present and send it."

A pair of lefty staff aces got the ball on both sides. Zane Adams (4-0, 3.65 ERA) facing an offense second nationally in runs scored, while Liam Doyle (3-1, 2.03 ERA) came into the night having surrendered just two earned runs, striking 53 batters out in just 25 innings. Both ended up being the pitchers of record.

"That guy is elite," Vaughn said. "We saw him last year at Ole Miss. They've done a great job with him. As good as he was last year, he's better now."

It didn't take long for the reigning champions to do damage off Adams. A two-out walk in the first inning was followed immediately by a shot off the bat of first baseman Andrew Fischer over the center field wall to immediately put the Crimson Tide in a hole.

The Vols added an unearned run in top of the second to take a 3-0 lead, but the Crimson Tide subsequenlty responded in resounding fashion. A pair of RBI-walks followed by a bases-clearing Justin Lebron double contributed to the key five-run rally. .

Doyle allowed season highs in hits (six), walks (four), earned runs (five) and total pitches (110).

"I thought we did a good job knocking him off what he does well," Vaughn said. "We ran him off the heater, and he started having to pitch backwards a little bit."

Adams, meanwhile, settled in after the loud start, with four straight scoreless frames while his teammates tacked on another run in the third inning for a 6-3 lead.

"Zane's the same dude everyday," Vaughn said. "That's why he runs out on Friday nights. It's a slow heartbeat you know what you're going to get out of him every time he toes the rubber."

His night ended one out into the sixth after back-to-back base hits from the Volunteers, two runners the visiting team were able to plate to shrink the margin to one.

Alabama (22-1 overall, 4-0 SEC) also got some clutch defense as well. Right fielder Bryce Fowler skied to rob a home run to end the seventh inning, Justin Lebron had an unassisted double play followed by a Carson Ozmer strikeout in the eighth to keep Tennessee scoreless despite having a runner in scoring position with no outs. William Plattner threw out the lone Tennessee baserunner attempting to steal second in the ninth to secure a victory.

Game 2 will be Friday at 6 p.m. CT at The Joe. Ironically, the last team to beat Tennessee in back-to-back games was ... Alabama last year in Tuscaloosa on March 16-17.

See Also:

How to Watch: No. 12 Alabama Baseball vs. No. 1 Tennessee

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Peyton Davis
PEYTON DAVIS

Peyton Davis is an intern with BamaCentral, covering football, basketball and baseball. He has also covered for the Miami and Boston College OnSI sites. He will graduate from Alabama in the spring of 2025 with a degree and news media. During his four years at UA, Peyton appeared on the radio for WVUA-FM as well as Tide 100.9, along with covering games for WVUA23 and beat reporting for both football and basketball. Born and raised in New Orleans, Peyton has also contributed for local sites such as Cresent City Sports, covering high school football and baseball as well as BootKrewe Media, where he covered the New Orleans Saints.

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