The No. 15 Alabama Crimson Tide earned another conference series win by defeating the No. 10 South Carolina Gamecocks for a three-game series at Sewell-Thomas Stadium this past weekend in front of an energetic home crowd.
“The crowd here is always awesome,” outfielder Evan Sleight said of playing at home. “It’s really fun in right field having all the ragers out there and playing at home matters a lot.”
Game 1: Alabama 4, South Carolina 3
Left-hander Zane Adams got the start for the Crimson Tide in Game 1, but he ran into early trouble after surrendering two runs to the Gamecocks in the top of the first inning.
After settling in through the game and with little progress on the offensive side, Adams exited in the top of the fifth in favor of southpaw Matthew Heiberger. The bottom half of the inning saw the Crimson Tide get on the board. Designated hitter Kade Snell, leading off third, took advantage of a passed ball, crossing the plate to score and make it 2-1.
Gamecock first baseman Gavin Casas extended the South Carolina lead with a moonshot into right field to make it 3-1 in the seventh. Pinch-hitting for second baseman Mason Swinney in the bottom of the seventh, William Hamiter ripped a double fresh into the game to lead off the inning. Catcher Mac Guscette brought home Hamiter with a sacrifice hit to make it a 3-2 game. Alabama tied it later in the inning when center fielder TJ McCants sent a fly ball of the right-center field wall, cashing in third baseman Gage Miller, who scored from first to level the ball game at 3.
Taking the lead in the bottom of the eighth, Sleight came home with the go-ahead run, scoring on a passed ball to make it 4-3.
Lefty Alton Davis II closed the game out for the Crimson Tide to secure the win in a nail-biting 4-3 win to begin the weekend.
“Just a gritty win, I thought the story of the game was our three freshman arms,” Vaughn said.
Game 2: Alabama 13, South Carolina 6
The ace of the Alabama pitching staff, Ben Hess, toed the slab on Friday night. The righty settled into the game fast working a one-two-three first inning.
The Crimson Tide struck first, exploding for five runs in the bottom of the third. McCants brought in the first run with his groundout to first, and left fielder Ian Petrutz later singled through the left side to bring in two runs. Launching one into the Alabama bullpen, Sleight brought in Petrutz to make the Crimson Tide lead 5-0.
On the mound, Hess was on top of his stuff, no-hitting the Gamecocks until the top of the fifth inning. South Carolina got to Hess later in the inning by scoring four. A two-RBI single into center field from Gamecock second baseman Parker Noland and a two-run blast off the scoreboard in left field from catcher Cole Messina made it a 5-4 ball game and ended Hess’ night.
With Alabama scoring a run in the bottom half of the fifth and South Carolina adding two to tie the game in the top of the sixth, it was once again a close game at “The Joe.”
Making himself an impact player since recently becoming a regular in the lineup, Snell put the Crimson Tide on top with a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth. Following Snell, first baseman Will Hodo doubled off the left-field wall, and Alabama was ahead 9-6. To seal the game for Alabama, Petrutz sent a high fly ball into right field, a three-run home run that set the game at 13-6.
“Normally I just don’t think when I get up there,” Snell said when asked about how being a two-way player affects his hitting. “I know what to hunt, and if I get that pitch, [I] just know to stay through it.”
The Crimson Tide held the 13-6 lead in the top of the ninth to take and win the series over the Gamecocks.
Game 3: No. 10 South Carolina 9, No. 15 Alabama 8
On the hunt for Alabama’s first SEC sweep of the season, lefthander Greg Farone got the start on the Saturday-afternoon season finale.
Getting on the board first, Hodo got the Crimson Tide on the board in the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run into left field.
In the next bottom half, Alabama added two more runs. With his first home run of the season, second baseman Max Grant connected, sending the ball over the right-field wall for a solo shot to put the game at 2-0. Singling through the left side, Petrutz cashed in another run to increase the Crimson Tide’s lead to 3-0.
Going yard for the second time in the game, Hodo caught a barrel, sending it over the left-field wall again. Now ahead over South Carolina by 4, Alabama started slipping as the Gamecocks became hungry.
Striking back for two runs in the fifth, one in the sixth, five in the seventh and one in the eighth, South Carolina took a commanding 9-4 lead over the Crimson Tide as they headed into the bottom of the ninth.
In the bottom of the ninth, Alabama almost made a comeback to be remembered but came up just short. Scoring four runs in the half on an RBI groundout from Hamiter, a two-RBI triple from Miller, and an RBI single from McCants, the Crimson Tide still fell to the Gamecocks by a final of 9-8.
Alabama will get back at it on the road against Samford on Wednesday before traveling to Lexington, Kentucky to face the Kentucky Wildcats.
