Tuesday night saw Alabama baseball welcome the UAB Blazers, who made the hour trip down from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa for yet another entry in the midweek schedule.
In the previous meeting between the two sides back in February, the Crimson Tide defeated the Blazers in extra innings. This matchup saw the victory go to the UAB Blazers, who won 5-2.
Dothan, Alabama, native Kade Snell got the start in the in-state matchup. The southpaw also batted fifth in Alabama lineup, voiding Alabama’s designated hitter for the night. Snell ran into trouble in the first inning, finding himself in a bases-loaded jam with nobody out, but he was able to find his way out of it by only letting up two runs.
“It kind of started in the top of the first and they were just dribbling balls in the infield, and we couldn’t make routine plays and kind of gift wrapped two runs to start the game,” Crimson Tide head coach Rob Vaughn said.
Leading off the bottom of the first, third baseman Gage Miller pulled a ball over the left-field wall and almost out of the ballpark to cut the Blazer’s 2-point lead in half. Shortstop Justin Lebron followed in Miller’s footsteps, also pulling it over the wall in left field to tie the game with two runs apiece.
“We answered really well there in the bottom of the first with the two homers,” Vaughn said.
After just two innings on the hill, Snell’s night was done; he had given up just the two runs and two hits. Out of the bullpen, right-hander Austin Morris entered.
The Crimson Tide found itself training in the top of the fifth when newly entered right-hander Jansen Kenty let up a two-out home run that scrapped the right field wall to give UAB the 3-2 advantage and knock Kenty out of the game. A wild pitch from right-hander Coulson Buchanan also brought in a run, making it 4-2.
Alabama couldn’t answer and eventually fell to the Blazers 5-2. UAB added a late insurance run in the top of the eighth and rode the momentum all the way until the Crimson Tide’s 27th out to bring the win back to Birmingham. The loss also marked the second straight midweek game where the visiting team has come to Sewell-Thomas stadium and won, when South Alabama came into Tuscaloosa, winning 5-4.
“Last Tuesday, I was really frustrated with our effort,” Vaughn said. “That wasn’t the case tonight; the dugout was good, they were hooked in and trying to pull something out of the guys.”
In the rivalry’s history, the win saw UAB take its 29th win against Alabama and its 11th win in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide still holds the record at 57-29 after the loss.
After the loss, Alabama will turn around and regroup on Thursday, welcoming the No. 1 Texas A&M Aggies for a weekend series at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. With only 17 games left to go in the regular season, the Crimson Tide has everything to play for.
