Alabama held on to beat Jacksonville State 6-5 in Tuscaloosa on Tuesday, though the win came with its highs and lows.
The biggest worry is injuries, which continued to pile up in this game for Alabama. Three players, pitcher Kaden Humphrey, outfielder Bryce Fowler, and infielder Justin Osterhouse all went down with injuries, forcing Alabama to go to the bench and bullpen while testing the team’s depth.
With runners on second and third, Humphrey came into the game to pitch in the fifth inning, hoping to get out of a jam. He was pulled after two pitches due to injury, forcing Alabama to scramble in the bullpen.
Reliever Ashton Crowther came into the game and did everything possible to help his squad get the win. He got his team out of the jam in the fifth inning and proceeded to throw two more scoreless innings without allowing a hit.
“The story of the game was Ashton. He really settled that game and stopped any momentum,” said head coach Rob Vaughn after the game.
Hagan Banks relieved Crowther and got the two-inning save with four strikeouts. Banks praised Crowther after the game, saying how impactful he was and how he stepped up through the injuries.
Injuries also piled up in the field for the Crimson Tide. In the sixth inning, infielder Justin Osterhouse made a bolt to home after a single by infielder Brennan Holt, but after sliding in safe, Osterhouse appeared to injure himself and left the game.
That same inning, Fowler was hit in the helmet by a pitch and was forced to leave the game as well. Alabama brought in Eric Hines and Chase Kroberger to replace them, both of whom have played fewer than six games this season.
Vaughn said he was proud of his team’s effort, even with the amount of guys being banged up.
The brightest spot of the night was Alabama’s patience at the plate. The team drew five walks and three hits by pitches while taking many at-bats to full count.
The patience paid off early as a Fowler walk to lead off helped Alabama put up three runs in the first, thanks to a two-run bomb by Brady Neal and a sac bunt by Jason Torres. Jacksonville State starter Fisher Cantrell was pulled after recording one out and throwing 26 pitches, forcing the team to go to the bullpen early.
Alabama scored two more runs in the sixth inning thanks to two hits by pitches and Peyton Steele’s first walk of the year. There were no updates provided on Tuesday night on the three injured players. As the Crimson Tide faces injuries, they will need players to step up in their upcoming series versus North Florida this weekend.
