A nightmare opening inning put No. 13 Alabama baseball in an early hole it couldn’t climb out of in an 11-2 loss to UAB.
“What happened tonight in the manner in which it happened is inexcusable,” head coach Rob Vaughn said. “But that’s a good team.”
The Blazers came out swinging in the top of the first inning, second baseman Brady Waughn dunked in a RBI bloop single to left, giving them a 1-0 lead. Right fielder Andrew Hunt followed with an RBI single to center, and another run came across on an E8 from Crimson Tide center fielder Bryce Fowler, to make it 3-0. A third straight single loaded the bases and ended Crimson Tide starter Luke Smyers day after recording just one out.
“We’re not thrilled with his outing,” Vaughn said. “He’s not thrilled with his outings. He’s got to be significantly sharper, and he will be. But man, we got to do some stuff behind him to help him out, too.”
Righty JT Blackwood replaced Smyers and allowed a two-run single to third baseman Alex Dupuy just out of the reach of a leaping Justin Lebron at shortstop. Two more runs came across to score on a throwing error from Crimson Tide third baseman Jason Torres to give the Blazers a 7-0 lead before the Crimson Tide even came to the plate.
The Blazers made it a 9-0 game in the top of the fourth on an RBI single from outfielder JP Head, a second run came across on an error from right fielder Brady Neal, the fourth error in as many innings for the Crimson Tide.
Left-hander Connor Lehman took over for Blackwood and walked the first two batters he faced to load the bases with nobody out. Lehman settled down and picked up a strikeout, then induced a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play.
Freshman Owen Sarna came in relief for Lehman in the top of the fifth inning and worked a 1-2-3 inning with a pair of strikeouts. Sarna then worked a scoreless fifth inning.
Crimson Tide catcher John Lemm crushed a two-run homer into the Blazers’ bullpen, his sixth of the season, to cut the deficit to 9-2.
Austin Morrus replaced Sarna in the top of the seventh and gave the Blazers those two runs right back on an RBI double from Dupuy, followed by a safety squeeze from shortstop Baylor Roberts to make it an 11-2 ballgame.
Joe Chiarodo replaced Austin Morris on the mound to start the eighth inning and retired the Blazers in order. Zack Kittrell got the call for the top of the ninth and faced the minimum, thanks to a strike ’em out throw ’em out double play and a beautiful diving play in left field from Eric Hines.
“This game is hard, and this game is unforgiving, and this game is so, so mental in so many ways,” Vaughn said. “That’s why when things are going good, things just seem to bounce your way and go your way, and when things go bad, it seems like everything kinda goes bad. And that’s the nature of the game.”
The Crimson Tide went scoreless in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Blazers a lopsided 11-2 victory.
