The Alabama baseball team traveled to Athens, Georgia for an unorthodox Thursday through Saturday SEC weekend series. The series began with an extra-inning affair that lasted over five hours. The Crimson Tide was able to win the game in 13 innings, 10-7, but the series was evened out on Friday when UGA was just one out from a no hitter for a 7-1 win. The series came down to game three on Saturday and the home team prevailed, 12-4.

The Crimson Tide’s starting pitcher, Nick Eicholtz, struggled in game three, giving up seven runs, six of which were earned over just three innings of work. The game was close, UGA holding a 3-2 lead after the third inning, but then the Bulldogs put a seven spot on the board in the fourth inning to blow the game wide open, 10-2. 

Alabama could not come back from the deficit.

“Give credit to Georgia [Saturday],” coach Mitch Gaspard said. “They hit us in the mouth in a hurry, and then the big inning there in the fourth where we broke down all over the field. We didn’t defend in that inning, and they took advantage. We just weren’t clean in any area today, and in this league you’re going to get buried when that happens.”

Alabama’s pitching staff, which ranked in the top 25 before the series, was roughed up. UGA scored 26 runs, batted for .297 average over the series and chased starters Geoffrey Bramblett and Eicholtz before they could get to the fifth inning.

Chance Vincent, who was the hero Friday night with the game winning two-out RBI triple to take the lead in the 13th inning, was one of the few with a good day on Saturday. He had two RBIs and finished with four over the weekend.

Alabama will return home for a pair of games Tuesday and Wednesday against Alcorn State.