Pitching ruled the first eight innings for Alabama, and it started with Zac Rogers.
Rogers earned his first career start on Tuesday, and he didn’t disappoint, throwing four innings without allowing a hit. He also walked a pair and struck out four. He was pulled after just 48 pitches because of the short week.
“We wouldn’t have won the game if it weren’t for Zac Rogers going out there and competing,” head coach Greg Goff said. “He went out there and just threw strikes.”
Rogers started the game with a six pitch inning, and was in trouble only one time all game, which came in the third. After striking out the first two batters, Rogers walked and hit a batter to put two of the three base runners he allowed all night. He proceeded to strike out Zack Davis to get out of the jam.
“Coach [Terry] Rooney gave us the scouting report and said ‘they [UAB] have free swingers early,’” Rogers said. “I threw some two-seams and let them get themselves out. That’s one thing that I haven’t been focusing on in my last couple outings, because I’ve been mainly throwing four-seams.”
Garrett Suchey followed Rogers and finished with the win by throwing three shutout innings. He allowed three hits and struck out four. Mike Ozypok finished with a two out save.
The Crimson Tide got the first run of the game in the first inning. Cobie Vance started with a double to right field. He would come into score off a single hit by Cody Henry. The next time Alabama would score would come in the sixth.
Alabama would score three in the frame, coming off three walks and a two run double hit by Connor Short. In the bottom of the seventh the Crimson Tide would load the bases coming off a single and a pair of walks. Henry would hit a fly ball deep enough to score Sam Finnerty, followed by a single off the bat of Chandler Taylor to score Vance for the second run of the inning and sixth overall.
Cobie Vance lead the team in hits, going 3-for-4.
“It’s nice to get it [the offense] going early,” Vance said. “We get kind of uptight when we get blanks.”
Alabama looked in complete control of the game from the start, until the start of the ninth inning. Sonny Potter was the new Alabama pitcher. After a pair of singles, designated hitter Stephen Dobbs doubled to right field, scoring the first run of the game of the Blazers. After a wild pitch, that scored a run, Brett Blackwood hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field for the third run of the inning.
A walk would end the day for Potter, to be replaced by Ozypok. Ozypok would get a ground out to first, which advanced Jared Nixon to second. Nixon would score on a single for the fourth and final run of the game.
Alabama returns to action when Texas A&M comes to town. Game one starts at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
