For the first time this season, the Alabama baseball team hit the road. Its first road game was a short distance away when it paired up against UAB. Alabama, after losing four straight, faced a Blazers team that had just won two out of three against Western Kentucky.
Unlike the weekend series against Missouri, Alabama was the first team to push across a run. It started in the second inning with a walk by Tanner DeVinny. He advanced on Chandler Taylor’s single. Both runners would advance on a sacrifice bunt by Connor Short. DeVinny came into score off an RBI single by Gene Wood.
Short would add to the lead with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning. The Crimson Tide would add two more runs later in the game, both RBIs went to Hunter Alexander. The first came in the seventh from a sacrifice fly that was just short of the fence. The second run came by a double to score Kyle Kaufman in the top of the ninth.
“It feels good to get the win tonight, especially on the road over a good UAB club,” said head coach Greg Goff. “I was really impressed with the poise our guys showed on the mound tonight, and our bats added some really timely hitting.”
UAB would score its only run in the bottom of the ninth, off an error by the Alabama left fielder. The run was unearned.
The Alabama pitching staff, after coming off a rough weekend, was dominate. The combination of Deacon Medders, Garret Rukes and Davis Vainer allowed eight base runners, six hits and two walks. Rukes finished with the win, while Vainer finished with his third save of the year.
Medders went four innings in his first career start. The freshman allowed three hits and two walks in the no decision. Rukes threw 3.1 innings. He allowed two hits and struck two out.
Defensively Chandler Avant started the first triple play of the season, which was also the first one since 2014. UAB catcher Stephen Dobbs hit a line drive straight to Avant, who caught it, stepped on second base and fired it over to Alexander for the 6-3 triple play.
Alabama heads to Columbia for a matchup with the No. 7 South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday.
