Baseball defeats Ball State in game one

By Joe Will Field

Cody Estremera, Sports Editor
February 22, 2019

Early offense and dominate pitching earned Alabama baseball its fourth win on the season, as it defeated Ball State 7-1.

It started on the mound with senior Sam Finnerty. He controlled the Cardinals for all seven innings, allowing just three hits and no runs. He threw just 68 pitches in a shortened start because of a 25-minute weather delay.

Of his seven innings, four were clean (no runners reached base). He also finished with six strikeouts, which ties his career high as a starter. The seven innings were the most he’s thrown since May 4.

“It was one of those nights where everything was going for you,” Finnerty said. “It was a good night all around.”

Two of the three allowed hits were erased on the very next batter. Both times, the Cardinal hitter hit a ground ball to the right of shortstop Kolby Robinson. Both times, he ranged to his right and fired the ball to second baseman Morgan McCullough, who completed the 6-4-3 double play.

“Those guys have been awesome,” coach Brad Bohannon said. “I’m really not surprised, because they’ve done it for six months in practice. They’re two very good baseball players.”

Here’s one of the two double-plays:

Junior Deacon Medders and freshman Dylan Smith finished the game for the Crimson Tide. Medders struck out the side in his one inning. Smith allowed a run off a walk and a hit. He also struck out a Cardinal.

Offensively, the Crimson Tide mainly struck in the first and fifth innings, scoring three runs in each inning.

In the bottom of the first, center fielder Joe Breaux was hit by a 1-2 pitch. He moved to second once third baseman Brett Auerbach singled to shortstop. Breaux scored when Keith Holcombe delivered a two-out single to center.

After a walk to load the bases, freshman Drew Williamson pulled a change-up between the second and first basemen, scoring both Auerbach and Holcombe.

Those were his first two career RBIs.

“Oh, it was awesome,” Williamson said.

Holcombe did the damage in the fifth. McCullough started the inning with a single to right, advancing to second on a fielder’s choice. With two runners on, Holcombe launched a ball to deep right-center field for his second home run of the year.

Alabama added a run in the bottom of the eighth. Robinson drew a walk and advanced to third on an error by the Ball State second baseman. After a fly out, he scored on a wild pitch,

Holcombe and Robinson finished with multi-hit games. Holcombe finished 2-for-4, while Robinson went 2-for-3 with a walk.

For Ball State, Drey Jameson had an inconsistent game. He allowed all six runs (five earned) and seven hits but struck out nine. He went four innings and left the game one batter after Holcombe’s home run because of a leg injury.

Catcher Sam Praytor left before the start of the seventh inning. He threw the ball down to second base but came up grabbing his throwing elbow. Bohannon said that they

Game two will be played at noon on Saturday.