The Alabama baseball team completed its weekend sweep of Kentucky with an 8-3 win on Sunday. The win was the seventh in a row for the Crimson Tide, who has been surging since entering Southeastern Conference play.
“You back up to last Friday coming off the Auburn, the Ole Miss back-to-back, offensively we were really anemic,” head coach Mitch Gaspard said. “All of a sudden, Miller gets a two-out hit [in the Ole Miss series] and its like our offense is sparked from that point. We are starting to put together a good offense, and all those things connected, that’s how you start to win five or six in a row.”
Tucker Hawley took the mound for the Tide, going seven innings while allowing three runs and striking out two batters.
“I thought Tucker Hawley gave us another good start,” Gaspard said. “It was just a good weekend. Anytime you can sweep someone in the SEC, you’re doing some things right. I think it starts on the mound, and the difference in the series to me was, our guys were able to take us to the sixth or seventh inning.”
Hawley encountered a little trouble in the fourth when he allowed two runs to the Wildcats. During the inning, the usually hyper-accurate Hawley walked back-to-back batters to allow Kentucky to rally. Hawley, however, was able to limit the damage to only two runs and keep Alabama ahead the entire game.
“I just had a little control issues, got flustered out there a little bit,” Hawley said. “I had to lock in and save it to keep it close enough for my team to stay in the ballgame.”
Hawley was aided by an early lead, as the Tide jumped on UK pitcher Taylor Rogers for four runs in the first inning. The inning was punctuated by a towering shot to right by designated hitter Josh Rosecrans.
“We are just all trying to see the ball better and just jump on them early,” Rosecrans said.
Rosecrans, as well as first baseman Austen Smith and outfielder Andrew Miller, make up the middle of the lineup that has been key for the Tide in recent games. Gaspard said that in order to win, it is necessary to get production from the middle of the lineup, stating that it does not matter how many times the Tide’s talented top three hitters get on, unless there is someone to bring them home. The added strength in the heart of the lineup not only drives in runs, but an added presence also takes some of the pressure off the top of the lineup.
“When everybody’s hitting and scoring eight runs today, we can relax a little bit,” shortstop Jared Reaves said.
With the win, the Tide moved to 18-7, 5-1 in SEC play. The Tide’s next test will come on Tuesday against in-state foe UAB, as the Tide takes on the Blazers at Regions Field in Birmingham at 6:05 p.m.
“Everybody is in a good mood,” Hawley said. “Everybody is showing up at the field ready to go. When we are winning games, everybody wants to get in there and get after it.”
