After Friday’s game, Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon talked about the importance of pitchers getting experience pitching with runners on base. Sophomore Connor Shamblin got some experience pitching in pressure-packed situations after a shaky first inning against Northeastern on Saturday.

To start the game, Shamblin hit a batter on his first pitch. On the second, Northeastern’s Jared Dupere hit a single to center field. After Shamblin threw a ball on his third pitch, Northeastern’s Ian Fair hit into a double play but a runner advanced to third. Shamblin hit the next batter on his fifth pitch. In his sixth pitch, the batter popped out to retire the side. Despite putting four runners on base, Shamblin was able to get out of the first inning with no runs allowed and two runners stranded.

“[Rebounding from slow start was] more of the mental side… [I was] a little anxious to start the game but I just settled down,” Shamblin said. “Trust [infielder Kolby Robinson], trust [infielder Jim Jarvis]. Turning a good double play in the first [inning] — that helped me get in a rhythm, helped me get going throughout the whole game.”

Later in the fourth inning, Shamblin pitched with multiple runners on base once more, this time with runners at first and second base. Shamblin struck out the next batter; then a groundout would again leave two runners stranded.

The next inning, Shamblin would strike out all three batters to end his day. Shamblin would end the game with no runs allowed, three hits, five strikeouts, two hit batsmen and one walk on 57 pitches as Alabama won 8-0.

“The result was good but I just thought that [Shamblin’s] body language was really good. He didn’t start nibbling and trying to avoid the bat,” Bohannon said. “When you pitch in the SEC you’re going to pitch with people on base a lot. We’ve thrown back-to-back shutouts but we’re not asking our pitchers to throw shutouts. We got a really good offensive team, pretty athletic defensively, just slow the other team down. If you can give them one in the second, two in the fourth and one in the seventh then we’re going to win a lot of baseball games. Really glad we’re putting up zeroes, and really, really pleased with [Shamblin’s] presence. It’s a sign of maturity.”