After the first two innings in Wednesday’s matchup with Middle Tennessee State, Alabama baseball found itself down for just the third time this season.

Having allowed runs in the third and fourth innings, the Crimson Tide erupted for five runs in the fifth to catapult ahead and claim the 12-6 win.

The 12 runs and 15 hits are both season highs for Alabama (9-0). Freshman catcher Peyton Wilson went a perfect 4 for 4 with two doubles, four runs scored, one RBI and a stolen base. Wilson did not have a hit in his previous two at-bats throughout the season.

“I want to build off this game especially,” Wilson said. “Whenever my name is called, get out there and compete at the best of my abilities.”

Alabama’s starter, senior William Freeman, went 1.2 innings, giving up three runs on three hits to put the Crimson Tide in a hole early. Freeman’s outing is the shortest by an Alabama pitcher this season. Fellow senior Casey Cobb took over the duties on the mound and stuffed the Blue Raiders to one run on four hits and struck out three batters in a career-high 4.1 innings.

“I wanted to attack hitters with my fastball and put pitches in the strike zone,” Cobb said. “Just keep putting up zeros so our hitters could do what they did.”

Cobb’s pitching gave the potent Alabama offense a chance to cut into the early deficit.

Alabama scored in five consecutive innings after being shut out through the first two for the first time this season. Senior Brett Auerbach, who played second base Wednesday for his fourth different starting position of the season, drove in the first Alabama run on a sacrifice in the third inning to make it 3-1. Auerbach and freshman Zane Denton were the only Crimson Tide starters without a hit in the game.

Junior Jackson Tate added an RBI triple the next inning. A Blue Raiders RBI single in the top half of the fifth inning made it 4-2 heading to the home half.

“We really believe in our offensive group,” coach Brad Bohannon said. “We don’t ever feel like we’re out of a game, and Casey did a great job of giving us a chance to get back into it.”

RBI doubles from freshmen Jim Jarvis and Owen Diodati each scored an Alabama run to tie it at four. Jarvis went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a walk while Diodati went 1 for 4.

Redshirt sophomore Sam Praytor posted his fourth home run of the season, pulling a ball down the third-base line and over the left-field wall for a three-run blast to make it 7-4.

Wilson scored in the sixth on a double play groundout by Auerbach.

Alabama scored its first two runs of the seventh inning without swinging the bat. Junior Tyler Gentry scored on a wild pitch, and Praytor scored right behind him on a balk by Blue Raiders pitcher Jack Julian to make it 10-4. Gentry went 3 for 3 with two runs scored and a HBP and has reached base safely in eight of his nine at-bats during the midweek this season.

Wilson’s final hit drove in sophomore Drew Williamson and Jarvis drove in the final Alabama run of the night. Williamson went 3 for 5 with two runs scored.

Middle Tennessee added two runs on junior Mason Speirs’ two-RBI double in the ninth.

As of Wednesday night, the Crimson Tide is one of 15 teams in NCAA DI competition that remain unbeaten this season. Alabama will host Harvard for a weekend series starting Friday in the Crimson’s opening series of the year.

“I thought it was a good win for us when we weren’t perfect,” Bohannon said. “We need to tighten some things up and work on playing a little cleaner this weekend.”