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⚾ 🥎 ⚾ Alabama visits Jacksonville State: HR in the top of the 9th breaks tie, Bama wins 4-3
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TUSCALOOSA — After Alabama baseball swept its rival Auburn the Crimson Tide coach was already focused on a midweek matchup at Jacksonville State.
"We got maybe the hottest team in the country we're going on the road to see Tuesday. So you got to enjoy this tonight and turn our attention to Jacksonville State," Rob Vaughn said.
The Gamecocks are 23-5 with a 9-0 record in Conference USA play. They have won 13 of their last 15, games since a 6-5 loss to Alabama back on March 3 in Tuscaloosa. This go around, the Crimson Tide will travel to Jacksonville for a Tuesday matchup. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
The Gamecocks entered the third weekend of conference play earning votes in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, garnering 15 points and being the sixth team outside the rankings.
The Gamecocks' pitching staff got a big portion of the praise from Vaughn. The staff holds a 3.53 ERA and has held opponents to a .213 batting average on the season.
"There's an identity to them. They play really hard. We played them early in the year but they're just good, plain and simple. They pitch, they don't give up a ton of runs. They got some dynamic athletes."
The Gamecocks are led by third-year coach Steve Bieser. Bieser has previously coached at Missouri for seven seasons, and holds a career record of 344-286-1. Bieser was fired from the Tigers and Jacksonville State hired him ahead of the 2024 season to replace Jim Case.
"Steve's a really good coach. He's spent some time in this league. He's a darn good baseball coach and he's got them playing good ball right now," Vaughn said.
He works for JSU now doing their radio stuff...
Alabama wins 4-3!
This almost ended up as a coulda, woulda, shoulda game for Bama. UA left a lot of guys on base (9), especially early, and never got the big inning at the plate. In all, UA hitters went 3-17 with guys on base. The first 3 in the order were a collectively 0-12 with 5 K's (and 3 free passes) until Brady Neal came to the plate in the 9th to crush a 2 out solo HR, which turned out to be the game winning run.
The Tide did put some runs up early behind a 2 run, 2nd inning HR by John Lemm. Bama added a run in the 5th when Lemm scored on an Osterhouse double. JSU scratched back in the with a solo HR and then added another run in the 7th. In bottom of the 8th, the Gamecocks drove one home to tie it at 3. Later that inning, JSU had the bases loaded with 1 out... Bama wiggled out of it with a K and then the JSU runner on 3rd attempted a delayed steal of home during the next AB. He was thrown out easily to end the inning.
JT Blackwood got the start for Bama and went 3 innings, giving up just 1 hit. 6 Tide relievers followed including lefty Evan Steckmesser who pitched the final 1 2/3 inning, picking up with win. This is a midweek game, but a really nice resume (Quad 1) win for Bama...
Next up for Alabama: 3 game series on the road vs. #2 Texas.
Neal's blast in the 9th...
This almost ended up as a coulda, woulda, shoulda game for Bama. UA left a lot of guys on base (9), especially early, and never got the big inning at the plate. In all, UA hitters went 3-17 with guys on base. The first 3 in the order were a collectively 0-12 with 5 K's (and 3 free passes) until Brady Neal came to the plate in the 9th to crush a 2 out solo HR, which turned out to be the game winning run.
The Tide did put some runs up early behind a 2 run, 2nd inning HR by John Lemm. Bama added a run in the 5th when Lemm scored on an Osterhouse double. JSU scratched back in the with a solo HR and then added another run in the 7th. In bottom of the 8th, the Gamecocks drove one home to tie it at 3. Later that inning, JSU had the bases loaded with 1 out... Bama wiggled out of it with a K and then the JSU runner on 3rd attempted a delayed steal of home during the next AB. He was thrown out easily to end the inning.
JT Blackwood got the start for Bama and went 3 innings, giving up just 1 hit. 6 Tide relievers followed including lefty Evan Steckmesser who pitched the final 1 2/3 inning, picking up with win. This is a midweek game, but a really nice resume (Quad 1) win for Bama...
Next up for Alabama: 3 game series on the road vs. #2 Texas.
Neal's blast in the 9th...
Starting Thursday, UA at OU in Norman. Texas is in Tuscaloosa this week for softball.
Easy to get confused; I had to look twice yesterday.
(It goes back to a bitch of mine ... I don't want to hear about travel expenses for collegiate sports when these two series could have coincided with scheduling. Seems ridiculous to me.)
Yes, correct. That’s about the 3rd time in my mind I’ve made that mistake.
Based on what I saw the runner was gambling that that the pitcher was gonna turn his back when he got the ball. Those are almost always run off what they’ve seen on previous plays/throws.
I don't have the experience you do with the sport. What little I had playing is what keeps hitting me. I could be remembering this ALL wrong.
What I remember was...yes, we were told to play off 3rd and watch the pitcher. But, it was also emphasized he didn't want that with a lefty at bat. The idea was to somewhat shield what the catcher could see.
I didn't pitch. I remember my coach telling those who did, "never turn your back to 3rd in situations with RISP."
Hat tip to the heads up play on d.
Along with my interpersonal rants about schedules ...
Just remembered, Saturday is "Barnyard at The Brick Yard." Last year it was UGA. UGA girls, in cowboy boots? It was Ole Miss in '24: in retrospect, I'll give them a one day pass.
This year...it's Texas. Bama in boots. It just means more.
It's sometime a tendency on a certain pitcher that is picked up on in advanced scouting. If I had to guess, in this situation and based on how that inning went, Steckmesser (who had just come into the game with the bases loaded a couple batters before) was ignoring on the runner when Plattner was throwing the ball back to him (like you alluded to basically, turned his back to him). Either the 3rd base coach gave the runner the green light, or maybe he felt he had it in that situation (he was one of their fastest guys). But if you watch the replay, Plattner checks him, which holds him up. Then the kid breaks and Platter immediately yells at Steckmesser. Ended up an easy out because Plattner was paying attention and doing what he was supposed to do. Sorta made up for his missed tag (although I'm not sure it was actually missed) on the play at home earlier in the game where the throw beat the runner by 10 feet but the Jax St. guy somehow got his hand on the plate under the tag.
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