⚾ 🥎 ⚾ Tide Falls in Rubber Match with No. 9 Arkansas, 10-2

[UA Press Release]

Crimson Tide Set to Host Ninth-Ranked Arkansas for SEC Home-Opening Series - University of Alabama Athletics

Alabama baseball welcomes the ninth-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks to Sewell-Thomas Stadium this weekend for the Crimson Tide's SEC home-opening series. The two teams

rolltide.com

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball welcomes the ninth-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks to Sewell-Thomas Stadium this weekend for the Crimson Tide's SEC home-opening series. The two teams are slated for a 6 p.m. CT matchup to start the series on Friday followed by a 2 p.m. first pitch on Saturday and a 1 p.m. start in Sunday's series finale. All three games will air live on SEC Network+.

Alabama's series against Arkansas will feature numerous promotions across all three days. Friday night at The Joe will be UA's "Bama Salute" night, where all active and former military members along with first responders will be honored at the game. Prior to first pitch, fans can get their patriotic Alabama hat and button at the gates (limited supply).
On Saturday, Sewell-Thomas Stadium will host "Bark at the Park" for the first time inside the newly renovated stadium. Fans can purchase a $15 ticket for the game that includes admission for one fan and a dog, an Alabama bandana for the dog and access to the "Dog Zone" in specific sections located throughout the ballpark. Fans can visit RollTide.com/BarkAtThePark for more details.

Sunday's series finale will resume "Kids' Day" at The Joe with $5 general admission tickets for all kids (18 and under). Following the final out of the ballgame, kids 12 and under can run the bases and get postgame autographs from the team. The Sunday matchup will also be themed around "The Office". The first 500 fans through the gate can get an Alabama baseball shirt and once inside, fans can get pictures with a mock-up of Michael Scott's desk.

FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can follow this weekend's games via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: 102.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY: UA – Sam Finnerty (Sr., RHP) vs. ARK – Isaiah Campbell (R-Jr., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Brock Love (R-Jr., RHP) vs. ARK – Connor Noland (Fr., RHP)
SUNDAY: UA – Wil Freeman (Jr., RHP) vs. ARK – Cody Scroggins (R-Jr., RHP)

LEADING OFF
• Alabama and Arkansas will meet for the 89th time in series history when the two teams begin the three-game series on Friday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide holds the all-time series advantage at 47-41 as well as the edge at home, 24-14.
• The two SEC Western Division foes last met from March 27-29, 2018, at Baum Stadium with the Razorbacks claiming a 3-0 sweep of the Tide.
• Alabama resumes its weekend rotation for a third consecutive series with a trio of right-handers getting the nod. On Friday, senior Sam Finnerty will take the hill. He is followed by redshirt junior Brock Love on Saturday and Wil Freeman, a junior, in Sunday's series finale.
• Arkansas will send three right-handers to the mound this weekend in Tuscaloosa. Redshirt junior Isaiah Campbell will get the nod in Friday's series opener before Connor Noland, a freshman, makes the start on Saturday afternoon. The Razorbacks will wrap things up on Sunday with redshirt junior Cody Scroggins toeing the rubber on getaway day.

ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama enters this weekend with Arkansas at 2-2 over the last four games. The Crimson Tide won game No. 2 of a three-game series in Oxford against eighth-ranked Ole Miss last weekend before blanking Maine by a score of 16-0 on Tuesday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
• The Crimson Tide fell, 1-0, to eighth-ranked Ole Miss in a game dominated by pitching on Friday night in Oxford. The two teams combined for only 10 hits while striking out a total of 19 times in a game that favored pitching. A solo home run in the bottom of the second provided Ole Miss with the game's only scoring play for the 1-0 win.
• UA starter Sam Finnerty suffered the hard-luck loss despite another quality start, his fourth in five outings during his senior campaign. Finnerty tossed 6.0 innings, allowing only one run on the solo homer in the second. He gave up just four hits and issued one walk while striking out four across his season-high 92 pitches.
• The Tide earned its first SEC win of the season, taking down Ole Miss, 8-6, thanks to an impressive performance from the Crimson Tide bullpen and a timely two-RBI double by Drew Williamson in the eighth.
• Following a Friday night centered around starting pitching, Saturday's matchup saw both starters exit the game before the third inning was complete. Despite a five-run second by Ole Miss, Alabama's five relievers allowed just one unearned run across the final 7.1 frames and did not allow a run in the final five innings on the way to the win.
• Junior Deacon Medders collected his second win of the season with a scoreless seventh inning and was followed by graduate closer Jeremy Randolph. The Tide closer earned his fourth save in as many chances thanks to 2.0 scoreless innings, highlighted by a pair of strikeouts in the ninth.
• Alabama's offense also shined on Saturday after a slow start to the series in game one. The Crimson Tide bats accumulated 13 hits with seven of the nine starters recording at least one knock while all nine reached base safely. The effort at the plate was highlighted by Williamson's two-out, two-run double in the eighth.
• The Tide suffered a 12-2 loss on Sunday against the Rebels. Ole Miss jumped on Alabama early with a seven-run third inning. Five more would come in the fifth for the Rebels to make it a 12-0 game through five full. UA got on the board in the sixth with two runs to set things at 12-2 after six, the eventual final as the two teams would go scoreless over the final three frames.
• Alabama recorded a season high for runs in the Tide's 16-0 shutout win over the Maine Black Bears on Tuesday to extend UA's home winning streak to 10 games.
• The Tide's bats collected 16 hits and 11 walks on the way to a season-high 16 runs. The Tide saw eight of its nine starters record at least one hit, led by three-hit performances from sophomore Tyler Gentry and Williamson. Gentry closed out his night at 3-for-5, just a triple short of the cycle, and added two RBI and a team-high tying three runs scored.
• Joining Gentry with a home run was junior Morgan McCullough and freshman T.J. Reeves. McCullough's homer was a solo shot, his first of the season, while Reeves kept his in the park for the Tide's first inside-the-park home run since 2015.

ABOUT ARKANSAS
• Dave Van Horn is in his 17th year leading the Arkansas baseball program and his 25th season overall as a Division I head coach. In total, Van Horn has accumulated 31 seasons as a collegiate head coach, including stints at the Division II and Junior College levels. Van Horn is assisted by Nate Thompson and Matt Hobbs along with volunteer assistant Taylor Smart.
• Arkansas returns 14 letterwinners, including six positional starters and seven pitchers, from the 2018 team that finished 48-21 overall and 18-12 in SEC action to finish tied for first in the West. The Razorbacks continued their winning ways, advancing to the 2018 College World Series where they fell one game short of being crowned national champions. The 2019 roster is without 19 lettermen from a season ago, a number that includes eight positional starters and 10 pitchers. The 2019 edition of the Hogs features 21 newcomers.
• Founded in 1897, Arkansas baseball entered the 2018 season with an all-time program mark of 2,196-1,384-6. The Razorbacks have made 30 postseason appearances in history, including nine stints at the College World Series in Omaha.
• The Razorbacks were selected to finish third in the West and sixth overall in the SEC in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches.

 

[Bama News]

https://www.tidesports.com/alabama-baseball-ready-for-top-10-arkansas/

 

[UA Press Release]

Early Offense Too Much for Baseball in 12-3 Loss to No. 9 Arkansas - University of Alabama Athletics

Alabama baseball suffered a 12-3 loss at the hands of ninth-ranked Arkansas on Friday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Following the series opener, the Crimson Tide

rolltide.com

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball suffered a 12-3 loss at the hands of ninth-ranked Arkansas on Friday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Following the series opener, the Crimson Tide is 18-5 on the season and 1-3 in Southeastern Conference play.

"It was a really tough night for us," said Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon. "The game got away from us there in the second inning and, in Arkansas' credit, they put a lot of good swings on the ball. (Sam) Finnerty wasn't sharp; he has been great every time this year and this just wasn't his night. It was just a tough night for us. The whole key is that we don't bring it to the park tomorrow."

Arkansas scored one in the first before putting up six in the second and another single tally in the third to put the game out of reach. The Razorbacks widened their lead with two apiece in both the eighth and the ninth to end their scoring at 12. Alabama was able to post three runs in the ninth but the late rally was not enough in the end.

Earning the win on Friday was Arkansas starter Isaiah Campbell (5-0), with the right-hander tossing 7.0 scoreless frames. Campbell allowed five hits and issued one walk while striking out seven Tide hitters. Alabama starter Sam Finnerty (4-2) suffered the loss.

The Crimson Tide will look to even the series on Saturday when the two teams meet at The Joe for a 2 p.m. CT first pitch. Alabama will look to redshirt junior Brock Love, a right-hander, for the start while the Hogs counter with freshman right-hander Connor Noland in game two. Fans can catch all the action live on SEC Network+.

 

[sean]

tough beat for the guys. but arkansas is no slouch (6 runs in the 2nd?....yikes). they're undefeated in sec play so they're a good team. hopefully our guys can come back and turn it around and even up the series later today.

 

[RTB X Bot]

 

[RTB X Bot]

 

[UA Press Release]

Big Innings Paired with Impressive Pitching Lift Baseball to 10-0 Shutout of Ninth-Ranked Arkansas - University of Alabama Athletics

Alabama baseball turned the tables on Saturday after Friday's loss, blanking the ninth-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks by a score of 10-0. With the win, the Crimson Tide

rolltide.com

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball turned the tables on Saturday after Friday's loss, blanking the ninth-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks by a score of 10-0. With the win, the Crimson Tide evened the series at 1-1 and moved its overall record to 19-5, 2-3 in Southeastern Conference play.

"How quickly things can change – This was a really, really good win for us today," said Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon. "It started first with Brock (Love) having a really good start after his outing last weekend. Then, we had a lot of hard contact up and down the lineup to beat a very good team; Arkansas is very worthy of their ranking. On top of that, the way we responded after a tough night last night. I'm really pleased with the effort today and excited to come to the park tomorrow with a chance to win a series against a top-10 team with a pretty fresh bullpen."

Alabama excelled on both sides of the ball on Saturday, posting 10 runs while shutting out the high-powered Razorback offense. All nine Crimson Tide starters reached base safely, with eight of the nine collecting at least one RBI and seven of the starters recording one or more runs scored.

Keith Holcombe finished his day at 2-for-5 with a double and his third home run of the season. The senior added one RBI and a team-high tying two runs scored. Also recording two hits was Kolby Robinson, with the junior going 2-for-5 and crossing a team-high three RBI to go with his one run scored.

On the mound, redshirt junior Brock Love (3-0) earned his third win of the season thanks to a career-long 5.1 scoreless frames. The right-hander allowed two hits and three walks while striking out one across his 83 pitches before turning it over to the bullpen. Brock Guffey followed, with the sophomore matching his career-long for innings at 2.2 before freshman Connor Shamblin closed things out with a scoreless ninth.

Alabama used a three-run second to take the early lead. The scoring started thanks a solo home run from Holcombe to lead off the inning. The senior sent a 2-1 pitch deep to left to get the Tide on the board. Alabama then loaded the bases with a one-out walk followed by a two-out single and walk to bring Robinson to the plate. The junior took advantage of the bases-loaded opportunity, sending a single through the left side to score a pair and give Alabama the 3-0 advantage after two innings of play.

The Tide added to the lead with six runs in the sixth to make it a 9-0 game. Sophomore Tyler Gentry led things off with a single through the left side before Holcombe sent a double down the line in left to put a pair in scoring position. Gentry came home in the next at-bat, as junior Brett Auerbach singled back up the chute to score one and force a Razorback pitching change.

Arkansas' new reliever walked the first batter he saw to load them up for T.J. Reeves, with the freshman drawing a walk to push one across. Another walk in the next at-bat brought another run in and sent the Hogs to the bullpen once again. Senior Joe Breaux greeted the new pitcher with an RBI-single to left and Robinson followed with another single, this one to center, to plate one more run and keep them loaded. Junior Morgan McCullough ended the scoring sequence with a sacrifice fly to center, bringing in the inning's final run to cap the scoring at six and give the Tide a nine-run advantage.

Alabama added one more in the eighth, using a sacrifice fly from Gentry to bring in the Tide's 10th run of the day. Shamblin then entered for the final frame, keeping the Hogs off the board to help Alabama record its first shutout of Arkansas since 2013.

The two teams return to the diamond on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT to decide the series. Alabama will send junior right-hander Wil Freeman to the mound while Arkansas counters with righty Cody Scroggins, a redshirt junior. The series finale between the Tide and Hogs can be seen live on SEC Network+.

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

Bama down 8-2 in the 6th to the Hogs

 

[UA Press Release]

Baseball Falls in Rubber Match with No. 9 Arkansas, 10-2 - University of Alabama Athletics

Alabama baseball fell to No. 9 Arkansas by a score of 10-2 on Sunday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Razorbacks claimed the series win with the victory,

rolltide.com

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball fell to No. 9 Arkansas by a score of 10-2 on Sunday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Razorbacks claimed the series win with the victory, while the Crimson Tide moves to 19-6 on the season, including a 2-4 mark in SEC play.

"First, I would like to give credit to Arkansas – just a really, really good club and very worthy of their ranking," said Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon. "We came into the game today having decided we were going to script the pitching and knew we were going to pitch six or seven guys. We tried to get guys in and out of the game and give them different looks, and obviously that didn't work really well for us. We weren't good enough offensively either. It was a really tough day against a top-10 club."

The Razorbacks got on the board first with two runs apiece in the first and third frames. Alabama cut the early lead in half with a two-run fourth, but four runs in the fifth and another pair in the eighth secured the series-clinching win for the Hogs. Arkansas starter Cody Scroggins (2-0) earned the win while Wil Freeman (2-2) suffered the loss in his start for the Crimson Tide.

Arkansas began the day's scoring, putting up two runs in the first for the early 2-0 lead. The Razorbacks doubled their lead with another pair of runs in the third for a 4-0 advantage through three. Alabama was able to cut the deficit to two in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of runs.

Sophomore Tyler Gentry reached on a throwing error to begin the frame and was followed by a single from freshman T.J. Reeves to put runners on the corners. A sacrifice fly by John Trousdale, a junior, brought in Gentry and got the Tide on the board. Reeves stole second and kicked the ball into no-man's land in the next at-bat to put himself 90 feet away. The batter, Brett Auerbach, then struck out, but a wild pitch allowed the junior to reach at first and crossed the runner from third to make it a 4-2 affair.

The Razorbacks doubled their total with a four-run fifth and then added two more in the eighth for a 10-2 advantage, the eventual final. The Crimson Tide had opportunities to narrow the gap, reaching runners in the fifth, sixth and seventh but was unable to pull any closer.

Alabama will now take to the road for a string of four games next week, first with the annual MAX Capital City Classic against Auburn. The Crimson Tide and Tigers will meet in Montgomery on Tuesday, March 26, with a 6 p.m. CT first pitch at Riverwalk Stadium, home to the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits. The non-conference matchup will air live on SEC Network.

 

[sean]

Alabama will now take to the road for a string of four games next week, first with the annual MAX Capital City Classic against Auburn. The Crimson Tide and Tigers will meet in Montgomery on Tuesday, March 26, with a 6 p.m. CT first pitch at Riverwalk Stadium, home to the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits. The non-conference matchup will air live on SEC Network.