| BSB/SB ⚾ Comeback Effort Falls Short in Baseball’s 6-5 Loss to 18th-Ranked Texas A&M

[UA Press Release]

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball welcomes 18th-ranked Texas A&M to Sewell-Thomas from Friday through Sunday for the Crimson Tide's final home series of the 2019 campaign. The Tide and Aggies are scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT start in the opener followed by a pair of 2 p.m. first pitches for the final two games of the series. The first two matchups will air on SEC Network+ with the finale earning a national audience on SEC Network.

The final weekend at The Joe will feature numerous promotions when the Crimson Tide squares off with Texas A&M. Saturday's matchup will be the Tide's "Senior Day" celebration. Alabama baseball will recognize its four seniors on-field prior to first pitch. The list of seniors includes Joe Breaux, Sam Finnerty, Keith Holcombe and Jeremy Randolph. The Tide baseball program will also recognize manager Brady Carpenter as part of the pregame ceremonies.

The Crimson Tide will celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday. As part of the celebration, moms can pick up their Alabama Baseball coffee mug at the gates. Also, the mothers of the four Alabama seniors will throw out the ceremonial pitch prior to the game. Sunday's series finale will also be the Tide's final "Kids' Day at The Joe" promotional event. All kids 18-and-under can purchase a $5 general admission ticket. Children 12-and-under will also have the chance to run the bases postgame.

FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can follow this weekend's game via the below outlets:

Watch: SEC Network+ (Friday | Saturday) / SEC Network (Sunday)
Listen: 102.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY: UA – Wil Freeman (Jr., RHP) vs. A&M – John Doxakis (Jr., LHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Brock Love (R-Jr., RHP) vs. A&M – Asa Lacy (So., LHP)
SUNDAY: UA – TBA vs. A&M – TBA

LEADING OFF
• Alabama and Texas A&M will meet for the 22nd time in the history of the two programs when the teams square off for the series opener on Friday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Aggies hold the all-time series advantage, 15-6, as well as the series lead in Tuscaloosa, 5-3.
• The two Western Division foes last met for a series from April 12-14, 2018, in College Station, where the then-19th-ranked Aggies swept the Crimson Tide from Thursday through Saturday at Blue Bell Park. Game one went in favor of A&M, 12-6, before the Aggies took game two by a score of 9-6 to earn the series victory. The finale saw the two teams go into extras, with A&M walking it off in a 3-2 win.
• Alabama will send a pair of right-handers to the hill this weekend, first with junior Wil Freeman getting the nod on Friday. The Crimson Tide will then look to its usual game-two starter in Brock Love, a redshirt junior, on Saturday afternoon. Alabama's Sunday starter is still to be announced.
• Texas A&M will call on two southpaws to start the series out. Junior John Doxakis will take the hill on Friday followed by sophomore Asa Lacy in Saturday's pairing. The Aggies have yet to announce a Sunday starter.

ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama enters this weekend with a 2-2 record across its last four matchups. The Crimson Tide traveled to Auburn this past weekend for a series with the Tigers, securing a win in the middle game of the three-game set. Alabama then traveled to Troy to square off with the Trojans this past Wednesday evening, leaving Riddle-Pace Field with a 7-3 victory to split the season series between the two in-state foes.
• The Tide suffered a 5-1 loss to Auburn on Friday evening at Plainsman Park. The Tigers kicked off the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the first for the 2-0 lead. The score would hold until UA got on the board in the fourth to make it a one-run game.
• Sophomore Tyler Gentry began the inning with a leadoff single before stealing second. A double to center from freshman Drew Williamson put the pair in scoring position for Kolby Robinson. The junior delivered on the opportunity, singling to right to bring in Gentry and set things at 2-1 through four.
• The Tide would get no closer as the Tigers added a pair in the fifth on a misplay for the 4-1 lead. One more run would cross for Auburn in the bottom of the eighth to move the score to 5-1, the eventual final.
• After a 90-minute rain delay, Alabama came away with a 7-6 win early into Sunday morning in a wild contest against Auburn. Entering the ninth down by one, the Tide rallied for two runs to regain the lead that was lost a half inning earlier. The ninth inning rally came with two outs, as a single from senior Joe Breaux tied things up. Breaux then stole second to put himself in scoring position before freshman Tyler Ras delivered a single to left field, scoring Breaux and putting the Tide out front by one.
• A quick 1-2-3 ninth from junior Deacon Medders locked up the win for Alabama and evened the series at one game apiece. Medders (1) collected his first save of the season with the clean frame, while graduate Jeremy Randolph (2-2) picked up the win. Three other Crimson Tide arms contributed on the mound on Saturday, highlighted by a standout start from Brock Love. The redshirt junior tossed 5.1 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk with six strikeouts.
• All nine starters were able to reach base safely on the night with six of those players tallying at least one hit. Ras matched junior Morgan McCullough with a three-hit performance to pace the Tide offense. Both Ras and McCullough contributed one RBI and a run scored with Ras delivering the game-winning hit. Breaux and Williamson tied for the team lead in RBI with two apiece while junior Brett Auerbach and Gentry each recorded two runs scored.
• Alabama's comeback hopes were ended late as Auburn came away with a 17-7 win on Sunday. The Crimson Tide and Tigers were knotted at 3-3 after three innings on Sunday.
• Auburn then scored one in the sixth and four in the seventh to deliver what appeared to be the crushing blow, but UA came back with three in the eighth to make it an 8-6 contest headed to the bottom of the eighth. That half inning saw the Tigers score nine runs to put things out of reach. Alabama battled for one in the ninth but would come no closer in the 17-7 series finale.
• The Alabama hitters put together another strong performance on Sunday to record 14 hits with seven of the nine starters tallying at least one hit. McCullough led UA in hits with a 4-for-5 day that included a team-leading two runs scored along with a team-high tying two RBI. Right behind him was Auerbach who contributed a 3-for-5 afternoon with two RBI and a run scored. Gentry and Ras each registered two hits with Ras adding a run scored.
• The Crimson Tide put forth a complete team effort in Wednesday's 7-3 win over Troy. The victory split the 2019 home-and-home series between the two in-state foes.
• Alabama's six bullpen arms combined for 7.0 frames of one-run baseball with junior Casey Cobb earning his first win of the season on Wednesday evening. Randolph picked up his eighth save with the Tide closer striking out three in the ninth.
• Ras split time between the mound and designated hitter spots. The freshman got the start on the hill and finished with a 4-for-5 night at the plate. His offensive effort included two doubles, an RBI and one run scored. Leading the Tide in RBI was Gentry, who totaled four thanks to his 2-for-5 effort that included a home run, a double and one run scored.

ABOUT TEXAS A&M
• Rob Childress is in his 14th season with the Aggies in 2019 and entered the new campaign with a career record of 539-283-2 - all in College Station. Childress is joined by assistant coaches Will Bolt and Justin Seely along with volunteer assistant Jeff Christy.
• Texas A&M returned 17 letterwinners, including six positional starters and seven pitchers, from the 2018 team that finished 40-22 overall and 13-17 in SEC action to finish sixth in the West and 10th overall in the league. The Aggies advanced on to the NCAA Austin Regional where they went 1-2. The 2019 roster is without 13 lettermen from a season ago, a number that includes four positional starters and eight pitchers. The 2019 Aggie roster features 20 newcomers.
• The Aggies were selected to finish fifth in the West and ninth overall in the SEC in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches.

 

[UA Press Release]

Strong Bullpen Effort Not Enough in Baseball’s 3-2 Loss to 18th-Ranked Texas A&M - Alabama Athletics

Alabama baseball fell in the series opener with 18 th -ranked Texas A&M by a score of 3-2 on Friday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Following the matchup w...

rolltide.com

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball fell in the series opener with 18th-ranked Texas A&M by a score of 3-2 on Friday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Following the matchup with the Aggies, the Crimson Tide is now 28-22 overall and 6-19 in Southeastern Conference play.

"Obviously a really tough loss tonight," said Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon. "We competed well, but you have a really, really thin margin for error when you face a team like Texas A&M and a starter like (John) Doxakis. You don't get a chance to put up a crooked number very often, and when you get that chance you have to do it. We have to execute a little better tomorrow if we want to come out on top."

The scoring was kept at a minimum on Friday evening. The Crimson Tide struck for one in the bottom of the first followed by A&M answering back with a two-spot in the second. Alabama knotted it up after the third but one unearned run in the Aggie fourth proved the difference, as the two teams went quiet the final five innings. The Tide had opportunities to tie things up, reaching a runner in four of the final five innings, but could not pull even.

Texas A&M starter John Doxakis (6-3) earned the win, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and four walks with seven strikeouts across his 7.0 frames. Aggie closer Kasey Kalich (11) picked up the save, getting the final out of the ninth to secure the game-one win. Alabama reliever Davis Vainer (1-1) suffered the loss despite a strong outing. The redshirt junior allowed one unearned run across his season-long 3.2 innings of work, but that run would prove the difference on Friday.

The Tide offense was led by the heart of the order with the 3-4-5 hitters combining for five hits. Three-hole hitter Morgan McCullough finished 3-for-4 to give the junior the team lead in hits. Cleanup man Tyler Gentry finished with one hit and a walk to extend his hitting streak to eight games. Rounding out the group was No. 5 hitter, freshman Drew Williamson, who contributed UA's lone RBI as part of his 1-for-4 evening.

Alabama got out front in the bottom of the first with one run. A one-out error allowed T.J. Reeves to reach. A single from McCullough moved him to second and a passed ball put the freshman at third. After a walk to load the bases, an RBI-single from Williamson gave UA the 1-0 advantage. Texas A&M came right back with two runs in the top of the second to take their first lead of the night, 2-1.

Things were evened up in the bottom of the third when the Crimson Tide was able to plate one more. Reeves reached on a fielder's choice before two consecutive singles loaded the bases for UA. After a strikeout, a wild pitch in the next at-bat moved everyone up 90 feet and crossed Reeves for his team-leading second run of the night, making it a 2-2 contest through three full innings.

Texas A&M retook the lead in the fourth with one unearned run thanks to a pair of Tide miscues. Alabama battled the rest of the evening, reaching a baserunner in four of the final frames but could not pull even. The Tide's best shot came in the ninth when Joe Breaux led off with a single. The senior moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, but a strikeout and foul out ended the game at 3-2 in favor of A&M.

The Crimson Tide and Aggies return to the diamond on Saturday afternoon for a 2 p.m. CT first pitch at The Joe. Alabama calls on redshirt junior Brock Love, a right-hander, in the start while A&M counters with sophomore lefty Asa Lacy. Fans can catch Saturday's contest on SEC Network+.

 

[TerryP]

With South Carolina defeating Kentucky, all three 6-19 teams are tied for the final spot in the upcoming SEC Tournament.

Although the Tide appeared to have some breathing room with Missouri being issued a postseason ban by the NCAA in January, the Tigers are appealing the decision.

Consequently, Missouri remains eligible for postseason play until the appeal runs its course.

Bama holds the tie-breaker with UofSC.

 

[TerryP]

That makes Alabama 7-19 in SEC play. South Carolina beat Kentucky earlier to move to 7-19 in conference play (Wildcats are 6-20). At the moment, Alabama is 10th in the SEC and would have the last spot in Hoover by virtue of head-to-head tiebreaker.

 

[UA Press Release]

Love’s Career Start, Solo Homers Highlight Baseball’s 2-1 Win over No. 18 Texas A&M - Alabama Athletics

A career-day by Brock Love , teamed with a pair of solo home runs helped Alabama baseball to a 2-1 win over 18 th -ranked Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon at ...

rolltide.com

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A career-day by Brock Love, teamed with a pair of solo home runs helped Alabama baseball to a 2-1 win over 18th-ranked Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The win evened the series up and moved the Crimson Tide to 29-22 overall and 7-19 in Southeastern Conference play.

"This was a really good win for us today," said Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon. "Brock (Love) set the tone and gave us a great start, pitched deep into the game; Casey (Cobb) did a great job; and Jeremy (Randolph) threw two good pitches. I like two- and three-run homers, but we will take the solo homers when we can get them. I am really excited to come to the park tomorrow with a chance to win a series over a ranked opponent with Sam Finnerty starting for us."

The Crimson Tide received a strong pitching performance from the trio of Love, Casey Cobb and graduate Jeremy Randolph in game two. Love (5-4) was impressive in the start, setting new career-high marks for innings pitched (7.0), batters faced (26) and total pitches (106) on his way to the win. The redshirt junior allowed one run on six hits and a walk while striking out three before handing it over to the bullpen. Cobb followed, with the junior contributing 1.2 scoreless innings of relief. Randolph (9) was then able to secure the win with a two-pitch save, his ninth of the season.

Alabama gained its two-run advantage thanks to solo home runs from a pair of freshmen. The first solo shot of the day came from T.J. Reeves in the bottom of the first. Reeves sent an 0-1 pitch over the scoreboard in left for his ninth homer of the season. The Tide's second roundtripper came from Tyler Ras in the fourth, as the designated hitter turned on one, sending a deep fly over the wall in left for the 2-0 lead.

Texas A&M was able to get on the board in the seventh with one run but would come no closer. The duo of Cobb and Randolph halted any potential comeback to send the two teams into Sunday with the series even at one game apiece.

The Crimson Tide and Aggies meet for the rubber match on Sunday with a 2 p.m. CT first pitch scheduled. Alabama will call on senior right-hander Sam Finnerty for the start while Texas A&M counters with sophomore Christian Roa, also a right-hander, on getaway day. The game will air nationally on SEC Network.

 

[RTB Twitter Bot]

 

[UA Press Release]

Comeback Effort Falls Short in Baseball’s 6-5 Loss to 18th-Ranked Texas A&M - University of Alabama Athletics

After falling behind early, Alabama baseball fought its way back into the game but came up just short of completing the comeback in Sunday's 6-5 loss to 18th-ranked

rolltide.com

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – After falling behind early, Alabama baseball fought its way back into the game but came up just short of completing the comeback in Sunday's 6-5 loss to 18th-ranked Texas A&M. Following the series finale, the Crimson Tide is 29-23 overall and 7-20 in Southeastern Conference play.

"Obviously, a really tough loss today after a terrible, terrible first inning, but once we woke up, the kids competed really well," said Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon. "The kids battled back back. I've said this a few times – they do a good job of just going out and playing. We are down by five and they just kept playing. The bullpen was outstanding, and I think (Sam) Finnerty did a really good job of bouncing back after the first. We're making progress but we still have to play better, and we still have to execute better."

Texas A&M built its lead in the first with five runs on three hits and an error to put the Tide in an early hole. Alabama then began chipping away at the lead. The Crimson Tide struck for one in the bottom of the first to start narrowing the gap. A two-out triple from junior Morgan McCulloughfollowed by an RBI-single from sophomore Tyler Gentrymade it a 5-1 game after one inning.

Alabama added one more in the fourth and fifth innings. The fourth began with a walk to Gentry. A single moved him to second before a double play allowed the junior to move to third. Following another walk, a single up the middle from junior Kolby Robinson brought in the Tide's second run of the day. In the fifth, freshman T.J. Reeves delivered a one-out single before stealing second to put himself in scoring position. One out later, Gentry sent a liner to left that finished with a play at the plate as Reeves slid past the tag to set the score at 5-3 through five full.

The Aggie lead was moved to one in the seventh when Alabama crossed another run. A leadoff single from McCullough began the sequence. One out later, freshman Drew Williamson singled to center. On the play, the ball went under the A&M outfielder's glove, allowing McCullough to score and make it a 5-4 game headed to the final two innings.

A&M was able to scratch for one more in the top of the eighth, a run that would prove the difference in the game. Despite the two-run lead, Alabama continued to battle in the final frame. The Crimson Tide ninth began with a single to left from Reeves. One out later, Gentry doubled off the top of the wall in center, nearly missing a home run but still bringing in Reeves to cut the lead to one.

A walk to Williamson put the go-ahead run on the bases and brought freshman Tyler Ras to the plate. Ras would go down 1-2 in the count and then the rain hit. A 48-minute delay ensued. Once the two teams returned, A&M was able to get the final two outs to secure the Sunday win and the series victory.

Texas A&M reliever Chris Weber (4-0) picked up the win with 1.0 inning of relief. Aggie closer Kasey Kalich (12) secured his 12th save of the season with one run in the ninth. Sam Finnerty (6-7) suffered the loss on Sunday, giving up five runs (four earned) – all in the first. The senior settled in after the rocky start, retiring 12 of the next 14 batters he faced to keep the Crimson Tide in the game before turning it over to the bullpen.

Alabama's offense was led by the 2-through-5 hitters. Gentry and Williamson each finished with three hits while Gentry also added a team-high three RBI to go with one run scored. Reeves and McCullough trailed closely behind, recording two hits and a pair of runs to round out the foursome.

The Crimson Tide will remain in Tuscaloosa to close out its 2019 home slate. Alabama will square off with in-state foe Samford on Tuesday, May 14, at Sewell-Thomas Stadium with the game scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch. Fans can catch the midweek pairing live on SEC Network+.