| BSB/SB Seven-Run Second Inning Highlights Baseball’s 13-2 Win over Jacksonville State on Monday: UA vs Alabama State, Wednesday.

[UA Press Release]

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball will continue its homestand with a pair of midweek matchups starting on Monday. The Crimson Tide will host Jacksonville State at Sewell-Thomas Stadium on Monday, Feb. 18 at 4 p.m. CT followed by another in-state matchup, this time with Alabama State on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 3 p.m. Both contests will air live on SEC Network+ with the duo of Eli Gold and Lance Cormier calling all the action.

The Monday matchup with Jacksonville State will feature some new promotions at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Monday's contest will be a $2 Monday where fans can get $2 general admission tickets at the window or online. Once inside The Joe, those in attendance can take advantage of $2 hot dogs at all concession stands.

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

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
MONDAY: UA – TBA vs. JSU – TBA
WEDNESDAY: UA – TBA vs. ASU – TBA

LEADING OFF
• Alabama and Jacksonville State will square off for the 40th time in series history when the two teams meet in Tuscaloosa on Monday afternoon.
• The Crimson Tide leads the all-time series 29-10, with UA holding a 25-7 record in games played in Tuscaloosa. Both games on the 2018 slate were played in Tuscaloosa with Alabama falling in game one on April 3 by a score of 4-0. The Crimson Tide bounced back for a 9-8 victory on May 8 to split the season series.
• Alabama and Alabama State will meet for the eighth matchup all-time on Wednesday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide is a perfect 7-0 overall against the Hornets, including a 6-0 mark at The Joe.
• The two in-state foes last faced off on Feb. 28, 2018, in Tuscaloosa. That game saw the Crimson Tide win handily with an 11-1 victory to close out the month of February. The Tide recorded 14 hits in the contest on the way to the midweek win. The victory over ASU was part of the Crimson Tide's perfect 4-0 mark against the SWAC in 2018 with UA outscoring its four opponents by a 43-1 margin.
• Starters for each midweek matchup are still to be announced.

ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama baseball opened its 2019 season with a three-game series against the Presbyterian Blue Hose. The Crimson Tide claimed a 7-2 win on Opening Day before splitting a Saturday doubleheader at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Tide fell, 4-1, in the early game before rallying for a 9-4 win in the nightcap.
• The Crimson Tide used early offense paired with a solid effort on the mound to earn a 7-2 win over Presbyterian on Opening Day at The Joe. With the victory, UA moved to 10-0 in the month of February under head coach Brad Bohannon. The 10-game winning streak in the month of February is the fourth-longest such streak in program history. Bohannon came up one game short of matching Jim Wells (Feb. 28, 2001-Feb. 14, 2003) and Barry Shollenberger (Feb. 24, 1991-Feb. 23, 1992) for second place. Alabama's all-time leader for consecutive wins in February is Wells, who won 22 straight contests from Feb. 27, 1996 through Feb. 25, 1998.
• The Crimson Tide struck early on Friday, scoring seven runs across the first four innings to build a lead that would prove too much for Presbyterian. The offense was led by senior Joe Breaux and junior Kolby Robinson, with each player totaling one run and three hits on the day, including a double for Breaux. Robinson added a team-high tying two RBI to match Sam Praytor in that category. The sophomore catcher recorded his two RBI on a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, the Crimson Tide's first roundtripper of the 2019 campaign.
• On the mound on Opening Day, Sam Finnerty provided Alabama with a strong starting effort. The senior worked 5.0 frames of two-run baseball, walking one and striking out three before handing the ball over to the bullpen. The duo of junior Wil Freeman and redshirt freshman Chase Lee combined to throw 4.0 shutout innings, with Lee delivering a 1-2-3 ninth to seal the victory.
• The Crimson Tide split its Saturday doubleheader with Presbyterian, falling in game one, 4-1, before a 9-4 win in the nightcap. With the game-three victory, UA claimed the series win and improved to 2-1 overall on the young season.
• In game one, UA struck first in the top of the second with a solo home run from Praytor, his second in as many games. Presbyterian countered with a solo shot in the top of the third to even things up. The Blue Hose then added one run in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings to secure the victory.
• The nightcap went in favor of Alabama with the Crimson Tide using five runs across the first and second innings to take a lead and never look back. The Tide added four more runs across the sixth, seventh and eighth innings while limiting PC to only a single score in the top of the eighth. Alabama's offense produced nine runs on 11 hits, led by Robinson's second three-hit performance of the weekend. The shortstop finished 3-for-4 with a team-high tying two RBI and added one run scored. Matching Robinson in RBI was Keith Holcombe, with the senior tallying a pair thanks to his two-run home run, part of a 2-for-4 effort at the plate.
• Freshman Connor Shamblin earned the win in his first career start, working 4.0 innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits with five strikeouts compared to one walk. Jeremy Randolph collected his first save of the young season with 1.1 innings of shutout baseball, highlighted by three punchouts from the senior reliever.
• Alabama returns 13 letterwinners while losing 18 from the 2018 squad. The 2019 Crimson Tide welcomes back three positional starters and two starting pitchers while hosting 22 newcomers.

ABOUT JACKSONVILLE STATE
• Jacksonville State returns 15 letterwinners, including five positional starters and nine pitchers, from the 2018 team that finished 33-25 overall and 18-12 in Ohio Valley Conference play to wrap up the season at fourth in the conference. The 2019 roster is without eight lettermen from a season ago, a number that includes four positional starters and three pitchers.
• The Gamecocks were selected to finish second overall in the OVC in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.
• Jim Case is in his 18th year at the helm of the Jacksonville State program. A 1983 graduate of Louisiana Tech, Case is assisted by Mike Murphree and Evan Bush, a former Alabama standout infielder. Bush played for the Crimson Tide from 2003-06, earning Third Team All-SEC honors from SEBaseball.com in 2004. In his senior season, Bush helped lead Alabama to the Southeastern Conference championship as well as a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

ABOUT ALABAMA STATE
• Alabama State was selected to once again claim the league title in the SWAC's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.
• Jose Vazquez is in his third season with the Hornets in 2018 and owns a 63-47 overall mark during his time at ASU. The first-time head coach is joined by associate head coach Drew Clark and assistant coach Matt Crane. The coaching trio are all graduates of Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Fla.

ON DECK
The Crimson Tide's 10-game homestand will continue this weekend with a three-game series against Ball State from Feb. 22-24 at The Joe. The series will begin on Friday with a 3 p.m. first pitch followed by a 2 p.m. start on Saturday. Sunday's finale is slated to begin at 1 p.m. on getaway day. All three contests will air live on SEC Network+.

 

[UA Press Release]

Seven-Run Second Inning Highlights Baseball’s 13-2 Win over Jacksonville State on Monday - Alabama Athletics

A seven-run second inning highlighted Alabama baseball's big offensive day at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, finishing in a 13-2 win over Jacksonville State. With t...

rolltide.com

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A seven-run second inning highlighted Alabama baseball's big offensive day at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, finishing in a 13-2 win over Jacksonville State. With the victory, the Crimson Tide improves to 3-1 on the year.

"It was a good win for us," said Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon. "We had a good approach early, a lot of hard contact. I think they helped us some with walks and HBPs, but we took advantage of it. Just a good effort for us all around. Some guys that came out of the pen and got their first outings were sharp – Kyle Cameron, Dylan Smith – those guys did a great job. This was a very good effort tonight. I'm pleased all the way around.?"

Alabama's offense tallied 13 runs on 10 hits, including a seven-run second that put the game out of reach for JSU early. Keith Holcombe and sophomore Tyler Gentry each finished the day 2-for-3 with three RBI. Both of Holcombe's hits were doubles, with the senior also contributing a team-high tying two runs. Also notching a multi-hit effort was Morgan McCullough, as the junior wrapped up his day 2-for-3 with two RBI and a pair of runs scored.

On the hill, the Tide saw six pitchers take the mound with redshirt junior Kyle Cameron (1-0) earning the win. The right-hander filled up the zone with 20 strikes on his 25 pitches across 2.0 shutout frames that included three strikeouts.

The Gamecocks began the day's scoring, plating one in the top of the first. A one-out single followed by a double put a runner in scoring position before a sacrifice fly brought in the game's first run. Alabama answered back with a pair in the home half to take the lead after one inning of play.

Joe Breaux led off the game with a solo home run, sending the first pitch over the right field wall for the senior's first homer of the season. A pair of singles one out later put men aboard and a throwing error by JSU placed both runners in scoring position for Holcombe. The senior capitalized on the opportunity, grounding out to second to bring in the go-ahead run and set the score at 2-1 after one full.

Alabama added seven in the bottom of the second to blow the game wide open at 9-1. A walk by freshman Drew Williamson started the rally before a single from fellow freshman T.J. Reeves put two aboard with none down. One out later, a walk loaded the base for junior Brett Auerbach, who drew a walk himself to bring in the inning's first run.

Following a JSU pitching change, McCullough singled to right center to bring in two and keep the rally going. A hit-by-pitch in the next at-bat loaded them up once again before Holcombe doubled down line in right to score another two. Gentry joined the rally in the very next at-bat with a single to left, bringing in the inning's final two runs to give the Tide an eight-run lead through two innings.

Jacksonville State chipped away at the lead with one in the third, but that would be the last of the scoring for the Gamecocks. Alabama used four arms to combine for the final six shutout frames to come away with the win.

The Tide countered with one of its own in the home half of the third. A wild pitch with a runner at third scored one and made it a 9-2 contest after three. Alabama then posted two runs in the fourth to make it a 12-2 lead, using a one-out walk and a double to put a pair in scoring position for Gentry. The right fielder singled to center to bring across one and put runners on the corners. The Crimson Tide followed with a delayed double steal in the next at-bat, as Gentry took second and Holcombe, the man on third, slid in front of the tag at the plate for another tally. A string of walks and an error in the eighth helped the Tide put one more on the board to wrap up the 13-2 win on Monday.

Alabama continues its current 10-game homestand on Wednesday with a single midweek matchup against Alabama State. The Crimson Tide and Hornets are scheduled for a 3 p.m. CT first pitch at Sewell-Thomas Stadium with the game airing live on SEC Network+.