Alabama Baseball Blows Five-Run Lead in Loss to Texas A&M

HOOVER — Alabama’s inconceivable run on this 12 months’s SEC Event skilled its first snag. After constructing a five-run lead by means of 4 innings, the 11-seed Crimson Tide’s pitching workers ran out of steam because it allowed 2-seed Texas A&M to rally again for a 12-8 victory Friday night time.

Alabama will now play Florida in an elimination sport on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. CT. The winner of that sport will face Texas A&M in a semifinal elimination sport at 4:30 p.m.

As was the case in wins in opposition to Georgia and Arkansas earlier within the event, Alabama jumped out to an early benefit Friday night time, utilizing a mix of well timed hitting and poor Texas A&M fielding to take a 6-1 lead after 4 innings.

Solely this time the Tide’s pitching workers was unable to take care of the benefit.

Alabama left a withering Grayson Hitt within the sport one batter too lengthy because the beginning pitcher allowed a three-run dwelling run to Texas A&M’s Dylan Rock to chop the Crimson Tide’s result in 6-4 within the high of the fifth.

Hitt had held the Aggies to 1 run on two hits over the primary 4 innings however started to falter within the fifth, starting the inning by throwing seven straight balls. After permitting two runners to succeed in base, the left-hander got here a strike away from escaping the jam earlier than seeing his 3-2 pitch to Rock lined over the left-field wall.

Alabama’s implosion continued the next inning as three extra Texas A&M runs allowed the Aggies to take a 7-6 lead. A pair of walks and successful by pitch loaded the bases for Texas A&M earlier than a single from Kole Kaler tied the sport. From there, the Aggies went on high as Rock was hit with the bases loaded and two outs.

Texas A&M added to the Crimson Tide’s distress with 4 runs within the high of the seventh inning. Three of these got here on a two-out dwelling run by Trevor Werner. The Aggies scored eight of their runs with two outs.

Alabama rallied again with a pair of runs within the backside of the seventh on a bases-loaded double by Bryce Eblin however was unable to get something greater than that, stranding two runners on base within the inning. The pair of runs represents the one time the Crimson Tide has scored outdoors of the primary 4 innings in all three of its video games within the event.

Alabama’s early lead was aided by some sloppy fielding from Texas A&M. Following a leadoff single from Caden Rose within the backside of the primary, Andrew Pinckney appeared as if he would floor out right into a double play. Nevertheless, a low throw from shortstop Kale Kaler bounced off the glove of first baseman Jack Moss and into proper discipline, permitting Pinkney to succeed in third base with one out. A sacrifice fly from Drew Williamson gave Alabama its first run the following at-bat.

After permitting the Aggies to tie the sport within the high of the second inning, the Crimson Tide continued its sizzling hitting within the backside of the body. Following one-out singles from Tommy Seidl and Jim Jarvis, Rose tripled off the right-field wall to place Alabama up 3-1. Rose then scored on an error by Werner, who booted a softly-hit floor ball down the third-base line. Texas A&M dedicated 5 errors on the day.

The Crimson Tide went up 6-1 within the backside of the fourth because of RBI singles from Pinckney and Dominic Tamez earlier than permitting Texas A&M to rally again.

Friday’s loss snaps a five-game profitable streak for Alabama (31-26) relationship again to a regular-season sequence win over Arkansas. Coming into Friday, the Crimson Tide was the No. 61 crew in Baseball America’s 64-team NCAA Event projection. Regardless of recording wins over Georgia and Arkansas earlier within the event, Alabama probably wants yet one more win to really feel snug about being named to an NCAA regional on Monday. 

Ultimate: Texas A&M 12, Alabama 8