The Crimson Tide used a walkoff home run from Justin Lebron to seal the run-rule victory
2/18/2025
TUSCALOOSA, AL – Alabama baseball topped Middle Tennessee, 12-2, on Tuesday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The game was finalized after eight innings due to the 10-run rule and improved the Tide to 4-0 on the young season.
Justin Lebron provided two of the biggest swings of the night to account for his 2-for-5 effort at the plate. The Tide shortstop was responsible for a two-run single in the fourth and a solo home run in the eighth while also leading all players with three RBI on the day. Will Hodo had his most productive performance of the season, finishing with a game-high three hits, including a solo home run and an RBI-double. Kade Snell and Coleman Mizell both finished with two RBI apiece, while Bryce Fowler, Brennen Norton and Jason Torres chipped in with an RBI apiece.
JT Blackwood (1-0) made his first start as a member of the Tide, earning the win thanks to 4.0 innings of one-run baseball with three hits, one walk and three strikeouts. Tyler Fay was the next out of the bullpen, tossing 2.0 hitless frames. Coulson Buchanan and Aidan Mozadid not allow a run in their lone innings of work, with Moza striking out the side in the eighth.
From Head Coach Rob Vaughn
"The key to winning anything is getting a good start, and JT Blackwood gave us that. He minimized damage and worked around some things. He had good stuff tonight and really set the tone for us early. Offensively, I thought we were unbelievable at setting some stuff up, which we maybe tried a bit too much early, but we let the game come to us late and took some really good swings. It was a really proficient night offensively. Now, we turn our attention to Alabama State tomorrow."
How It Happened
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide
2/18/2025
TUSCALOOSA, AL – Alabama baseball topped Middle Tennessee, 12-2, on Tuesday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The game was finalized after eight innings due to the 10-run rule and improved the Tide to 4-0 on the young season.
Justin Lebron provided two of the biggest swings of the night to account for his 2-for-5 effort at the plate. The Tide shortstop was responsible for a two-run single in the fourth and a solo home run in the eighth while also leading all players with three RBI on the day. Will Hodo had his most productive performance of the season, finishing with a game-high three hits, including a solo home run and an RBI-double. Kade Snell and Coleman Mizell both finished with two RBI apiece, while Bryce Fowler, Brennen Norton and Jason Torres chipped in with an RBI apiece.
JT Blackwood (1-0) made his first start as a member of the Tide, earning the win thanks to 4.0 innings of one-run baseball with three hits, one walk and three strikeouts. Tyler Fay was the next out of the bullpen, tossing 2.0 hitless frames. Coulson Buchanan and Aidan Mozadid not allow a run in their lone innings of work, with Moza striking out the side in the eighth.
From Head Coach Rob Vaughn
"The key to winning anything is getting a good start, and JT Blackwood gave us that. He minimized damage and worked around some things. He had good stuff tonight and really set the tone for us early. Offensively, I thought we were unbelievable at setting some stuff up, which we maybe tried a bit too much early, but we let the game come to us late and took some really good swings. It was a really proficient night offensively. Now, we turn our attention to Alabama State tomorrow."
How It Happened
- B1 | Bryce Fowler opened the inning with a double before Justin Lebron was hit by a pitch and Coleman Mizell singled to load the bases. Jason Torres then drew a four-pitch walk to push a run across. (1-0, Alabama)
- B3 I Will Hodo and Brennen Norton led off the inning with singles, placing runners at the corners. Kade Snell followed with a fielder's choice to score Hodo. With the bases full, Fowler saw four pitches to force a run in. Mizell then capitalized on his opportunity, doubling down the line in left to add two more. (5-0, Alabama)
- T4 I Three of the first four Blue Raiders reached base in the inning with an RBI-single plating Middle Tennessee's first run. (5-1, Alabama)
- B4 I Hodo led off the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run to right field. Walks by Snell and Fowler, along with Brady Neal's base-hit, loaded the bases for Lebron with two outs. In a full count, Lebron singled up the middle to score two runs. (8-1, Alabama)
- T7 I Middle Tennessee led off the inning with a single and a double, placing two in scoring position before a groundout plated one. (8-2, Alabama)
- B7 I After the first two batters reached base, Hodo lined a double to bring home his second RBI. One batter later, Norton singled through the left side to score Torres. With Hodo now at third base, Snell lifted a deep sacrifice fly to right field to punctuate the three-run seventh. (11-2, Alabama)
- B8 I Lebron slugged the game-ending home run to left field. (12-2, Alabama)
- The win over the Blue Raiders served as the 2,800th win in Alabama baseball history.
- With 12 runs on Tuesday, Alabama has scored 10-plus runs all four games this season.
- Alabama has managed 10-plus runs in four consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 21-25 of last season.
- Through four games, the Tide is averaging 13.0 runs per contest.
- Alabama drew 10 walks against Middle Tennessee, bringing its season average to 8.0 walks per contest.
- Bryce Fowler, Justin Lebron, and Jason Torres have recorded at least one hit in all four games to start the 2025 campaign.
- Lebron has produced home runs in consecutive games for the second time in his career, doing so for the first time since April 26-27, 2024, at Ole Miss.
- Factoring in his three RBI on Tuesday, Lebron has three multi-RBI games in his first four games of 2025.
- ATTENDANCE : 3,180
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide
