The Crimson Tide and Sooners will square off in the rubber game on Sunday
3/29/2025
TUSCALOOSA, AL – A ninth-inning rally came up short for No. 12 Alabama baseball, as the Crimson Tide fell to No. 9 Oklahoma, 6-5, at Sewell-Thomas Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Trailing by two runs entering the home half of the ninth inning, the Tide's first two hitters reached base before Justin Lebron worked a one-out walk to load the bases. An RBI groundout moved two men into scoring position, but the rally was shut down by a called third strike to end the game. The loss drops the Tide to 24-4 overall and 5-3 in Southeastern Conference play.
Bobby Alcock made his seventh start of the season, pitching 6.0 innings, allowing four runs on five hits to go with four walks and five strikeouts. The right-hander surrendered single runs in each of the first three innings before posting three consecutive scoreless frames, leaving the game with a runner on base in the seventh inning. Connor Ball worked a scoreless inning in relief before Hagan Banks (0-1) retired all three men he faced in the eighth. Banks was hit with the loss after being responsible for the go-ahead run in the ninth.
The Tide offense was led by Bryce Fowler, who managed a 3-for-4 outing with three singles and a run scored out of the nine-hole. Richie Bonomolo Jr. made his debut in the leadoff spot on Saturday, going 1-for-4 with a solo home run, while Kade Snell drove home a pair of runs on two separate groundouts to second, finishing 1-for-4. Garrett Staton knocked in a run for the third consecutive game as part of his 1-for-4 afternoon, with Justin Lebron and Will Plattner each collecting doubles to highlight their respective efforts.
From Head Coach Rob Vaughn
"Man, that's a tough one because our guys are tough as nails. They play really hard and never shut it down. I fully expected Kade Snell to pull one in the corner and we were going to be jumping around home plate, but that didn't happen tonight. The story of the game was all of the little things that happened throughout the game that came back to bite us. We had two sac-bunts turn into hits that came back to get us, we had a pick-off thrown away for the second day in a row, we had a balk and gave up a delayed steal. Just too many of those little things that kept us from getting off the field, and we put them on for free at least six times today. I thought Bobby Alcock competed his tail off and gave us a chance to win. Our offense kept showing up, but Cade Crossland was great today. We competed well, but we just couldn't pull it out there at the end."
How It Happened
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide
3/29/2025
TUSCALOOSA, AL – A ninth-inning rally came up short for No. 12 Alabama baseball, as the Crimson Tide fell to No. 9 Oklahoma, 6-5, at Sewell-Thomas Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Trailing by two runs entering the home half of the ninth inning, the Tide's first two hitters reached base before Justin Lebron worked a one-out walk to load the bases. An RBI groundout moved two men into scoring position, but the rally was shut down by a called third strike to end the game. The loss drops the Tide to 24-4 overall and 5-3 in Southeastern Conference play.
Bobby Alcock made his seventh start of the season, pitching 6.0 innings, allowing four runs on five hits to go with four walks and five strikeouts. The right-hander surrendered single runs in each of the first three innings before posting three consecutive scoreless frames, leaving the game with a runner on base in the seventh inning. Connor Ball worked a scoreless inning in relief before Hagan Banks (0-1) retired all three men he faced in the eighth. Banks was hit with the loss after being responsible for the go-ahead run in the ninth.
The Tide offense was led by Bryce Fowler, who managed a 3-for-4 outing with three singles and a run scored out of the nine-hole. Richie Bonomolo Jr. made his debut in the leadoff spot on Saturday, going 1-for-4 with a solo home run, while Kade Snell drove home a pair of runs on two separate groundouts to second, finishing 1-for-4. Garrett Staton knocked in a run for the third consecutive game as part of his 1-for-4 afternoon, with Justin Lebron and Will Plattner each collecting doubles to highlight their respective efforts.
From Head Coach Rob Vaughn
"Man, that's a tough one because our guys are tough as nails. They play really hard and never shut it down. I fully expected Kade Snell to pull one in the corner and we were going to be jumping around home plate, but that didn't happen tonight. The story of the game was all of the little things that happened throughout the game that came back to bite us. We had two sac-bunts turn into hits that came back to get us, we had a pick-off thrown away for the second day in a row, we had a balk and gave up a delayed steal. Just too many of those little things that kept us from getting off the field, and we put them on for free at least six times today. I thought Bobby Alcock competed his tail off and gave us a chance to win. Our offense kept showing up, but Cade Crossland was great today. We competed well, but we just couldn't pull it out there at the end."
How It Happened
- T1 | A one-out base hit came around to score when the Sooners poked a single into center field. (1-0, Oklahoma)
- T2 | A leadoff homer on the first pitch of the inning added a second Sooners run. (2-0, Oklahoma)
- T3 | OU worked a leadoff walk, with the runner taking second after a balk. A sacrifice bunt pushed the runner to third, leading to a sacrifice fly. (3-0 Oklahoma)
- B3 | Richie Bonomolo Jr. blasted a solo home run to plate the Tide's first run. (3-1, Oklahoma)
- B4 | After Kade Snell singled to open the inning, Jason Torres worked a two-out walk. With two on and two away, Garrett Statonflared a base hit into shallow left, scoring Snell. (3-2, Oklahoma)
- T7 | A leadoff walk moved into scoring position on a deep fly out to right. A one-out single up the middle drove in the Sooners' fourth run of the day. (4-2, Oklahoma)
- B7 | Brennen Norton was hit by the first pitch of the inning, taking second base when Bryce Fowler lined a base-hit into right. Bonomolo Jr. then laid down a bunt, forcing an errant throw to first, scoring Norton. With two in scoring position, Snell drove home the tying run on an RBI groundout to second. (4-4)
- T9 | Two singles, a walk and a fielder's choice loaded the bases for the Sooners, with the go-ahead run scoring on a sacrifice fly to right. A single through the left side scored a second run, though a play at the plate ended the inning. (6-4, Oklahoma)
- B9 | Pinch-hitter Coleman Mizell walked to open the inning before Fowler lifted a single into center. Lebron worked a walk following an extended at-bat, loading the bases with one out. Snell then bounced an RBI groundout to second, scoring Mizell. (6-5, Oklahoma)
- Kade Snell advanced his hitting streak to eight games, hitting 17-for-32 (.531) with four doubles, two home runs, nine RBI and four runs scored in that span
- Bryce Fowler went 2-for-4 with a run scored in his first game in the nine-hole, recording his first multi-hit game since March 11 when he recorded three hits
- Richie Bonomolo Jr.'s third-inning homer was his second of the season and first since Feb. 28 against North Dakota State
- Garrett Staton continued his hot start since returning to the lineup, going 1-for-4 with one RBI, driving in five runs in his last three games
- Snell also extended his on-base streak to 25 games, while Will Plattner and Jason Torres advanced their on-base streaks to 12 and eight games, respectively
- ATTENDANCE : 4,062
- Alabama will look to clinch the series victory when it returns to the field on Sunday, March 30
- The contest between the Crimson Tide and the Sooners is set for a 1 p.m. CT start, airing on SEC Network+
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide
