11-5 Loss at South Carolina Caps Disappointing Weekend for Alabama Baseball

Despite starting the game very aggressive at the plate with a two-run lead in the top of the first, the rest of Alabama's baseball's Saturday game at South Carolina was nothing short of a disaster.

The 11-5 loss capped one of the more disappointing weekends in recent memory for Alabama baseball, who entered the weekend series as the favorite to win the series. Not only did the Crimson Tide fail to do so, but it failed to win a single game.

A sweep by a lackluster opponent is never something that a team wants to have happen to them, but a sweep on the road at a crucial time of the season makes it even worse — especially considering that the first two games of the series were decided by one run.

In the first two games, Alabama's pitching was a roller coaster. Thursday starter Garrett McMillan gave up five runs, with all five of them coming as a result of home runs. However, reliever Brock Guffey was the pitcher tagged with the loss as he gave up the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth off of an RBI single.

In Friday's Game 2, Alabama got what it wanted out of its starter in Jacob McNairy, who gave up just one run off five hits in seven innings pitched. Reliever Dylan Ray was just as solid, surrendering just one run off one hit through one inning pitched. However, it was the bats that had cooled down for the Crimson Tide: between the entire lineup, Alabama batters combined for just one run and five hits through nine innings.

On Saturday, the Crimson Tide's pitching woes returned. While Alabama was able to jump out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, it was mostly downhill from there. South Carolina scored three in the bottom of the inning to take the lead, then added two runs in the third, three in the fourth and another in the fifth to take a 9-2 lead.

A three-run home run by catcher Dominic Tamez put Alabama back within striking distance in the top of the sixth, but it proved to be too little, too late.

Heading into the weekend, Alabama was tied for third in the SEC West Division with a 9-9 conference record. Following the three losses, the Crimson Tide is now 9-12 in the conference and is next-to-last in the division. With an overall record of 25-20, things have certainly gone downhill since Alabama's road win at No. 1 Tennessee; since that win back on April 15, the Crimson Tide has gone 2-8.

In college baseball — particularly in the SEC — every conference game matters. This is true for the season as a whole, but particularly the latter half of conference play. By being swept on the road by a below-average South Carolina team, Alabama has now made its situation grow from bad to worse.

Not everything is negative, though. The Crimson Tide is still projected to be a 3-seed in whatever regional it potentially makes. Alabama still has a shot at making its second NCAA Regional in a row, but with every passing weekend, that chance will continue to decrease unless it turns its recent losing streak upside down.

In the coming weeks, Alabama hosts No. 22 LSU before a quick midweek game at Jacksonville State and a road series at No. 19 Auburn. From there, the Crimson Tide will then conclude its regular season with a home series against the No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks.

With that schedule, plenty of opportunities for Alabama still exist. However, those opportunities will prove very challenging. The risk will be great, but so will be the rewards should it succeed.

Alabama's pitching has been relatively solid over the past couple of weekends despite the losses, with Saturday's game serving as a bit of an outlier. It has truly been the Crimson Tide's failure to drive in baserunners that has been the primary nagging issues. Correct that, and Alabama could start turning one-run losses into one-run victories.

It's not going to be easy, but it's what will need to happen if the Crimson Tide wants to right the ship — something that needs to happen, and quickly.

Alabama Series Stats at South Carolina

Game 1

Game 2

Game 3