Bullpen Effort Powers Alabama Baseball Past Georgia at SEC Tournament, 5-3

The Crimson Tide's bullpen combined for three hits and two runs through seven innings pitched, advancing the team to the first round of double elimination play.

Author:
Joey Blackwell
Publish date:
May 24, 2022 4:46 PM EDT

HOOVER, Ala. — Despite multiple rain delays, a phenomenal relief outing by freshman pitcher Ben Hess and five early runs scored by Alabama baseball's bats gave the Crimson Tide a 5-3 victory over 6-seed Georgia at the 2022 SEC Baseball Tournament on Tuesday afternoon.

The Crimson Tide now move on to face 3-seed Arkansas on Wednesday, provided that the schedule agrees after the rainy weather on Tuesday. With the loss, Georgia is eliminated.

"It was tough after the rain delay for both teams," Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon said. "How about Ben Hess sitting there for two hours — didn't even know if he was going to pitch today — and he comes out and punches out seven of the first eight guys.

"So really proud of our team and excited that we get to stick around for a little while."

After besting the No. 5 Razorbacks two games to one last weekend, a question on the minds of many Alabama baseball fans was if their Crimson Tide would be able to maintain its momentum heading into the SEC Tournament.

Tuesday morning at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, Alabama answered that question with a resounding yes.

A deluge of rain delayed the game from its initial start time of 9:30 a.m. Thanks to the preventive maintenance of the grounds crew placing the tarp on the infield prior to the full downpour, the game was only slightly delayed, with the first pitch happening at 10:07 a.m.

In the top of the first, a leadoff double by center fielder Caden Rose set up an RBI-single by right fielder Andrew Pinckney, giving the Crimson Tide the first run of the game. After Pinckney stole second and advanced to third on a groundout by first baseman Drew Williamson, designated hitter William Hamiter fouled out down the first base line. However, Pinckney tagged from third to home despite the short distance, just beating out the throw at the plate for Alabama's second run.

"I just think we came out hot because we were just clearly excited to play," Pinckney said after the game. "We know we have got to win to keep our season alive, and you can definitely see that in our at-bats and the way we took the field. It was definitely really good to start out hot and be able to stay for a little while."

An RBI-single by Crimson Tide third baseman Zane Denton closed out the scoring in the first, but Alabama had jumped out to an early 3-0 lead.

In the top of the second, Alabama kept the momentum rolling. With the bases loaded, a wild pitch advanced left fielder Tommy Seidl from third for another run. A sac-fly to center by Williamson scored Rose, giving the Crimson Tide a 5-0 lead heading into the bottom of the inning.

In Georgia's second turn to bat, the Bulldogs were finally able to get on the scoreboard when first baseman Parks Harber hit a one-out solo home run to make the score 5-1.

In the middle of the third, another rain delay caused the tarp to come out on the infield once again. The delay lasted a total of two hours and seven minutes, leading to Alabama starting pitcher Garrett McMillan being replaced on the mound by reliever Ben Hess. For a game that was originally scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m., the clock read 1:22 p.m. as the bottom of the third got underway.

Hess quickly became the story of the game as he retired his first side in 1-2-3 fashion. However, he was far from done. Over the course of his first four innings pitched, Hess struck out nine of his 12 batters faced and surrendered no hits. Of his 64 pitches over those four innings, he totaled 44 strikes.

Hess said after the game that it was his team's rain delay at Auburn just over two weeks ago that prepared him for Tuesday's outing.

"Actually two weeks ago we were playing Auburn, and it was kind of the same situation," Hess said. "Rain delay, I was coming in, and I treated it kind of like that. I get myself ready in the locker room, and it was a bit of an abbreviated catch play, so I kind of know that going into it. Get myself ready in the locker room, and from there it's pretty much just treating it as a start, so I got some experience earlier in the doing that."

After picking up his 10th strikeout of the game to begin the seventh inning, Hess surrendered his first hit of the game, a single by Harber. After walking the next batter to put runners on first and second with one out, Hess was relieved by Brock Guffey. Hess' final line was 4.1 innings pitched, one hit, no runs, one walk and 10 strikeouts in 78 pitches. Of those 78 pitches, 52 were for a strike.

Guffey picked up right where Hess left off, forcing a groundout and striking out Georgia second baseman Cory Acton to end the seventh. In the bottom of the eighth, however, Bulldogs left fielder Connor Tate launched a two-out, two-run home run to cut the Alabama lead to two runs. Guffey promptly struck out designated hitter Corey Collins to end the inning, but not without leaving a feeling of relative unease among the Crimson Tide faithful.

Alabama came within 90 feet of adding an insurance run in the top of the ninth, but a strikeout by Denton and a groundout by second baseman Bryce Eblin kept catcher Dominic Tamez stuck at third.

In the bottom of the ninth, Alabama brought closer Dylan Ray onto the mound to replace Guffey. If there was an uneasiness left in the Crimson Tide fans at the Hoover Met, Ray put those fears to rest by retiring the side in order and giving Alabama the 5-3 victory over Georgia.

On the mound, Hess was credited with the win for Alabama, improving to 3-1 on the season. Ray picked up his eighth save of the season for his performance in the ninth inning. For Georgia, starter Luke Wagner (5-2) was saddled with the loss.

With the win, Alabama will face 3-seed Arkansas in the first round of double-elimination on Wednesday should the schedule remain unchanged. For Georgia, its trip to the SEC Tournament is over.

"The players deserve all the credit," Bohannon said. "I really didn't do anything. When you get this deep into the season, you've had some of these experiences. We've actually had a pretty good weather spring from a precipitation standpoint, but the kids deserve all the credit."