Comeback Effort Falls Short as Alabama Baseball Falls to Texas A&M, 3-2

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — For the third-straight SEC series in a row, Alabama baseball dropped its opening game against a conference opponent, this time in a 3-2 loss to Texas A&M.

The loss signifies the 12th one-run game of the season for the Crimson Tide — the most in Division 1 college baseball. Of those 12 games, Alabama is 5-7.

"That was a really good college baseball game tonight," Crimson Tide head coach Brad Bohannon said. "I thought both starting pitchers were outstanding and [Garrett McMillan] gave us a great start. Hunter Hoopes and Brock Guffey did us some good things out of the bullpen.

"They hit a home run in the sixth inning and we had our chances in the seventh and eighth and just couldn't get a big hit when it mattered and that's kind of the difference in the game."

Alabama posted the first run on the board in the bottom of the second when right fielder Andrew Pinckney doubled off of the warning track in left field, giving Owen Diodati the all-clear to round third and give the Crimson Tide its first run of the game.

In the top of the fourth, Texas A&M right fielder Brett Minnich hit an RBI-double as well with two outs, tying the game at one run apiece. The game remained tied until in the top of the sixth, Minnich struck again, this time with a two-run home run around the foul pole in right field.

Despite the home run, Alabama starting pitcher Garrett McMillan had pitched a solid start for the Crimson Tide. After Minnich's round-tripper, McMillan remained in the game through the end of the side. In the top of the seventh, though, he was replaced by Jake Leger.

Through six innings pitched, McMillan had allowed three runs off of six hits, walked just one batter and struck out nine. Of 102 total pitches, 62 were strikes — good for roughly 63 percent.

After giving up a walk and a double to start his outing, Leger was replaced by Hunter Hoopes on the mound. With runners on second and third, Hoopes retired three-straight batters with a groundout and two strikeouts. The result caused the 4,325 fans in attendance to erupt in what might have been the loudest moment of the season thus far at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

Alabama managed to score one runner in the bottom of the seventh with a bases-loaded walk of shortstop Jim Jarvis. The run brought the Crimson Tide within one run of the Aggies. However, Alabama left a total of six baserunners on base between the seventh and eighth innings and, in the bottom of the ninth, was retired in order to bring the game to a 3-2 conclusion in favor of Texas A&M.

Texas A&M starting pitcher Nathan Dettmer (2-2) was credited with the win for the Aggies, while closer Brad Rudis (2) picked up the save. McMillan (2-2) was saddled with the loss for Alabama.

With the loss, Alabama falls to 15-12 on the season and is 2-5 in SEC play. Texas A&M rises to 16-9 and is 4-3 in the conference. The Crimson Tide and the Aggies will face each again on Saturday in Game 2 of the weekend series (4 p.m. CT, SEC Network).

Gallery: Alabama Baseball vs Texas A&M