No. 20 Alabama Baseball Stifles Richmond on Opening Day, 12-3

A mound gem by Grayson Hitt and a stellar performance by the batting lineup gave the Crimson Tide what it needed to overpower the Spiders.

Author:
Joey Blackwell
Updated:
Feb 17, 2023 10:34 PM EST
Original:
Feb 17, 2023

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A mound gem from starting pitcher Grayson Hitt coupled with red-hot hitting by the Crimson Tide bats were the story of the day as No. 20 Alabama baseball overpowered the Richmond Spiders, 12-3.

In five innings pitched, Hitt surrendered just one run off one hit — an unearned run due to a throwing error by third baseman Colby Shelton — walked three batters and struck out eight. All eight strikeouts by the Spiders were swinging.

Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon was satisfied with Hitt's first outing of the 2023 season.

"I just thought it was a really mature game by our group on both sides of the baseball," Bohannon said. "It starts on the mound. I thought Grayson was outstanding and just had a lot of maturity. His body language, his demeanor, his tempo — really attacked the hitters and got us off to a great start on the mound."

Considering it was opening day, Alabama's lineup was very successful. In total, the Crimson Tide hitters recorded 14 hits and were walked four times. Including three batters hit by pitch, that's 21 baserunners out of 37 at-bats on the afternoon.

Right fielder Andrew Pinckney led the charge for the Crimson Tide, batting 4-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Florida transfer catcher Mac Guscette, who was making his debut for Alabama, also hit 3-for-4 with two runs, four RBI as well as a three-run home run.

"I thought our approach offensively was outstanding," Bohannon said. "[...] Up and down the lineup, a lot of production, a lot of hard contact — a lot of hits on both sides of the field."

On the mound for Alabama, the Crimson Tide utilized four pitchers, including Hitt, Luke Holman, Hunter Furtado and Kaden Woods. Combined, the four pitchers surrendered three runs off four hits, walked three batters and struck out 13 on the afternoon.

Hitt (1-0) was credited with the win on the mound for Alabama, while Brock Weirather (0-1) was saddled with the loss for Richmond.

Up next, the Crimson Tide will take on the Spiders once again on Saturday in Game 2 of the three-game series. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. CT, with the game being broadcast on SEC Network+.

Alabama Stats

Richmond Stats

How It Happened:

Final Score: Alabama 12, Richmond 3

Top 9

Elbeery struck out looking. Ball game.

Pacheco struck out swinging. Two out.

Sprague-Lott hit a solo home run to left field. 12-3 Alabama. One out.

Lass popped up to the catcher. One out.

New pitcher for Alabama is Kade Woods. Final line for Furtado: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 23 TP.

Bottom 8

West flied out to left. Inning over. Barring a miracle by the Spiders, we are three outs away from the game's conclusion.

Swinney beats out the throw to first for an infield single. Runner on first, two out for Jaxson West, who is pinch-hitting for Guscette.

Guardino struck out looking. Two out.

Hayslip struck out looking. One out.

Top 8

Furtado snags a grounder and tosses it to first for the third out. Side retired in order.

Neff struck out looking. Two out.

Mathes struck out swinging. One out.

Bottom 7

Hodo grounded out to first. Inning over.

Will Hodo to pinch hit for Williamson.

Williams popped up and out to second. Two out.

Hamiter tripled to left center, Portera scored from first. 12-2 Alabama. One out, runner on third for Williams, who is pinch hitting for Tamez.

Will Hamiter in to pinch hit for Pinckney.

Portera hit by pitch.

Will Portera in to pinch hit for Shelton.

Johnson struck out swinging. One out.

Ed Johnson in to pinch hit for Jarvis.

Top 7

Beal grounded out to first. Side retired.

Kluska hit a two-out solo home run to left. 11-2 Alabama.

Elbeery grounded out to first. Two out.

Pacheco grounded out to short. One out.

Hunter Furtado replaces Holman on the mound. Final line for Holman: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 16 TP.

Bottom 6

Guscette flied out to right. Inning over.

Eblin flied out to left. Two out, runner on first.

Rose popped up to short. One out.

Seidl drew a leadoff walk.

New pitcher for Richmond: Esteban Rodriguez.

Top 6

Pinckney made a sprinting catch in right field to retire the side.

A wild pitch advanced Hipsman to second.

Lass struck out swinging. Two out, runner at first.

Hipsman grounded into a fielder's choice, safe at first. One out, runner on first.

A leadoff single for Neff puts a runner on first for the Spiders.

Luke Holman replaces Hitt on the mound. Final line for Hitt: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (unearned), 3 BB, 8 K, 81 TP.

Bottom 5

Williamson flied out to left. Side retired.

Tamez struck out swinging. Runners on first and second, two out.

Pinckney is now 4-for-4 on the afternoon.

Pinckney singled to left, Guscette scored. 11-1 Alabama. Runners on first and second, one out for Tamez.

Shelton is hit by the pitch for the second time today. Runners at the corners, one out for Pinckney.

Jarvis flied out to right, Guscette advanced to third on the throw. Runner on third, one out for Shelton.

Guscette doubled to the left corner. Runner on second, nobody out.

Top 5

A groundout ends the side.

Eight swinging Ks for Hitt. Two out, runner at first.

Make that seven swinging strikeouts for Hitt as he fans Elbeery to start the fifth.

Bottom 4

Eblin struck out swinging. Inning over.

Rose stole second.

Rose singled to left, both Pinckney and Williamson score. 10-1 Alabama. two out, runner at first for Eblin.

Seidl hit an RBI groundout, Shelton scored. 8-1 Alabama. Runners on first and second, two out for Rose.

Williamson drew a walk. Bases loaded, one out for Seidl.

Tamez flied out to right. One out.

Pinckney singled to left. He is now 3-for-3 on the afternoon. Runners on first and second, nobody out for Tamez.

Shelton hit by pitch. Runner on first, nobody out.

Richmond goes to the bullpen, and Weirather's day is done. Now on the mound for the Spiders is RHP Vincent Corso.

Top 4

Make that six strikeouts for Hitt, all of them swinging. Side retired.

Rose makes a running catch in center field. Two out.

Hitt struck out Lass. That makes five strikeouts for Hitt.

Bottom 3

Jarvis struck out swinging. Inning over.

Guscette crushes a home run right over the 360 sign in left field. Three runs score. 7-1 Alabama.

Eblin is walked. Runners on first and second with two out for Guscette.

Rose stole second base. The first baseman dropped a pickoff attempt, leading to Rose sliding in safely at second. An E3 is issued.

Rose reached on a fielder's choice, Williamson out at second. Two out.

Seidl hit a sac-fly to center, Tamez advanced home. 4-1 Alabama. Williamson on first, Rose at bat.

Williamson singled to right, Pinckney crossed the plate and Tamez advanced to third. 3-1 Alabama. Runners once again at the corners with nobody out, Seidl at the plate.

Tamez singled to left, Pinckney advanced to third. Runners at the corners, nobody out. Williamson now in the batter's box.

Pinckney splits the outfielders in right-center for a double. Pinckney on second, nobody out as Tamez steps up to the plate.

Top 3

Another swinging strikeout ends the Spiders' side of the third. That gives Hitt 4 Ks on the afternoon.

Hitt picks up his second strikeout of the afternoon. One out, runner at second.

A fair ball hit by Kluska is initially called foul, but a coaches challenge from Richmond's coach proves successful. Runner on second, nobody out for the Spiders.

Bottom 2

Shelton struck out swinging. Inning over, but Alabama has taken the lead.

Jarvis beat the throw on an infield single, Eblin scored. 2-1 Alabama. Runners on first and second with two out for Shelton.

Guscette singled to right-center. Seidl crossed the plate, Eblin advanced to third. Runners at the corners with two out for Jarvis. 1-1 score.

Eblin is walked. Seidl at second, Eblin at first with two out.

Rose struck out swinging. Two out, Seidl still at first.

Seidl hits a line drive to right for a single. Runner on first, one out for Rose.

Top 2

Elbeery flied out to right. Side retired.

A throwing error by Shelton on a grounder gives Lass enough time to advance home. 1-0 Spiders. Two out, runner at first.

Hitt struck out Sprague-Lott. Two out. However, a wild pitch also advanced Lass to second.

Hitt walks Lass, giving the Spiders their first baserunner of the afternoon. Runner on first, one out.

Bottom 1

Tamez flied out to deep right, leaves Pinckney stranded. Inning over.

Pinckney singles up the middle for the Crimson Tide's first hit of the 2023 season. Two out, Pinckney on first as Tamez steps up to the plate.

Top 1

Three up, three down for Hitt in the first.

Pregame

And of course Chris Stewart knows exactly what to say to start the broadcast:

Alabama held a moment of silence for Davis Heller ahead of the game. Heller passed away unexpectedly last October near the campus of North Greenville University, where he had transferred to continue his college baseball career.