Instant Analysis: Takeaways From Alabama Baseball's Series Win Over Manhattan College
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.- The No. 19 Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0, 0-0) baseball team defeated the Manhattan College Jaspers (0-2, 0-0) 15-0 on Saturday afternoon to take the series. The Crimson Tide recorded its second consecutive shut out and looked almost perfect on both sides of the ball.
Here are the takeaways from Saturday’s win.
Pitching Rotation Looks Elite:
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Riley Quick got the start for the Crimson Tide, pitching 3.0 innings, striking out five batters, and walking one. Greg Farone, Zane Adams, Austin Morris, and Matthew Heiberger all came into the game in relief with a combined four innings pitched, striking out five batters, and allowing one hit.
Adding those performances onto Ben Hess, Hagan Banks, and Braylon Myers outings yesterday, the Alabama pitchers are already impressing early into the season.
Crimson Hot Offense:
The Crimson Tide’s explosive bats were a big part of the series win. Seven batters recorded at least one hit, including three having multiple hits. As a whole, the team also had two stolen bases, eight drawn walks, and struck out five times. Catcher Mac Guscette was a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the plate and batted in four of Alabama’s 15 runs.
Although there has been a lack of power hitting from the Crimson Tide offense, small ball is showing to be just as efficient.
Capitalizing on Opponent’s Mistakes:
The bats weren’t the only thing giving the Crimson Tide run support. The Jaspers played sloppy ball all afternoon, hit five Alabama players with a pitch, recorded two errors, and had numerous dropped balls in the field, putting their fielding percentage at a .929. The pitchers threw four wild pitches, resulting in four runs for the Crimson Tide and a catcher’s interference on an Evan Sleight pop up in the third inning. Sleight scored two at-bats later.
It's only opening weekend, but if the Crimson Tide continues performing like this, the team could be a top contender in the conference.
