Alabama Baseball's Relentless Offense Opens Tuscaloosa Regional With a Victory

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama baseball struck early and often to take control of Friday's opening game at the Tuscaloosa Regional. The Crimson Tide scored runs in six of the first seven innings to bury the Hornets 21-3 to stay on the winner's side of the weekend bracket. The victory is head coach Rob Vaughn's first NCAA regional win in charge at Alabama, and is the most runs scored in an NCAA Tournament game in program history.

"Good win tonight," Vaughn said. "Obviously, kind of a business-like win. I thought our guys were hooked in from the jump. I've been challenging them all week to make sure we were focused and hooked in and not looking ahead to what can happen in this regional. I thought they rung the bell."

Alabama opened the game with a bang as centerfielder Bryce Fowler led off the home half of the first inning with a triple. Shortstop Justin Lebron got the first of his four RBIs, scoring Fowler with a sacrifice fly.

"Obviously, leading off the game, you guys have heard me talk about it, it's our heartbeat when he goes like that," Vaughn said. "That offense really gets rolling. Great job by him [Bryce Fowler] and Bron [Justin Lebron] getting on the board in the first. Lukey [Vaughn] had an awesome, awesome day at the plate. These two guys [Bryce Fowler and Luke Vaughn] were incredible and kind of paced the offensive side and just kept scoring and I think that's the biggest piece."

The Crimson Tide refused to relinquish the lead and instead extended it in the second inning as Luke Vaughn crushed a two-run blast over the left field fence to give Alabama a 3-0 lead.

Alabama State posed its only threat to Alabama in the third inning as Crimson Tide starting pitcher Tyler Fay served a two-out walk to Breydon Divine. Miguel Oropeza punished the mistake by sending a Fay pitch into the Alabama bullpen for a two-run home run, cutting the Alabama lead to 3-2.

Fay settled back in and managed two more scoreless innings before getting touched once more in the sixth inning, giving up a solo home run to Trey Callaway. Fay finished 5.2 innings of action, giving up three runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and a walk.

The Crimson Tide scored nine runs in two frames between the two Hornet home runs, rendering Fay's mistakes meaningless. Brennan Holt opened the inning by bunting a single and stretching it to a double on a throwing error. Vaughn brought him in for his third RBI with a single, and the carousel was started. Vaughn moved to second on the first of two wild pitches in the inning and scored on Bryce Fowler's single. Fowler scored on Brady Neal's double, and that ended Alabama State starting pitcher Jorhan LaBoy's evening.

The Hornet's bullpen stepped in for a struggling LaBoy, but couldn't stop the bleeding. Camden Matthews immediately walked Jason Torres on four pitches, then hit John Lemm to load the bases. The second wild pitch of the inning scored Neal from third, then Alabama freshman Eric Hines ripped a two-RBI single to give Alabama a 9-2 lead.

Matthews continued to struggle in the fifth inning, walking Vaughn and Fowler, putting men on base for Lebron to exterminate any thoughts of a Hornets comeback. Joe Dolinshek took over from Matthews, and Lebron welcomed him to the game by taking him deep over the left field fence for a three-run blast to extend Alabama's lead to 12-2.

Fowler became the story in the sixth inning, drawing even closer to hitting for the cycle by smashing a two-run home run over the right field fence. Neal followed two batters later with a solo home run in nearly the same spot. The Crimson Tide put up another six-spot in the frame and took an 18-3 lead.

Vaughn turned to Evan Steckmesser to take the ball from Fay. The Crimson Tide reliever went 1.1 innings, striking out one and preventing any Hornet baserunners before passing the ball to Owen Sarna in the eighth inning. Sarna gave free passes to two Hornet batters, then buckled in and struck out three Alabama State batters in a row to post a scoreless frame.

The Crimson Tide unloaded the bench in the seventh inning, sending five pinch hitters to the plate. Alabama's Evan Taylor got his first hit of the season, ripping a double down the left field line to score Justin Osterhouse and JoJo Williamson and give Alabama a 21-3 lead.

Tate Robertson took the bump for the final frame for Alabama. The senior retired three Hornets in a row, striking out two to send the Crimson Tide to Saturday's winner's bracket game.

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