Alabama Emphasizes Bunting As Team Learns To 'Take What The Game Gives You'

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama baseball took the series victory over North Florida with a 9-3 win on Saturday afternoon over the Ospreys. Alabama, which ranks fourth in the SEC with 24 home runs this season, did not go yard for just the second time all year.

Alabama put its offensive versatility on display in the seventh inning, when the team bunted four times in a row to drive in two runs and put the exclamation point on the victory. Head coach Rob Vaughn has placed an emphasis on the short game with SEC play less than a week away.

"We were probably the worst bunting team I've ever coached last year, and a big piece of it was I just didn't make it a priority," Vaughn said. "At the end of the day, we got to be able to score a lot of different ways, especially against some of the arms we're getting ready to face. There will be days where you're going to really want to slug the baseball and days where you've got to be able to use the short game."

After John Lemm hit a triple (the team's third in two games) to lead off that seventh inning and Jason Torres was plunked in the following at-bat, Justin Osterhouse laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Lemm and bring Torres to second. Peyton Steele went down swinging for the second out, before nine-hole batter Brennan Holt stepped up and laid down a bunt of his own, placing it perfectly along the third base line. The Osprey pitcher tried to make a play, but Holt beat the throw, advancing Torres to third.

"You've just got to take what the game gives you," Vaughn said. "When their guys are playing back on the dirt, back way, way deep, and you've got a runner in scoring position with a guy like Holt at the plate, he's able to be able to do it. And he executed... and what happens is that the third baseman has got to come stand on the grass, and now holes just opened up in the infield by you being able to do that."

Holt stole second during the first pitch of Bryce Fowler's at-bat. Fowler was given the sign to bunt and did so successfully, bringing Torres home for another run. Justin Lebron tried to bunt in the next at-bat, and Alabama's run finally ended as his attempt popped up for the third out.

"We had signs we used for it, but a lot of teams, these guys are just starting to play baseball like I don't know. I think maybe I put Fowler's on, but that might have been the only one. I think all the other ones, it was Holt on his own, it was Lebron on his own, and they're just looking for what the game gives them."

Alabama will go for the series sweep on Sunday, before the attention switches to the SEC-opening series against Kentucky. This offensive versatility that Alabama has displayed could prove integral in conference play.

"It's just going to open up holes for us," Vaughn said. "We've got to be able to beat you different ways. And it's been on display a little bit."