No. 17 Alabama Baseball Opens Second Weekend with Victory over Valparaiso
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Big innings have been the story in recent Alabama baseball games. Such was the case again on Friday in the series opener against Valparaiso, where the No. 17 Crimson Tide scored six runs in the second and four in the fourth to put the Beacons away. Seven-inning games have begun to pepper the schedule. Friday’s contest, the third such outing in 2024, ended in a 14-2 victory.
"I thought that was maybe the first game this year that our offense did what our offense was capable of doing," said first-year head coach Rob Vaughn. "After the first inning, I thought it was just relentless at-bats. Our outs were loud. It was pressure, we were on the barrel, we were running the bases aggressively. I thought from the second on, it was just electric from the way we played offense."
In contrast with many of the previous five games on Alabama’s (6-0) ledger, Friday was not the TJ McCants show. The center fielder still added one to his RBI total to bring his season mark to 14, plus a hit. The initial damage came when second baseman Bryce Eblin sent two home with a double, and then leadoff hitter Gage Miller hit his third home run of the spring. Previously, shortstop Justin Lebron had gotten his team on the board with an RBI single.
The fourth inning featured a four-spot by way of a two-RBI double from Miller and McCants’ aforementioned RBI. The last score of that frame was catcher Mac Guscette singling to cross first baseman Will Hodo. Beacons starter Griffin McCluskey entered the contest with a 12.46 earned run average and failed to improve, instead heading back to the visitors’ dugout with a 17.18. That’s still better than his successor, Bryce Konitzer, who left the game with a mark of 20.77. Miller stressed having smart at-bats.
"Just... not swinging at what I'm not supposed to do and swinging at the right pitch," he said. "[I was] trying to be on time for the fastball," he added of his home run. He was. The Beacon outfield barely moved.
Valparaiso (2-3) started the game with a quality at-bat against Crimson Tide ace Ben Hess and got good contact on him throughout the afternoon. In the top of the second, right fielder Evan Sleight robbed Beacons outfielder Ryan Denty of a solo shot to the Sewell-Thomas Stadium terrace. "The pitchers have been so good for us, the least us defenders can do is try to help them out," Sleight said. "It's a great feeling. It feels like the whole university behind you [in right field]."
Two runs reached the plate while Hess was on the bump, the first he’s allowed in two starts this season. He fanned five. Freshman Tyler Fay came in after him for a pair of innings and Sam Mitchell finished the game. Valparaiso had five hits to Alabama's 15 to go with an error. Neither run surrendered by an Alabama starter came off a home run, thanks in large part to Sleight.
"They put some good swings on him [Hess], and credit for those guys making those swings and those counts," Vaughn said. "Heater did what we needed, and then Tyler Fay came in, was outstanding seeking the baseball, allowed us to extend the lead a little bit there, and then to get Sam Mitchell there in the end to close the door."
Four more runs came home in the fifth and sixth. Left fielder Ian Petrutz broke an 0-3 skid featuring a trio of flyouts in the game with an RBI, and Lebron scored on an error. In the bottom of the sixth, pinch hitter Mason Swinney drew a walk for an RBI of his own the easy way. Camden Hayslip, coming off the bench for the first time after being on the lineup card in his previous appearances, got his first RBI of the campaign with a groundout.
"Tonight, it just felt like we were on time consistently," Vaughn said. "As a whole, we just didn't look in-between tonight."
There are two more games to be played between the Crimson Tide and the Beacons, but the first could hardly have been more convincing. Nevertheless, the series is still up in the air, and no two days at the park are exactly alike. Aidan Moza gets his first Saturday start following the season-ending injury to Riley Quick. It was a day of offensive progression for Miller, with five batted in. "I was yelling at him cause he hasn't been on time in a week and a half, and he finally got on time and smashed something," Vaughn said with a congratulatory slap on the shoulder for his third baseman.
How it Happened:
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- Sam Mitchell comes in for Tyler Fay and finishes off the 14-2 win for Alabama.
- Two more Crimson Tide runs in the sixth. RBIs for Camden Hayslip and Mason Swinney. 14-2, Alabama, with this one seeming destined for an early finish.
- Alabama adds two more in the fifth inning to make it 12-2 and send this game into run-rule territory. Ian Petrutz logs an RBI for his first hit of the game. Was previously 0-3 with a flyout hat trick.
- Halfway through the fifth, and the Beacons go down in order in the top half. Still 10-2. It'll be Lebron, Eblin and Miller leading off the bottom half.
- Four innings in the books. Alabama gets five hits and four runs in the inning to lead 10-2. Tyler Fay is now pitching for Alabama.
- TJ McCants sends Miller home on a sac fly. 9-2.
- Two more runs on the board courtesy of Gage Miller, who's up to five RBIs this afternoon. 8-2 Alabama in B4. No outs.
- Hess gets back on track with a one-hit fourth.
- Three innings gone. Alabama doesn't get any runs back but still is ahead by the same 6-2 margin. Back to the bump for Hess.
- Valparaiso gets two runs on the board in the top of the third courtesy of two RBI hits. It's now 6-2 Crimson Tide, but Hess has given up some hard contact throughout the afternoon.
- Two innings down. Alabama has a huge 6-0 lead after posting a crooked number in the home half.
- The offensive onslaught isn't stopping. Gage Miller hits his third home run of the season to plate three more. 6-0 Crimson Tide.
- The first run of the game comes with one gone in the bottom of the second inning. Justin Lebron sends home Will Hodo. Bryce Eblin then doubles home two more. 3-0 Alabama, and Hess has three punchouts.
- First pitch is away from Hess at 4:02 p.m.
- Alabama batting order: 1. Gage Miller (third base), 2. TJ McCants (center field), 3. Ian Petrutz (left field), 4. Will Hodo (first base), 5. Evan Sleight (right field), 6. Mac Guscette (catcher), 7. Coleman Mizell (DH), 8. Justin Lebron (shortstop), 9. Bryce Eblin, second base, P: Ben Hess (RHP)
- Valparaiso will be the second team to wear white batting helmets at Sewell-Thomas Stadium this season. Manhattan College was the first, last Sunday.
