No. 23 Alabama Baseball Handed First Loss of 2025 by Presbyterian, Leaves 10 on Base

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Between 10 men left on base, a 1-for-15 mark with runners in scoring position, three key errors and a bullpen performance that left some to be desired, Alabama baseball coach Rob Vaughn didn't feel that his team deserved to get the win on Sunday against Presbyterian.

"From the second through the ninth, they were the tougher team," Vaughn said. "In every facet. I thought they played cleaner defense than we did. I thought they threw more strikes and competed out of the bullpen significantly better than we did. They hit with guys on base better than we did today."

The Blue Hose (8-9) ended No. 23 Alabama's record start to the season and gave the Crimson Tide its first loss in an 11-8 game initially delayed by an hour due to rain. A five-run visiting sixth played a key role, but it was a number of factors that led to the home team's opportunity to set a new program record for longest winning streak going up in smoke.

The Crimson Tide (16-1) scored four runs in the very first inning. Third baseman Jason Torres hit two home runs, starting in that frame. Shortstop Justin Lebron also added his 11th of the season, one shy of his season total from last year. It was the kind of post-delay start a coach wants to see.

"I thought our focus was good," Vaughn said. "There was not a lackadaisical feeling there. We just didn't play good."

Presbyterian got two runs back in the second off starter Bobby Alcock, who had struck out the side in the first. He wound up giving up five runs, three earned, in 2.2 innings. The Blue Hose had been run ruled twice entering Sunday, partly due to pitching; the visitors only scored one run in the first two games.

Three more runs followed in the top of the third on a bases-clearing double by Ryan Ouzts. Alabama got the lead back in the home half with Torres' second home run. Presbyterian tied it back up in the fifth with an RBI groundout by designated hitter Jake Randolph.

When the Crimson Tide took a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, thanks to a sacrifice fly from center fielder Richie Bonomolo Jr., it was only a precursor for the Blue Hose continuing their full 180-degree response from the series' first two games and putting the nail in the coffin soon after.

"Anybody can beat anybody," Vaughn said. "That's the beauty of this game. It's the thing, as a coach, it'll make you wanna run your head through a wall at times... They're a tough group of kids. They lined up and played better than we did today, and that's why they're leaving here with a victory."

Alabama used six bullpen pitchers, of which closer Carson Ozmer (who entered the game during the aforementioned sixth inning) was the best; he went 2.1 scoreless innings with four punchouts. Vaughn put him in to stop bleeding, and though the offense didn't deliver on the other end, Ozmer did that.

"That's what you needed. They just had every ounce of momentum there in the middle innings," Vaughn said. "When you give those runs up late, that's when it's tough... You don't have a whole lot of outs to play with."

Lefty Matthew Heiberger was tagged with the loss, his first of the season, allowing three earned runs in just a third of an inning. No pitcher of the seven home-team candidates was hitless except for Aidan Moza, who got the final out of the top of the ninth.

The Blue Hose got a standout performance from its relief corps. The day's winner, Sean Hollister, entered the game with an earned run average above six, went the contest's last 4.2 innings and only let in one run. Alabama was unable to win a game in which it walked nine times and loaded the bases on more than one occasion.

Presbyterian led off that sixth inning with back-to-back doubles, tying the game. As happens in baseball, things snowballed from there. A bases-loaded walk to Trey Fenderson, who had three hits, gave the Blue Hose the lead. Amman Dewberry, who on Saturday scored Presbyterian's first run of the series on a solo shot, followed with a two-RBI single. The frame was capped off by a sac fly off the bat of Randolph.

Freshman Jon Young Jr. got the start at second base for Brennen Norton, who experienced back tightness after a swing on Saturday. He made a lot of hard contact and held his own in the batter's box.

"Jon's not scared," Vaughn said. "I can ride with that dude because he ain't scared, and he's gonna play hard... He's gonna be a good one for us."

Lebron scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth when first baseman Will Hodo saw a fly ball dropped by the Blue Hose left fielder. That was the only damage the Crimson Tide could muster after the sixth. Alabama will now turn its attention to UAB at Regions Field in Birmingham on Tuesday, a game set to begin at 6 p.m. CT.

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