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Score Updates and Analysis As Alabama Concludes Frisco Classic Play Against Houston

Myles Upchurch is on the bump as the Crimson Tide looks to cap off a perfect weekend against the Cougars.
Theodore Fernandez|
Myles Upchurch (11).
Myles Upchurch (11). | Alabama Athletics

Alabama baseball has clinched the 2026 Frisco Classic title following Saturday night's 8-7 win over Oregon State. The Crimson Tide now has a chance to complete a perfect weekend in the event finale against Houston.

Freshman Myles Upchurch is on the mound for the Crimson Tide, looking to continue his sensational start to the season. Upchurch has been lights-out in his first two starts, with 16 strikeouts over 9 scoreless innings against Washington State and Rhode Island.

The Cougars are 0-2 in Frisco, losing 2-1 to Oregon State and 6-4 to Iowa. Still, Houston has proved itself capable of playing at a high level, boasting a win over ACC title hopefuls Wake Forest. Houston will provide Upchurch with the toughest test of his young career.

The game is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. CT. The Frisco Classic's exclusive broadcast rights are held by D1 Baseball. The games can be purchased on the outlet's website, with $30 the cost for access to all three games. Those who will not be purchasing the broadcasts can follow along here for updates and analysis.

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FINAL: Houston 8, Alabama 2

Holt grounds out to second, ending the game.

Steele strikes out swinging. Alabama is down to its last out.

Osterhouse hits a big single to right field to move Lemm to third. Huge at-bat coming now for Steele, the ninth-inning hero from yesterday's win.

Torres grounds into a fielder's choice. Lemm moves to second, but Alabama is down to just two outs.

John Lemm pinch-hits for Purdy and walks on five pitches. That's the start Alabama needed.

T9 — Houston 8, Alabama 2

Savattere pops up to short to avoid any further damage. It's desperation time now for Alabama.

Dickens grounds out to Pesci. There was no play at the plate, and Perez came in to score. Houston 8, Alabama 2

Maxcey is intentionally walked to load the bases, and then Climie drives in a run with a single through the right side. Houston 7, Alabama 2

Houston is once again threatening to score. Perez doubled to left center. Fowler could not make a catch at the wall, and Fields ended up at third base. That will be it for Morris today, as Anthony Pesci comes in to relieve him.

Fields records his fourth single of the day, getting a 3-2 fastball through the left side.

Helton strikes out looking to start the final inning.

B8 — Houston 6, Alabama 2

Vaughn flies out to the warning track. He very nearly went yard as well. Instead, Alabama is down to its final three outs, needing four runs.

Neal hits a ball to deep left field, nearly going yard as well. It ends up being a double. Houston is making a call to the bullpen, bringing in right-hander Tyler Bryan.

Lebron hits his seventh home run of the year. It's a solo blast 407 feet to center field. Houston 6, Alabama 2

Holt strikes out swinging, and Fowler flies out to centerfield.

T8 — Houston 6, Alabama 1

Morris prevents further damage, getting Cox to ground into a double-play and ending the frame.

Weems hits a single right up the middle to bring Dickens home. Houston 6, Alabama 1

Peyton Dickens pinch-runs for Sabathia. He moves to second on a groundout and third on a passed ball.

Morris' streak of seven straight outs is snapped as he hits Sabathia to start the inning.

B7 — Houston 5, Alabama 1

Alabama is unable to cut into the deficit. Torres and Osterhouse ground out, and Steele pops up to first. No baserunner on either team has reached in the past two innings.

T7 — Houston 5, Alabama 1

Morris is rolling right now. He retires the side again with a foul out and a flyout. It's another 1-2-3 frame. Now Alabama needs a response.

Perez strikes out swinging to start the inning,

B6 — Houston 5, Alabama 1

Alabama can't generate any offense either. Neal and Vaughn ground out, before Purdy strikes out to end the inning.

T6 — Houston 5, Alabama 1

Morris gives Alabama a much-needed 1-2-3 frame, getting a flyout, a groundout and a strikeout to retire the side.

B5 — Houston 5, Alabama 1

Lebron ends the inning with a flyout.

Fowler drives in the first Alabama run of the game, bringing Steele home with a double to left. Houston 5, Alabama 1

Steele hits a single and advances to second on a wild pitch. He then advances to third on a groundout from Holt.

Osterhouse flies out to left to start the frame.

T5 — Houston 5, Alabama 1

Austin Morris comes in to relieve Steckmesser. Morris strikes out Weems to get out of the three-run frame.

Savattere hits a sac fly down the left field line, bringing Maxcey home. Houston 5, Alabama 1

Holt commits a costly error, allowing a ground ball to go under his glove on a potential double play. This one costs the Crimson Tide as Perez scores, Maxcey reaches third, and the batter, Sabathia, reaches second. Houston 4, Alabama 0

Steckmesser gets Climie looking for his first strikeout.

Maxcey drives in another run with a base hit to right center to bring Fields home. Perez reaches third. Houston 3, Alabama 0

Perez singles to right, moving Fields to second base.

Houston gets another leadoff hit, as Fields notches an infield single.

B4 — Houston 2, Alabama 0

Purdy and Torres fly out, ending a hitless frame for Alabama.

Vaughn is plunked by the first pitch of his at-bat.

Neal grounds out to second to start the frame.

T4 — Houston 2, Alabama 0

Weems attempts to steal home and is thrown out by Steckmesser.

Upchurch's day is done. Evan Steckmesser takes over to try to end the frame with Weems on third and two outs.

Weems advances to second and then third on consecutive groundouts from Houston. The first was a sacrifice bunt.

Weems opens the inning with a leadoff single up the middle.

B3 — Houston 2, Alabama 0

Alabama was put down 1-2-3 in the third. Brennan Holt lined out, Fowler flew out, and Lebron struck out swinging to end the inning.

T3 — Houston 2, Alabama 0

Upchurch gets two consecutive flyouts to end the frame and strand the two runners.

Climie walks on five pitches. Jason Jackson is visiting Upchurch on the mound.

Maxcey singled through the left side, bringing Helton and Fields around to score. It's the first runs Upchurch has allowed in his career. Houston 2, Alabama 0

Fields notches his second hit, a single to left, moving Helton into scoring position at second.

Upchurch walks Helton to start the inning.

Oregon State is back to the top of the order.

B2 — Alabama 0, Houston 0

Peyton Steele strikes out swinging to end the inning.

Justin Osterhouse, who has struggled to start the season, hits a blooper to right that drops for a single.

Jason Torres grounds out to Climie at third.

Freshman Andrew Purdy strikes out to start the frame.

T2 — Alabama 0, Houston 0

Tyler Cox pops up to end the frame.

Upchurch gets another strikeout, getting Irvin Weems swinging. All four of his strikeouts have been swinging.

Antonelli Savattere is plunked by Upchurch, moving Climie to scoring position at second.

Carsten Sabathia, son of Hall of Fame pitcher CC Sabathia, is struck out by Upchurch. It's his third strikeout of the game.

Cade Climie grounds it right to Lebron at short, who can't field the ball. The error puts the third baseman on first.

B1 — Alabama 0, Houston 0

Neal walks on six pitches, but it doesn't matter as Luke Vaughn lines into an inning-ending double-play

Lebron stole second for his tenth stolen base of the year.

Lebron was plunked by a 3-0 pitch, giving Alabama its first base runner.

Bryce Fowler grounds out to start the frame.

T1 — Alabama 0, Houston 0

Upchurch gets his second strikeout, ending the frame with a breaking ball that catcher Dylan Maxcey bit on.

Xavier Perez strikes out swinging for the second out. Upchurch just beat him on a heater.

Blake Fields lays a hard grounder through the gap between second and third, 108-mph off the bat for a single.

Leadoff batter McClane Helton hit one to the warning track, where Justin Osterhouse made the catch for the first out.

First pitch was 3:37 p.m. CT.

Pregame:

Another day of beautiful weather in Frisco. It is 77 degrees and sunny as of 3:30 p.m. CT.

Houston's starting lineup
Houston's starting lineup | BamaCentral

Game Two: Alabama 8, Oregon State 7

Alabama baseball defeated ranked Oregon State on Saturday night thanks to an electric ninth-inning stand. Peyton Steele made an incredible throw home to prevent the game-tying run from scoring, giving Alabama its biggest win of the season. Jason Torres, Brady Neal and freshman Eric Hines all hit home runs for the Crimson Tide.

"I was saying, 'No, no no, no, no' off the bat, because I want to keep the double play in order," head coach Rob Vaughn said of Steele's throw. "Then about halfway to the plate as I go, 'Maybe, maybe, maybe, and then, 'Yes, yes, yes.'

"You've just got to be unafraid to crash and burn. And that was a player who was unafraid of a mistake and didn't worry about it, and just finished off. And it worked out for us."

Game One: Alabama 12, Iowa 2

Tyler Fay was the winning pitcher for Alabama, giving up just one run over six innings in his best start of the season. The offense made his life extremely easy, as a Luke Vaughn home rungave the Crimson Tide a 3-0 first-inning lead. Bryce Fowler and Justin Lebron also homered, and freshman Andrew Purdy notched three hits in what was simply a dominant all-around performance.

"Just a complete team effort," head coach Rob Vaughn said. "Fay was awesome. Really relentless offense, and these boys know what they are capable of now. So, can we come back and do it again? It's a really good team tomorrow."

Probable Starting Pitchers for the Frisco Classic:

  • Friday, Feb. 27 — RHP Tyler Fay (UA) vs. RHP Tyler Guerin (UI)
  • Saturday, Feb. 28 — LHP Zane Adams (UA) vs. LHP Ethan Kleinschmit (OSU)
  • Sunday, March 1— RHP Myles Upchurch (UA) vs. RHP Kendall Hoffman (UH)
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Published | Modified
Theodore Fernandez
THEODORE FERNANDEZ

Theodore Fernandez is BamaCentral’s baseball beat reporter and a co-host of The Joe Gaither Show. He also works as a weekend sports anchor at WVUA 23 News in Tuscaloosa and serves as one of the station’s lead high school sports reporters. Fernandez is a news media student at The University of Alabama and is pursuing a master’s degree in sports management.

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