Should Matthew Heiberger Have Started Last Inning in Vanderbilt Finale: Just a Minute

The Crimson Tide experienced a ninth-inning disaster on Sunday.

Matthew Heiberger (7). / Alabama Athletics

In the bottom of the eighth inning on Sunday, the Alabama baseball team was in a bad spot. It had surrendered three two-out runs to Vanderbilt that turned the scoreboard from 7-2 to 7-5. With a left-handed batter due up next, the Crimson Tide turned to southpaw Matthew Heiberger.

Heiberger struck his man out swinging to retire the side, stopping the bleeding in the scoring column. The sophomore was lifted for closer Carson Ozmer to begin the ninth inning, despite lefty-hitting second baseman Mike Mancini leading off the frame at the plate.

Ozmer, who is right-handed, gave up a bloop single to Mancini. One thing soon led to another and the Crimson Tide's standout closer suffered his first blown save of the 2025 campaign; the Commodores eventually hit a walk-off home run with two outs to win 9-7.

Lefty-lefty matchups are generally favorable to the pitcher, and Heiberger was plenty fresh. He appeared in Friday's series opener, but aside from that, his only other action during the weekend was the last out of the home eighth in Sunday's finale.

Pitching decisions are not always as simple as what's on paper. Ozmer is tied for the most single season saves in team history. Heiberger, like any reliever, has had his good moments and his tough ones. Personnel moves cannot be made ex post facto, but this possibility may have led to a different result in a major game.

Watch the above video as BamaCentral lead baseball writer Will Miller explains the circumstances leading up to the ninth inning in Alabama baseball's walk-off loss at Vanderbilt on Sunday and analyzes a different tactical approach which had presented itself based on the Commodores' lineup.

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