The Alabama Crimson Tide went on the road to Montgomery and defeated the Alabama State Hornets 13-4 on Wednesday night. With the win the Tide won the season series with ASU 2-0. The Hornets came to Tuscaloosa and Bama took that game by a score of 2-1. This game was nothing like that one. Alabama is now 11-3 on the season while the Hornets fell to 6-6 on the year.
Alabama freshman right handed Joe Chiardo started on the mound in the first start of his career. Alabama State countered with Jaxson Baptist. Baptist started the game in Tuscaloosa and allowed two runs, one earned, in 4.2 innings pitched. He had no such luck in this game. Bryce Fowler walked to lead off the game then stole second base. Justin LeBron followed with a walk before Brady Neal smacked a double in the left center field gap to score both runs. With out Johnny Lemm and Jason Torres both walked, chasing Baptist from the game after only 1/3 of an inning. Joe Dolinshek replaced Baptist and retired the side, leaving the bases loaded.
Chiardo allowed a pair of one out singles in the bottom of the first. After a force out a walk loaded the bases, Chairdo got a fly ball to centerfield to end the inning with no runs scored. The Tide went scoreless in the second snd Charido followed suit in the bottom half.
Bama scored a run in the top of the third without the benefit of a hit. Three walks and a bases loaded hit by pitch to Brennan Holt plates the run for a 3-0 lead. Freshman left handed Luke Smyers replaced Chairdo in the third and after giving up a lead off single induced a double play ground ball and notched a strikeout to end the inning. Alabama added five runs in the top of the fourth. LeBron led off his 8th home run of the season and was followed by Neal’s second double of the night. Luke Vaughn was hit by a pitch and Lemm singled to load the bases. A Torres ground out played a run, Justin Osterhouse singled one run in, a balk brought in an another, and a single by Holt brought in the fifth run of the frame for a 8-0 lead.
Smyers walked the lead off man in the bottom for the fourth, but a double play and ground out kept the Hornets off the board. A walk to Vaughn was followed by an RBI double by Lemm in the top of the fifth to make the score 9-0. Sophomore Connor Lehman was next on the mound for Bama and he threw a scoreless inning. After a scoreless top of the sixth for the Tide, ASU finally got on the board in the bottom half. Lehman retired the first two batters but a double, a walk, and a three run home run by Devin Chandler chased Lehman in favor of Anthony Pesci. Pesci struck out Aden Malpass to end the inning with the score 9-3.
Alabama scored one in the top of the 7th Vaughn singled and advanced on a single by Torres, eventually scoring on a wild pitch. Pesci navigated a scoreless bottom of the 7th, ending the inning with another strikeout. Bama added two more runs in the top of the 8th, again with out a hit. Three walks, two hit batters, and four stolen bases led to the runs and a 12-3 margin, Pesci allowed only an infield single in the bottom of the 8th and ended his night with 2.1 scoreless innings. The Tide scored their last run of the night in the 9th, again without a hit. Two walks and two hit batters, the last one giving Caleb Barnett the first RBI of his career. In the bottom half of the inning Tate Robertson took over for Bama. The Hornets used a walk, an error, and a single to score their fourth run. A double play mercifully ended the four hour marathon game.
Alabama hit 10-37 in the game with 15 walks, 7 hit batters, three doubles, one home run, nine stolen bases and left 19 men on base. ASU was 8-35 in the game with four walks, one hit batter, five strikeouts, one home run, one double, one stolen base, and left nine on base.
Who Did What?
*Justin LeBron 2-5, home run (8), 2 runs, 2 walks, 2 stolen bases, RBI
*Brady Neal 2-4, 2 doubles, 2 RBI, 1 run
*Johnny Lemm 2-4, 3 walks, 2 runs, 2 RBI, double
*Jason Torres 1-2, 3 walks, 2 RBI, run
*Brennan Holt 1-3, run, 2 RBI, 2 walks, HBP, 3 stolen bases
*Joe Chiardo W (1-0) 2 IP 2 hits, 1 walk, 0 runs
*Anthony Pesci 2.1 IP, 1 hit, – walks, 2 strikeouts, 0 runs
This was a long night on the road, but the Tide did what they were supposed to do, beat an inferior team by multiple runs. Not all teams in college baseball are doing that right now. Coach Rob Vaughn was able to utilize 16 position players and four pitchers in the game. With ASU’s inability to throw strikes it was hard to get in a rhythm at the plate but the Tide took what they were given and didn’t chase bad pitches.
Alabama will host North Florida in a three game set this weekend. The games are scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday. 2 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sunday, weather permitting.
