The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated 18th ranked Oregon State 8-7 at The Frisco Classic on Saturday night. The win clinched the Classic championship for the Tide even though the have a game left against Houston at 3 p.m CT on Sunday. Bama improved to 9-2 on the season while the Beavers fell to 5-4.
A pair of left handers faced off on the mound in Alabama’s Zane Adams vs OSU’s Ethan Kleinschmit. The Tide was the visiting team. Adams scored in the top of the first after Bryce Fowler led off with a double on the games first pitch and eventually scored on a fielders choice from Johnny Lemm. Lemm beat out a potential double play ball to allow the run to score. Adams walked the lead off man in the bottom half, but stranded the runner at third with an inning ending strikeout. The walk was the first for Adams this season.
After both teams were scoreless in the second, Bama added on in the third on the strength of two home runs. Justin LeBron led off with a single and trotted home when Brady Neal blasted an opposite field home run to left for a 3-0 score. With two outs Jason Torres smoked a home run of his own over the left center field wall to push the lead to 4-0. Adams has a perfect bottom of the third on only five pitches.
The Tide broke out the big stick again in the top of the fourth. Freshman Eric Hines took the first pitch of the inning deep for his first career home run. Brennan Holt followed with a single and advanced when Fowler was hit and LeBron singled to load the bases. Luke Vaughn beat out a double play to record an RBI on a fielders choice, making the score 6-0. Adams remained sharp through the fourth, finishing the inning with a total of only 49 pitched thrown with two hits allowed and no runs.
Torres led off the top of the fifth with a double and moved to third on a single by Hines, but a double play ended the scoring threat. Adams ran into trouble in the bottom half of the frame. Adam Haight led off with a double followed by a fly out and strikeout. Josh Proctor pinch hit for the Beavers and unloaded a monster home run to get OSU on the board, cutting the lead to 6-2. Jacob Galloway then singled and scored on a double by Easton Talt. Cooper Vance singled Talt in, ending Adams night. Matthew Heiberger ended the rally, after allowing a single, on a ground ball force play.
The Tide went down quickly in the sixth. Haight led off the bottom half with a home run off of Heiberger to cut the lead to 6-5. Alabama got the run back in the top of the seventh. Vaughn led off with a single and on a one out error went all the way to third on a hustle play. Vaughn was originally called out, but after a review was deemed safe. Peyton Steele hit a fly play to right for a sacrifice fly to score Vaughn. On the play Torres inexplicably tried to advance to second and was thrown out. Fortunately Vaughn hustled all the way home and crossed the plate prior to Torres being tagged out.
Heiberger had a quick bottom of the seventh on 11 pitches. In the top of the eighth the Tide plated what turned out to be the winning run. Holt stroked a one out single and scored on a two out double by LeBron. The double was Lebron’s third hit of the game. With a 8-5 lead, Bama turned to Hagan Banks to close out the game.
Banks ran into trouble quickly as the first two batters singled. Lead off man Galloway was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A bloop hit to left by Talt scored a run to make it 8-6. A ground ball to LeBron that looked like a sure double play ball was booted to allow another run in. The things got exciting. Bryson Glassco hit a fly ball to Steele in right field that looked like it would be a tying sacrifice fly. Steele had other ideas, unleashing a rocket throw that hit Neal right in the mitt. Neal made a great tag to complete the amazing double play-after a review. The Tide intentionally walked AJ Singer to load the bases and set up force plays at every bag. A ground ball to LeBron, who flipped to Holt at second, ended the game with Bama on top with a thrilling 8-7 win.
Alabama hit 13-39 in the game with three home runs and two doubles. The Tide walked twice, had two hit batters, struck out 11 times, and left 11 men on base. LeBron finished 3-5 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Torres was 2-4 with a home run, double, walk, run scored and one driven in. Vaughn was 2-4 with a run and RBI, Hines finished 2-3 with his homer run, run, and RBI. Holt was 2-4 with two runs scored and Neal was 1-4 with his home run, two RBI, a HBP, and run scored. Heiberger was the winning pitcher with 2 2/3 innings allowing one run on two hits. The junior lefty is 1-0 on the season. Banks earned his second save of the season.
OSU hit 10-37 in the game with two walks, a hit batters, five strikeouts, and five men left on base. Kleinschmit was the losing pitcher. Talt was 3-5 and Proctor 2-3 to lead the offense.
Alabama will send freshmen phenom Myles Upchurch to the mound against Houston to try and preserve the perfect weekend.
Roll Tide
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