Alabama
1-0
Richmond
0-1
Baseball Opens 2023 Season with Impressive 12-3 Win over Richmond
2/17/2023 6:47:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide bats produced double-digit runs for the first time on Opening Day since 2018
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball began the 2023 campaign with an impressive 12-3 win over Richmond on Friday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
The Spiders gained a 1-0 advantage in the top of the second before the Tide countered with 11 unanswered runs. Alabama plated two in the home half of the second followed by five in the third, three in the fourth and one in the fifth to put the game out of reach. Richmond tallied solo homers in the seventh and ninth with Alabama adding one more in the bottom of the seventh for the eventual 12-3 final.
All nine starters reached base for the Tide offense with seven of the nine recording at least one hit. Mac Guscette led the way with a 3-for-4 showing that included a double and a homer along with a team-high four RBI and two runs scored. Andrew Pinckney matched Guscette with a pair of runs as part of a perfect 4-for-4 day. Pinckney also doubled while adding one RBI.
Grayson Hitt (1-0) picked up the win with a strong start on Opening Day. The junior tossed 5.0 frames, allowing one unearned run on one hit and three walks with a career-high tying eight strikeouts. Hitt turned the ball over to the trio of Luke Holman, Hunter Furtado and Kade Woods who combined for five strikeouts over the final 4.0 innings.
From Head Coach Brad Bohannon
"This was a really mature game by our group on both sides of the ball. It starts on the mound – I thought Grayson (Hitt) was outstanding. He had a lot of maturity with his body language, his demeanor, his tempo, and he really attacked the hitters and got us off to a great start. Our approach offensively was outstanding against a guy that throws heavy off-speed stuff. We had a lot of production up and down the lineup, a lot of hard contact and hits to all sides of the field."
How It Happened
- T2 | A throwing error with two down allowed the Spiders to get on the board first. (1-0, Richmond)
- B2 | Tommy Seidl started the rally with a single to right. One out later, a Bryce Eblin walk pushed Seidl to second before an RBI-single from Mac Guscette evened the score at one apiece. Jim Jarvis followed with a single of his own, bringing Eblin in from third to give the Tide the lead. (2-1, Alabama)
- B3 | Andrew Pinckney led off with a double before Dominic Tamez put runners on the corners with a single. Drew Williamson capitalized on the opportunity with an RBI-single and was followed by a sacrifice fly from Tommy Seidl. After a walk put two aboard, Mac Guscette cleared the bases with a two-run homer to left-center. (7-1, Alabama)
- B4 | The Tide loaded the bases with one down before a 6-3 groundout from Seidl brought a run in. With a pair still in scoring position, Caden Rose singled to make it a nine-run ballgame. (10-1, Alabama)
- B5 | Guscette led things off with a double before moving to third on a flyout. A hit-by-pitch in the next at-bat brought Pinckney to the plate, with the right fielder singling to left to add one more. (11-1, Alabama)
- T7 | A solo home run by Mikey Kluska added a run for the Spiders. (11-2, Alabama)
- B7 | Will Portera was hit by a pitch before William Hamiter brought him across with a triple to left-center. (12-2, Alabama)
- T9 | Jared Sprague-Lott sent a solo homer over the wall in left. (12-3, Alabama)
Postgame Notes
- Alabama is now 6-0 in season openers under head coach Brad Bohannon.
- The Crimson Tide has won nine straight season-opening contests dating back to 2015.
- Grayson Hitt struck out a career-high tying eight batters in today's start. Hitt also punched out eight at Ole Miss on April 10 of last season.
- All nine offensive starters reached base safely on Friday.
- Seven of the nine starters recorded at least one hit in the game.
- The Crimson Tide totaled 14 hits on Opening Day, the most by an Alabama offense in the season opener since 2018 when UA recorded 17 against Valparaiso.
- Alabama's 12 runs in the season opener are the most by the Tide on Opening Day since that 2018 game with Valpo when the offense totaled 16 runs,
- Andrew Pinckney finished with a career-high four hits as part of his 4-for-4 day. Pinckney's previous career-best for hits was three, which he had on eight occasions and most recently at Auburn on May 13 of last season.
- Pinckney is the first Crimson Tide player to have four hits in a game since Tommy Seidl last season on April 19 against UAB. The Tide offense produced two four-hit games in 2022.
- Kade Woods made his Crimson Tide debut after missing the 2022 season due to injury.
- ATTENDANCE: 3,312
Alabama will go for the series-clinching win on Saturday afternoon at The Joe. The Crimson Tide will send sophomore right-hander Ben Hess to the mound while the Spiders counter with righty Josh Willitts. Game two of Opening Weekend is set for a 2 p.m. CT first pitch on SEC Network+.
Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabmaBSB on Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook at Alabama Baseball. General athletic news can be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hitt, Grayson (1-0)
L: Brock Weirather (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Mikey Kluksa 1
HR: Jared Sprague-Lott 1 ; Mikey Kluksa 1
RBI: Jared Sprague-Lott 1 ; Mikey Kluksa 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Zach Lass 1 ; Jared Sprague-Lott 1 ; Mikey Kluksa 1
Batting:
2B: Pinckney, Andrew 1 ; Guscette, Mac 1
3B: Hamiter, William 1
HR: Guscette, Mac 1
RBI: Jarvis, Jim 1 ; Pinckney, Andrew 1 ; Hamiter, William 1 ; Williamson, Drew 1 ; Seidl, Tommy 2 ; Rose, Caden 2 ; Guscette, Mac 4
SF: Seidl, Tommy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Shelton, Colby 1 ; Portera, Will 1 ; Pinckney, Andrew 2 ; Tamez, Dominic 1 ; Williamson, Drew 1 ; Seidl, Tommy 1 ; Rose, Caden 1 ; Eblin, Bryce 2 ; Guscette, Mac 2
SB: Rose, Caden 1
HBP: Shelton, Colby 2 ; Portera, Will 1
