Home Runs Power Baseball to 13-3 Series-Clinching Win over Valparaiso

Saturday, February 24

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

2 p.m. CT

Alabama

7-0

Valparaiso

2-4

Valparaiso

Alabama

Home Runs Power Baseball to 13-3 Series-Clinching Win over Valparaiso

2/24/2024 5:05:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery Postgame Press Conference

The Tide recorded four home runs and six extra-base hits as part of 14 total knocks on the afternoon

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball clinched a series victory over Valparaiso with a 13-3 win on Saturday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The 17^th-ranked Crimson Tide is now 7-0 on the young season.

Valparaiso delivered the first blow on Saturday, scoring two in the top of the first. Alabama answered with a seven-spot in the home half, hammering four home runs in the frame to make it a 7-2 affair after one full. The Beacons plated one in the third but would add no more, as the Tide went on to score six unanswered for the 13-3 run-rule victory in seven innings.

Gage Miller, Ian Petrutz, Coleman Mizell and Justin Lebron all contributed a homer in that fourth. Miller led off the game with a solo shot, part of his 3-for-4 day that included a team-high three RBI and two runs scored. Two batters later, Petrutz went deep, finishing his afternoon 3-for-4 with two RBI and a pair of runs. Later in the frame, Mizell and Lebron went back-to-back with Mizell recording two RBI to Lebron's one on his solo homer.

Aidan Moza (2-0) got the win on Saturday, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts in his start. Coulson Buchanan and Jackson Baker followed out of the pen, with the duo posting 3.0 scoreless, hitless frames and tallying three strikeouts.

From Head Coach Rob Vaughn

"We talk all the time about wanting to throw the first punch, and obviously Valparaiso threw the first one today. But we always say if they're going to throw a jab, we are going to throw the haymaker – and we definitely did that. We answered in the bottom of the first with unbelievable at-bats and just a relentless approach offensively, and that was the key today."

How It Happened

T1 | Valpo started the inning with a pair of doubles to get on the board. An error on the second double allowed the hitter to move to third before a sacrifice fly brought him in. (2-0, Valparaiso)
B1 | Gage Miller began the day with a solo homer. TJ McCants followed by tripling to center and came home on the frame's second home run, this one from Ian Petrutz. After a pair of outs, Mac Guscette reached on an error and promptly came home on a two-run shot from Coleman Mizell. Justin Lebron was next up, homering over the Tide bullpen in left-center. After a hit-by-pitch for Bryce Eblin, the second baseman stole second before coming home on an RBI-single from Miller. (7-2, Alabama)
T3 | A solo home run from Kyle Schmack narrowed the gap for Valpo. (7-3, Alabama)
B3 | Lebron began the rally with a leadoff walk and moved first-to-third on a single from Eblin. With a pair aboard, Miller delivered an RBI-single to left before an error on the play allowed everyone to move up an extra 90, putting two in scoring position. A wild pitch in the next at-bat bounced all the way to the Alabama dugout, bringing in both runners. The Tide then reached a pair for Evan Sleight, with the graduate singling to score one more. The rally was capped off with a sacrifice fly from Guscette, plating the fifth run of the frame. (12-3, Alabama)
B5 | Petrutz notched a one-out single and then came home after the inning's second out thanks to an RBI-double from Sleight. (13-3, Alabama)

Postgame Notes

Alabama has now won 16 straight games in the month of February with the last loss coming on Feb. 27, 2021.
The Crimson Tide has also won 24 consecutive games at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in the month of February.
Eight of Alabama's nine starters contributed at least one run scored.
Seven of the nine starters recorded at least one hit on Saturday.
UA's offense has registered double-digit hits and runs in five of the seven games this season, including three straight with today's win.
Alabama hit four home runs in the first inning of today's game, its most in a single inning since 2019. The Tide hit five in the third inning at Samford on April 9 of that season to set the program's single-inning record.
Coleman Mizell and Justin Lebron went back-to-back, the second set of back-to-back home runs so far this season. Bryce Eblin and Gage Miller also homered in consecutive at-bats against Middle Tennessee on Tuesday.
Miller led off today's game with a home run. It was UA's first leadoff home run since Jim Jarvis last year at LSU on April 29.
The Tide third baseman has now homered in four of his last five games.
Miller also extended his hitting streak to six games. Over that stretch, the junior is batting .478 (11-23) with four home runs, 12 RBI, 12 runs, one walk and a hit-by-pitch.
With his triple in the first inning, TJ McCants extended his hitting streak to seven games. Over the current streak, the senior is batting .444 (11-25) with three doubles, one triple, three homers, 14 RBI, nine runs scored, five walks and four stolen bases.
ATTENDANCE: 4,505

The Crimson Tide will go for the series sweep on Sunday afternoon. Alabama is set to send senior left-hander Greg Farone to the mound while Valparaiso counters with a lefty of their own in freshman Lucas Foley. The weekend finale is scheduled for a 1 p.m. CT first pitch on SEC Network+.

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