Late Rally Not Enough in Baseball’s 9-7 Loss at Southern Miss

Tuesday, March 12

Hattiesburg, Miss.

6 p.m. CT

Alabama

15-2

Southern Miss

11-6

Alabama

Southern Miss

Late Rally Not Enough in Baseball’s 9-7 Loss at Southern Miss

3/12/2024 10:18:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Crimson Tide plated five in the ninth and had the tying run at the plate but could not complete the comeback

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Alabama baseball's late comeback came up just short in the Crimson Tide's 9-7 loss to Southern Miss on Tuesday evening at Pete Taylor Park. Following the midweek, the 13^th-ranked Tide is now 15-2 on the season.

Southern Miss gained a four-run advantage after two innings before Bryce Eblin got the Tide on the board in the third with a solo homer. The Golden Eagles added one more in the fifth before a solo shot from Evan Sleight made it a 5-2 affair. Southern Miss came right back with two in the home half of the sixth and another two in the seventh to set the score at 9-2 headed to the ninth.

The Alabama ninth saw Eblin and Gage Miller each reach to start the frame. One out later, a single loaded the bases before a Sleight triple cleared them. Kade Snell homered in the next at-bat to cut the lead to two before a Mac Guscette single forced a USM pitching change. The new arm was able to get out of the jam with a groundout and a lineout ending things at 9-7 in favor of Southern Miss.

Colby Allen (2-0) picked up the win with Kros Silvey securing his first save of the season for the Golden Eagles. Zane Adams (1-1) suffered the loss.

From Head Coach Rob Vaughn

"The fight was there; we competed our tails off. We just didn't make enough plays against a good team in a hostile environment on the road. Our two losses this year are to two teams who are going to play in the postseason and maybe host, and the effort from our guys has been there in both. We brought the tying run to the ninth in both games, and with a 9-2 lead in the ninth here, that's tough to do. So, I was proud of the fight, we just didn't execute enough early."

How It Happened

B1 | The Golden Eagles loaded the bases with two down before a double to center brought everyone home. (3-0, Southern Miss)
B2 | With runners on the corners, a lineout to center brought in one more run. (4-0, Southern Miss)
T3 | Bryce Eblin got the Tide on the board with a solo homer. (4-1, Southern Miss)
B5 | Slade Wilks hit a solo home run to straightaway center. (5-1, Southern Miss)
T6 | Evan Sleight got a run back for the Tide with a solo shot. (5-2, Southern Miss)
B6 | The Golden Eagles put two on with two down before a single scored the inning's first run and put men on the corners. A failed pickoff attempt in the next at-bat allowed the man from third to score. (7-2, Southern Miss)
B7 | Carson Paetow widened the gap with a two-run homer to left-center. (9-2, Southern Miss)
T9 | Eblin and Gage Miller reached to start the inning. After an out was recorded, Ian Petrutz singled to load them up for Sleight. The Tide right fielder proceeded to clear the bases with a triple before coming home in the next at-bat on a Kade Snell homer. (9-7, Southern Miss)

Postgame Notes

The Crimson Tide recorded double-digit hits on Tuesday and has now totaled 10-plus knocks in 14 of 17 contests, including the last four consecutive games.
Alabama has homered in 13 contests this season while recording two-or-more homers in nine of those games.
TJ McCants extended his hitting streak to 17 games. McCants is batting .361 (26-72) with eight doubles, one triple, six homers, 23 RBI, 18 runs scored, 10 walks, two hit-by-pitch and six stolen bases to start the season.
Gage Miller extended his hitting streak to 16 games. Over the streak, the junior is batting .492 (32-65) with five doubles, eight home runs, 24 RBI, 29 runs, five walks and seven hit-by-pitch.
Bryce Eblin moved his hitting streak to nine games. Over the current stretch, the senior is batting .432 (16-37) with two doubles, three home runs, eight RBI, 11 runs scored, three walks, two hit-by-pitch and a stolen base.
Evan Sleight has reached base in all 17 games this season.

The Crimson Tide returns home this weekend as Alabama opens Southeastern Conference play with sixth-ranked Tennessee from March 15-17. The series is set to begin on Friday at 6 p.m. CT followed by a 7 p.m. first pitch on Saturday. Things wrap up on Sunday at 1 p.m. Game one of the series will air on SEC Network+ with the final two contests being broadcast nationally on SEC Network.

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