Baseball Falls in Both Ends of Doubleheader at Georgia on Saturday

Saturday, March 23

Athens, Ga.

11 a.m. CT

Alabama

18-4, 2-2

Georgia

19-4, 1-3

Alabama

Georgia

Baseball Falls in Both Ends of Doubleheader at Georgia on Saturday

3/23/2024 7:55:00 PM | Baseball

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The Tide traded leads with the Bulldogs in both games but came up short in the end

ATHENS, Ga. – Alabama baseball fell in both games of a doubleheader with Georgia on Saturday at Foley Field. The ninth-ranked Crimson Tide is now 18-5 overall and 2-3 in Southeastern Conference play for the season.

Alabama and Georgia were tied at 5-5 from the fourth inning on before a grand slam in the ninth walked it off for the Bulldogs in game one. The two teams were tied at 3-3 after three innings in game two before UA moved ahead with one run in the seventh. UGA then answered with a two-run bottom of the seventh and one in the eighth to make it a two-run ballgame. The extra run would prove crucial as the Tide was able to cross one in the ninth but could get no closer for the 6-5 final.

From Head Coach Rob Vaughn

"This was two college baseball games that were just really good battles. At the end of the day, when you come on the road you really have to go take it from the other team. We did some good things; we just weren't quite consistent enough. I also have to do a better job on my end of putting our guys in the right spot to win. The fight was there. We played hard. We did some really good things, but we didn't quite finish today and couldn't take it from (Georgia) at their place."

GAME ONE

Georgia claimed game one of the day, 9-5, thanks to a walkoff grand slam in the ninth.

The Crimson Tide struck first with a run in the top of the first before a four-spot from Georgia in the home half gave the Bulldogs the lead. Alabama was able to add one more in the third and three in the fourth to take a one-run lead, but a solo shot for UGA in bottom of the fourth tied things up. Both teams would go scoreless until the ninth when Kolby Branch hit a grand slam for the Bulldogs.

Brian Zeldin (2-0) picked up the win with 4.0 scoreless relief frames, giving up five hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Aidan Moza (2-1) suffered the loss.

How It Happened

T1 | Gage Miller singled to start the ballgame and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. He then came home on an RBI-double from Evan Sleight. (1-0, Alabama)
B1 | A leadoff homer by Corey Collins tied things up. The Bulldogs then took the lead with a three-run home run from Dylan Goldstein. (4-1, Georgia)
T3 | Miller drew a walk and moved to third on a double from TJ McCants. The leadoff man would then come home on an RBI-single from Ian Petrutz. (4-2, Georgia)
T4 | Will Hodo started the rally with a leadoff single. One out later, a single from Bryce Eblin put two aboard for Miller, who proceeded to triple to center and score the pair. McCants gave the Tide the lead in the next at-bat with an RBI-single to center. (5-4, Alabama)
B4 | Charlie Condon hit a solo home run to tie things up. (5-5)
B9 | Kolby Branch hit a grand slam for the Bulldogs. (9-5, Georgia)

Postgame Notes

The Crimson Tide recorded double-digit hits and has now totaled 10-plus knocks in 17 of 23 contests this season.
Eight of the nine starters reached base safely in game one.
Seven of the nine starters recorded at least one hit.

GAME TWO

Alabama's late comeback came up short as the Tide fell, 6-5, in a back-and-forth game with the Bulldogs.

The Crimson Tide plated single tallies in the first, second and third – all on solo homers. The home runs in the first and third came off the bat of Gage Miller with Justin Lebron hitting the solo shot in the second. Georgia answered with a three-run third that featured two homers in the inning to knot things up at three apiece until the seventh.

That seventh saw the Tide retake the lead with a solo homer from Kade Snell, but, once again, Georgia used the longball to answer, with a two-run shot off the bat of Charlie Condon giving UGA the advantage. The Bulldogs added one more in the eighth, an insurance run that would prove crucial as the Tide was able to rally for one in the ninth. A one-out triple from William Hamiter followed by a Miller sacrifice fly made it a one-run affair, but a strikeout in the next at-bat brought game two to a close at 6-5.

Kolten Smith (2-1) got the win with 3.2 innings of work, allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts. Alton Davis II (1-1) suffered the loss.

How It Happened

T1 | Gage Miller led off with a home run. (1-0, Alabama)
T2 | Justin Lebron started the inning with a homer to right. (2-0, Alabama)
T3 | Miller hammered his second homer of the day to add one to the Tide advantage. (3-0, Alabama)
B3 | Charlie Condon hit a two-run home run. He was immediately followed by a Slate Alford homer to tie things up. (3-3)
T7 | Kade Snell helped UA regain the lead with a solo homer off the scoreboard in right. (4-3, Alabama)
B7 | A two-run home run by Condon put UGA back in front. (5-4, Georgia)
B8 | With runners on the corners, a 6-3 double play cut down two but added a run for the Bulldogs. (6-4, Georgia)
T9 | Pinch-hitter William Hamiter tripled off the wall in left. He came home in the next at-bat on a sacrifice fly from Miller. (6-5, Georgia)

Postgame Notes

Alabama recorded four home runs and has homered in 17 games on the season, including 13 games with two-or-more homers.
Gage Miller led off the game with a home run for the third time this season. Miller also hit a homer to open the game on Feb. 24 against Valparaiso and March 9 against Lipscomb in game one of the doubleheader.
Miller homered twice in game two for his second two-homer game of the season. He also had two roundtrippers in that first game of that doubleheader with Lipscomb.
The Tide third baseman has now recorded a hit in each of his last five games. Over that streak, the junior is batting .409 (9-22) with a double, one triple, three homers, 10 RBI, 12 runs and two walks.
Miller has also reached base safely in all 23 games this season.
TJ McCants' hitting streak came to an end at 22 games. Over the streak, the senior batted .398 (37-93) with 10 doubles, one triple, 10 homers, 31 RBI, 24 runs scored, 12 walks, three hit-by-pitch and eight stolen bases to start the season.

Alabama and Georgia will wrap up the series on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT. The Crimson Tide is set to throw junior righty Hagan Banks while the Bulldogs counter with right-hander Christian Mracna. Fans can catch the series finale on SEC Network+.

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