Saturday Doubleheader for Baseball Finishes with Pair of Wins over Lipscomb

Saturday, March 9

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

2 p.m. CT

Alabama

13-1

Lipscomb

3-9

Lipscomb

Alabama

Saturday Doubleheader for Baseball Finishes with Pair of Wins over Lipscomb

3/9/2024 10:13:00 PM | Baseball

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The Tide earned a 20-13 win in game one followed by a 10-1 victory in the nightcap

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A long day for Alabama baseball finished with a pair of wins over the Lipscomb Bisons. The 13^th-ranked Crimson Tide took game one of the doubleheader, 20-13, before a 10-1 victory in the nightcap. With the pair of wins, the Tide is now 14-1 on the young season.

The Crimson Tide offense totaled 27 hits across the two games, including seven doubles and five home runs, on to the way to 30 total runs. Gage Miller led the way with a 7-for-10 day that included three doubles, two home runs, four RBI five runs and one walk. Close behind was Will Hodo, who finished 3-for-5 with two home runs – including a grand slam – seven RBI, five runs and five walks.

From Head Coach Rob Vaughn

"Obviously, this was a really long day of baseball, especially if you play an almost four-hour first game and then have to bounce back. You have 40 minutes before you roll back out there and play it again. It was a long day for our kids, but I thought it was a great day overall getting two wins out of it."

GAME ONE

Alabama and Lipscomb traded runs in a high-scoring affair with the Crimson Tide coming out on top in the end, 20-13.

Seven of the nine starters recorded at least one hit in game one, led by Miller's 3-for-4 effort. The junior recorded two homers, three RBI, three runs and a walk. Hodo joined Miller with a two-homer outing and finished 2-for-2 in game one. Hodo recorded a grand slam to go with three runs and his team-high four walks and seven RBI. Evan Sleight led in runs with four as part of a 2-for-4 effort that also included a double and two walks.

Tyler Fay (1-0) picked up the win with 2.0 relief innings and was followed by Alton Davis II, who tossed the final 1.1 frames with two strikeouts for his third save of the year.

How It Happened

B1 | Gage Miller led off the game with a solo home run. (1-0, Alabama)
T2 | Trace Willhoite tied things up with a solo homer to start the inning. (1-1)
T3 | A two-run home run by Mason Lundgrin put the Bisons in front. (3-1, Lipscomb)
T5 | Willhoite hit his second homer of the game, this one a three-run shot to widen the gap. (6-1, Lipscomb)
B5 | Miller led off the inning with his second homer. A pair of walks and a one-out single then loaded the bases for Mac Guscette. The Tide catcher took advantage of the opportunity, singling to center to add a pair. After a pitching change, another walk in the frame loaded them up once again with Justin Lebron at the plate. The freshman sent a two-run single to center that also put runners on the corners. Bryce Eblin was next up, singling up the middle to score the go-ahead run and put men on the corners for Miller. The inning's leadoff man came through once again, sending a sacrifice fly to center to add an insurance run. (8-6, Alabama)
T6 | Four hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch led to five runs for the Bisons. (11-8, Lipscomb)
B6 | The Tide began the sixth with a hit-by-pitch and two walks to load the bases for Guscette. The senior was hit by the pitch to push a run across and bring Will Hodo to the plate with the bases still loaded. Hodo immediately cleared the bases with a grand slam to straightaway center. Lebron followed with a solo shot to left-center to cap the six-run frame. (14-11, Alabama)
B7 | With the bases loaded, Lebron added one more with a fielder's choice groundout. (15-11, Alabama)
T8 | The Bisons drew a one-out walk and then doubled to put two in scoring position before a single to left-center scored the pair. (15-13, Alabama)
B8 | Miller led off with a double and came home on the next pitch thanks to a double from TJ McCants. The Tide center fielder moved to third on a lineout to center before an errant throw on a pickoff attempt allowed him to score from third. Then, with two down and runners on the corners, Hodo recorded his second homer of the day, this one a three-run shot to right-center. (20-13, Alabama)

Postgame Notes

The 33 combined runs in game one are the most in a single contest since May 2, 2010, when Alabama fell at South Carolina, 15-20.
The Crimson Tide offense totaled 20 runs, its most in a single game since March 8, 2023, against Alabama State when UA totaled 21 runs.
Alabama also drew a season-high 12 walks, surpassing the previous best of eight against ASU on Feb. 21.
The Crimson Tide hit five home runs in game one to tie the season-high total. The Tide also had five roundtrippers against Manhattan on Feb. 18.
The five-homer game marked the 12^th straight game Alabama has hit a home run. The Tide has also recorded two-or-more homers eight times this season.
Gage Miller and Will Hodo each recorded two-homer days. They joined TJ McCants for the team-high mark with McCants' two bombs coming on Feb. 25 against Valparaiso.
Hodo hit his first career grand slam and the Tide's second grand slam of the season. He matched McCants, who hit one against Alabama State on Feb. 21.
The Tide first baseman finished with a season-high seven RBI. He is the first Tide player to record seven RBI in a game since Cody Henry against Alcorn State on April 18, 2017.
Miller led off game one with a solo homer. The solo shot was his second leadoff home run of the season with the first one coming on Feb. 24 against Valparaiso.
Evan Sleight totaled four runs scored. It is the first four-run game for a Tide player since Andrew Pinckney and Tommy Seidl each had four against ASU on May 8 of last season.

GAME TWO

Alabama's highly productive offense carried over to the nightcap, with the Crimson Tide earning a 10-1 victory to secure the doubleheader sweep of Lipscomb.

The Tide racked up 13 total hits in game two with eight of the nine starters contributing at least one knock. The offense was led by Miller, who went 4-for-6 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored. Close behind was Bryce Eblin who put together a 3-for-5 game two that included one RBI and a pair of runs.

Greg Farone (2-0) was solid in his fourth start of the season. The southpaw tossed 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing only three hits while striking out six. The relief duo of Zane Probst and Jansen Kenty followed, combining for the final 4.0 frames and striking out five while allowing only one hit across that stretch.

How It Happened

B1 | Gage Miller doubled to start the game with Ian Petrutz drawing a one-out walk to put two aboard for Evan Sleight. The right fielder singled through the right side to get the Tide on the board and put men at the corners for Mason Swinney, who recorded a sacrifice fly. After a hit-by-pitch put two on, Justin Lebron singled to score one with Bryce Eblin adding one more run on a single of his own in the next at-bat. (4-0, Alabama)
B3 | With runners at second and third and two down, Kameron Guangorena sent a double off the wall in left-center to add to the Tide advantage. (6-0, Alabama)
B5 | Lebron led off with a walk and advanced to second an Eblin single. The pair moved into scoring position on a wild pitch with Guangorena scoring one on a sac fly. Miller brought in Eblin in the next at-bat with a single to left-center. (8-0, Alabama)
T6 | Mason Lundgrin got the Bisons on the board with a solo homer. (8-1, Alabama)
B7 | Miller led off with a double and came home on a double from McCants. (9-1, Alabama)
B8 | A double play with the bases loaded allowed the man from third to cross. (10-1, Alabama)

Postgame Notes

Alabama has won 18 straight games at Sewell-Thomas Stadium dating back to May 6 of last season. That streak includes three consecutive victories in the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional. The 18 straight home wins ties for the fourth-longest winning streak at The Joe, matching a stretch from April 26, 2009-March 20, 2010.
The Crimson Tide recorded double-digit hits in both games of the doubleheader and has now totaled 10-plus knocks in 12 of 15 contests this season.
Gage Miller extended his hitting streak to 14 games. Over the streak, the junior is batting .482 (28-58) with five doubles, eight home runs, 24 RBI, 25 runs, two walks and six hit-by-pitch.
TJ McCants extended his hitting streak to 15 games. McCants is batting .370 (23-62) with seven doubles, one triple, six homers, 23 RBI, 17 runs scored, 10 walks, a hit-by-pitch and six stolen bases to start the season.
Bryce Eblin extended his hitting streak to seven games. Over the current stretch, the senior is batting .482 (14-29) with two doubles, two home runs, seven RBI, eight runs scored, two walks, two hit-by-pitch and a stolen base.
Evan Sleight has reached base in all 15 games this season.
Justin Lebron has gotten aboard in 11 straight contests dating back to Feb. 21.
Mason Swinney has gotten on base in 10 consecutive games dating back to Feb. 23.
ATTENDANCE: 3,621

Alabama will go for the sweep on Sunday as the Crimson Tide and Bisons meet for a 1 p.m. matchup at The Joe. The Tide will send right-hander Hagan Banks to the mound while the Lipscomb starter is still to be announced. Fans can catch the series finale live on SEC Network+.

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