Error in Extras Helps Baseball Claim 4-3 Win over Top-Ranked Arkansas on Saturday

Saturday, April 13

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

5 p.m. CT

Alabama

23-12, 5-8

Arkansas

30-4, 12-2

Arkansas

Alabama

Error in Extras Helps Baseball Claim 4-3 Win over Top-Ranked Arkansas on Saturday

4/13/2024 9:36:00 PM | Baseball

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

A slow dribbler back to the mound resulted in a throwing error that crossed the winning run for the Tide

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball downed top-ranked Arkansas, 4-3, in extra innings on Saturday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Following the series-tying win, the 16^th-ranked Crimson Tide is now 23-12 on the season and 5-8 in Southeastern Conference play.

Home runs were the only offense to start, as Alabama took a two-run lead on a Will Hodo solo shot in the second followed by a Gage Miller solo bomb in the third. Arkansas answered with solo homers in the fifth and sixth to make it a 2-2 affair through six full. The Tide regained the lead in the eighth, using a two-out RBI-double from TJ McCants to score one. The lead would not last long, as another solo homer in the Razorback ninth sent the game to extras.

Arkansas was held scoreless in the top of the 10^th to bring Alabama to the plate. The Tide led off the home half with a double from Kade Snell. The redshirt junior was replaced by pinch-runner Mason Swinney, who would come home in the next at-bat on a slow dribbler back to the mound from TJ McCants. The Hogs' pitcher first bobbled the ball before throwing it past the first baseman to allow Swinney to score the game-winning run.

Alton Davis II (3-1) picked up the win, allowing one run on one hit to go with three strikeouts across the final 2.0 innings. Davis II was joined by Tyler Fay out of the pen, with Fay tossing 3.0 relief frames and striking out three while allowing one run on one hit. The relief duo followed Greg Farone, who provided the Tide with a solid start on Saturday. The senior allowed one run on four hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work.

From Head Coach Rob Vaughn

"The game of baseball is a humbling game, it's a hard game, but these boys earned that win tonight. They fought like heck – and that's not just a tonight thing. I saw (that fight) last night in the loss, saw that in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. This was a fun game tonight, anybody that's a fan of college baseball had to enjoy the heck out of that, but now our attention turns to tomorrow. This is a quicker turnaround, so we have to flush this, get back tomorrow and get ready to try to take a series."

How It Happened

B2 | Will Hodo hammered a solo homer into the Right Field Terrace. (1-0, Alabama)
B3 | Gage Miller added to the lead with a solo shot off the foul pole in left. (2-0, Alabama)
T5 | Peyton Stovall got the Hogs on the board with a solo home run to right. (2-1, Alabama)
T6 | Jared Sprague-Lott tied things up with a solo homer to left-center. (2-2)
B8 | With two aboard, TJ McCants doubled into the corner in right for a two-out go-ahead RBI. (3-2, Alabama)
T9 | Peyton Holt evened the score with a two-out solo homer. (3-3)
B10 | Kade Snell led off with a double and was replaced by a pinch-runner in Mason Swinney. McCants was next up, sending a slow dribbler back at the pitcher that was bobbled and then thrown over the head of the first baseman to allow Swinney to score. (4-3, Alabama)

Postgame Notes

Tonight's game was the first sellout at The Joe since June 4 of last season when the Tide's NCAA Regional matchup with Boston College was at capacity. It is also the first regular-season sellout since May 6 of last year when the Tide squared off with Vanderbilt.
The sellout was the 42^nd in Sewell-Thomas Stadium history and first this season.
The Tide's walkoff win was its first since June 3 of last season against Nicholls in that NCAA Regional.
Gage Miller has reached base safely in all 34 games that he has played in. That ties for the longest reached base streak by a Crimson Tide hitter to start the season since Taylor Dugas' 34-game streak to start the 2012 campaign. The 34-game stretch was part of Dugas' 46-game streak overall that included the final 12 games of the 2011 season.
ATTENDANCE: 5,800 (SELLOUT)

Alabama and Arkansas will decide the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. The Crimson Tide will send freshman lefty Zane Adams to the hill while the Hogs call on junior right-hander Brady Tygart. Fans can catch the finale live on SEC Network+.

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