Alabama
Ole Miss
Farone’s Standout Start, Big-Time Offense Lead Baseball to 12-0 Win over Ole Miss
4/25/2024 10:02:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide extended its winning streak to seven games over the Rebels with the run-rule victory
OXFORD, Miss. – Alabama paired a standout start from Greg Farone with big-time offense to earn a 12-0 run-rule victory over Ole Miss on Thursday evening at Swayze Field. With the victory, the 18th-ranked Crimson Tide is now 27-15 overall and 8-11 in Southeastern Conference play.
Farone (4-1) earned the win with a complete game shutout. The senior allowed just six hits and did not issue a walk while striking out six in his 7.0 innings of work. Alabama's offense gave him one run of support in the third before a nine-run fourth blew the game open. The Tide added two more in the fifth to cap the scoring at 12.
Alabama's bats accumulated 16 total hits on the way to 12 runs with eight of the nine starters recording at least one hit and one run scored. Justin Lebron, Kade Snell and Mac Guscette each tied for the team lead in hits with three apiece while Snell and Guscette were matched by Will Hodo for the team-high RBI total at three. Both Guscette and Hodo accumulated their RBI with three-run home runs in that huge fourth inning.
From Head Coach Rob Vaughn
"Greg (Farone) made hitters miss, commanded the zone and moved it in and out well. His breaking ball had bite to it, and he had feel for the changeup tonight. He was just outstanding. And then the hitters gave us some relentless at-bats. It was a heck of a job by our guys to understand the strike zone and stay with our plan on offense. I love the way we competed but it's 0-0 tomorrow."
How It Happened
- T2 | Justin Lebron got aboard with a one-out single and moved all the way to third on a fielder's choice and a flyout. Kade Snell brought him home in the next at-bat with a single to right. (1-0, Alabama)
- T4 | With runners at second and third and one down, Ian Petrutz cleared the bases with a double to left. Lebron then singled to put two on for Will Hodo, who sent a ball over the wall in right. TJ McCants followed with a triple and promptly came home on a single from Snell. Evan Sleight was next, doubling to center to put two aboard for Mac Guscette. The Tide catcher hammered a ball into the bullpen in left to add three more. (10-0, Alabama)
- T5 | Petrutz and Lebron were both hit by a pitch before a groundout to first moved the pair into scoring position. McCants followed with a single to score one and put men on the corners for Snell, who delivered with a 4-3 groundout to move a run home from third. (12-0, Alabama)
Postgame Notes
- Greg Farone tossed the first 7.0 inning complete game for UA since Adam Morgan against Tennessee on April 16, 2011. Morgan's start was not a shutout.
- Farone's complete game shutout is the first by a Tide pitcher since Sam Finnerty in game one of the doubleheader with South Carolina on April 5, 2019. Finnerty went the entire 9.0 innings in that game.
- The shutout was Alabama's sixth this season and first since April 14 against then-No. 1 Arkansas. The six shutouts tie for the sixth-most in Crimson Tide single-season history.
- The Crimson Tide has scored double-digit runs in 17 games this season, including each of the last three matchups.
- Alabama's offense has registered double-digit hits in 28 games overall, including six of the last seven outings.
- The Tide has totaled double-digit hits in 11 SEC matchups, including each of the last five dating back to the finale with Arkansas on April 14.
- Alabama has homered in 30 contests for the season, including 23 games with two-or-more roundtrippers.
- UA recorded a season-high tying eight hits in the fourth inning. It matched the eight-hit third inning against Samford on Tuesday for the Tide's season-high mark.
- With his 2-for-4 effort, TJ McCants has recorded a hit in eight consecutive games. Over that stretch, the senior is batting .471 (16-34) with two doubles, one triple, a homer, six RBI, eight runs scored, two walks and one stolen base.
- Justin Lebron extended his hitting streak to six games. During the streak, Lebron is batting .481 (13-27) with a double, four home runs, eight RBI, 10 runs and two hit-by-pitch.
- Mac Guscette moved his hitting streak to five games. Across that time, the Tide backstop is batting .667 (12-18) with a double, three home runs, 14 RBI, six runs, one walk and a hit-by-pitch.
- Guscette has homered in three of his last four games including two grand slams during the Texas A&M series. He had not homered over his first 31 games played prior to the grand slam against the Aggies on April 19.
Alabama and Ole Miss will meet for game two on Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT. The Crimson Tide sends junior righty Ben Hess to the hill while the Rebels counter with sophomore Liam Doyle, a left-hander. Fans can catch game two on SEC Network+.
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