Alabama
12-3
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North Florida
8-7
Fay’s Career Night Propels Baseball to 7-2 Win over North Florida
3/7/2026 12:45:00 AM | Baseball
The right-hander tossed a career-best 7.0 innings while resetting his personal benchmark with 11 strikeouts
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Guided by a brilliant start from Tyler Fay, Alabama baseball (12-3) picked up its third consecutive win, as the Crimson Tide took down North Florida (8-7) by a score of 7-2 on Friday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
Fay (3-1) earned his third straight win, logging new career-highs in innings pitched (7.0) and strikeouts (11) while limiting the Ospreys to just two earned runs with four hits and one walk. Fay's lone blemish was a two-run home run in the 5th, though the Nebraska native remained unfazed. The redshirt junior struck out the side in two separate innings, including facing the minimum in five of his seven frames. Evan Steckmesser was the only man needed out of the bullpen, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings while notching two strikeouts.
Justin Osterhouse led the Alabama lineup with a 4-for-5 night, highlighted by a two-run home run in the 7th and a double in the 5th. Osterhouse also scored three of the Tide's seven runs and stole a base in his standout showing. Peyton Steele closed 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBI, while Jason Torres collected three hits, including a double, in four at-bats to go with one RBI. Justin Lebron and John Lemm both recorded knocks, with Lebron adding one stolen base.
From Head Coach Rob Vaughn
"That's probably my favorite game we've played all year. Just the most complete game. I knew (Dakota Stone) was going to be a tough task for us, but I just loved the way the hitters competed. I thought we just grinded him out. We had him at 80-plus pitches in the fourth, and that's what you have to do. Just really proud of the effort there and (Tyler Fay) was just outstanding. He missed one pitch and they got him on it, but he just kept pouring it in there at the bottom of the zone, mixing pitches. The cutter was pretty good tonight, the slider was good, the changeup was good, the sinker was down, the four-seam was up. Just a complete night from (Fay), and then we were able to turn it over to (Steckmesser) and save that bullpen for tomorrow. Proud of the effort tonight and we have to try to replicate it tomorrow."
How It Happened
- B2 | The Crimson Tide manufactured a run in the 2nd, with Justin Osterhouse leading off the frame with an infield single. Peyton Steele followed with a walk, while Brennan Holt laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move both men into scoring position. Chase Kroberger then grounded out to shortstop to score Osterhouse. (1-0, Alabama)
- B3 | Brady Neal led off the inning with a base-hit, later reaching second after a failed pickoff attempt sailed past the UNF first baseman. John Lemm followed with a single through the left side, placing runners at the corners with one out. Jason Torres then laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to score Neal. Osterhouse then singled to the pitcher, a play that was reversed following an Alabama challenge, with Osterhouse stealing second to put two men in scoring position. With two outs, Steele produced a RBI single to plate Lemm. (3-0, Alabama)
- T5 | After the leadoff man reached for North Florida, the Ospreys found the scoreboard with a two-run homer. (3-2, Alabama)
- B5 | Torres opened the inning with a single, preceding Osterhouse's double into the left-center gap, putting two men in scoring position. With authority, Steele drove in both men with a triple over the center fielder's glove. (5-2, Alabama)
- B7 | Torres again set the tone as the leadoff man, doubling to left to bring up Osterhouse. The Tide left fielder cashed in, lifting a two-run home run to right. (7-2, Alabama)
Postgame Notes
- Tyler Fay is the first Crimson Tide pitcher to record at least 7.0 IP and 10-plus strikeouts this season
- Fay's 7.0 IP surpasses his previous career high of 6.0 IP set three times previously, most recently against Iowa on Feb. 27
- Fay's 11 strikeouts stand as the most by the right-hander in a single game in his Alabama career, eclipsing his previous career high of seven strikeouts set against Washington State on Feb. 13
- Fay is the first Alabama pitcher to record at least 10 strikeouts since Zane Adams' 10 punchouts against Presbyterian on March 7 of last season
- Justin Osterhouse is the first Tide player to manage four hits in a game since Kade Snell's 4-for-5 effort at Troy on May 6 of last season
- Osterhouse's four hits mark a new Alabama career high
- Brady Neal extended his hitting streak to six consecutive games, the team's longest active hitting streak
- Luke Vaughn improved his on-base streak to 12 games
- Peyton Steele's two-run triple in the 5th was the Tide's first triple of the 2026 season
- Steele's three hits also stand as a new career high
- Neal's caught-stealing in the 6th marked the Tide's first failed stolen base attempt of the season following 32 consecutive successful attempts
- Tonight's game was delayed by 105 minutes due to rain and lightning
- Attendance: 3,408
Up Next
- Alabama will continue its series against North Florida on Saturday, March 7
- Previously slated for a 2 p.m. CT start, the Crimson Tide and Ospreys are now set for a 12 p.m. CT first pitch, airing on SEC Network+
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fay, Tyler (3-1)
L: STONE, Dakota (0-1)
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Batting:
HR: GOMEZ, Gialdri 1
RBI: GOMEZ, Gialdri 2
Base Running:
RUNS: HOSEY, Boone 1 ; GOMEZ, Gialdri 1
Batting:
2B: Torres, Jason 1 ; Osterhouse, Justin 1
3B: Steele, Peyton 1
HR: Osterhouse, Justin 1
RBI: Torres, Jason 1 ; Osterhouse, Justin 2 ; Steele, Peyton 3 ; Kroberger, Chase 1
SH: Torres, Jason 1 ; Holt, Brennan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Neal, Brady 1 ; Lemm, John 1 ; Torres, Jason 2 ; Osterhouse, Justin 3
SB: Lebron, Justin 1 ; Osterhouse, Justin 1
CS: Neal, Brady 1 ; Holt, Brennan 1
HBP: Holt, Brennan 1
