2 weeks Ago
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— For the first time in the month of April, the Alabama baseball team has won an SEC series. The No.
18 Crimson Tide defeated Missouri 7-3 at home Friday night, continuing the Tigers' slide to 20 SEC games without a victory in 2025. "Winning's hard. There were some things I wish we could have back tonight," Alabama coach Rob Vaughn said.
"Thought Riley Quick was outstanding...
Enough offensively. I thought there were some decent at-bats. Just too many guys left on base early.
" The Crimson Tide (34-10, 11-9 SEC) left 11 men on base in total, and left runs on the board in the third inning when, after a two-run home run by Kade Snell for the first runs of the contest, it stranded the bases loaded. Prior to that, in the top of the second, six-hole Missouri hitter Brock Daniels was deemed ineligible. Vaughn noticed that he was not on the Tiger roster, though Daniels had already recorded a putout in the bottom of the first while playing left.
His spot in the batting order was declared an automatic out. "I honestly didn't know what to do," Vaughn said. "I hate it.
[Missouri head coach] Kerrick [Jackson] is one of my really good friends. It's not something I wanted to do, but at the end of the day, this is a big game." Quick went 5.
2 innings and was only charged with one run. He surrendered three hits and struck out seven opposing batters. He was only charged with one run and credited with the win.
Senior reliever Braylon Myers earned his second save and has 22 punchouts in his last four games. "Everything was good. The fastball was good.
I think the main thing after that first inning [the seventh] was just getting ahead of the hitters," Myers said. "Hitting's hard, but it's a lot harder when they're behind in the count." Alabama added four more runs in the bottom of the fifth, including a two-RBI double from designated hitter Coleman Mizell, who hit the game-winning home run on Thursday night.
"His playing time's gone down a little bit...
Not for one second has Bull felt bad for himself," Vaughn said. "[He has] joy in the moment, joy for his teammates, all that stuff. When you can do that, when your name gets called, the game pays you back.
" The Tigers did collect their first extra-base hit of the series from third baseman Chris Patterson during the second inning. Patterson later added an RBI triple and a run scored. He was Missouri's offensive leader in the game; his triple scored the first run of the contest for his team.
The visiting side added another run in the sixth inning, slightly trimming a 6-0 deficit to 6-2, by way of an RBI single from Pierre Seals (who took Daniels' spot on the lineup card). In the top of the seventh, Kaden Peer hit a sac fly to score another run and make it 6-3. Crimson Tide third baseman Jason Torres delivered the knockout blow with a huge home run to left field in the bottom half of the seventh, his ninth of the season.
He needed it. This recent stretch of games has not been his best at the plate. "It's hard when you're kind of scuffling a little bit," Vaughn said.
"You could just see he had a plan, and that's what I like. When guys get in between, that's when they get in trouble. He clearly had a plan there.
" Alabama had 11 hits on Friday, and three starters with multiple hits. Snell was one. Center fielder Richie Bonomolo Jr.
had three hits. The series finale is set to start at 1 p.m.
CT on Saturday, with live streaming on SEC Network+. It is a consequential game for Alabama. A win potentially keeps the team in the conversation as a possible host team for the NCAA Tournament.
Snell has continued his consistency since moving up to the No. 3 spot in the batting order. He has proven as difficult to strike out as anybody and maintains the best batting average on the team.
Friday's home run was his eighth. See Also:.
