Riley Quick Deals, Alabama Baseball Rebounds for 5-2 Win at Vanderbilt

Alabama starting pitcher Riley Quick set career highs in innings pitched and total pitches on Saturday, and it paid off for the No.18 Crimson Tide in a 5-2 road win against No. 15 Vanderbilt, knotting the series at one game each.

Quick spun six innings of two-run baseball, coming out for the top of the seventh and finishing with 96 pitches. The Commodores (33-14, 13-10 SEC) scored one on a first-inning balk and another in the seventh on a Mac Rose single, but that was the only damage the home team could inflict. Following Vanderbilt center fielder RJ Austin's run scored on the balk, the Crimson Tide evened the game when Richie Bonomolo Jr.



hit into a fielder's choice to bring in shortstop Justin Lebron from third. The Crimson Tide (36-11, 13-10 SEC) piled on for three runs in the fifth, including a solo home run by designated hitter Coleman Mizell. Mizell also had a double in the contest.

Bonomolo had an RBI single and second baseman Garrett Staton pummeled an RBI double to score team captain Kade Snell. In the top of the eighth, Staton scored from third on a wild pitch to mark the game's final run. Closer Carson Ozmer got a six-out save, tying the single-season program high for saves with his 14th.

Every game matters from now on, and the Crimson Tide had to have Saturday after a tough outing Friday . Starting pitching was not Alabama's issue in Friday's loss, but it underscored the team's win on Saturday. Braylon Myers relieved Quick and struck out two hitters in the seventh.

Vanderbilt starter Cody Bowker took the loss in a four-inning effort where he was charged with two earned runs. Mizell (who hit ninth), Snell and Staton had two hits for Alabama. Meanwhile, only four starters hit safely for the home side.

Sunday's rubber game will air nationally on SEC Network with a 3 p.m. CT first pitch, weather permitting; inclement weather delayed both of the series' first two games.

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