The 5:02 game was the fifth-longest game by time in program history
3/17/2018
TUSCALOOSA, AL. – With runners on second and third and two down, junior Joe Breaux singled through the left side to cross the game-winner and help Alabama baseball walk off Georgia, 10-9, in 13 innings on Friday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The win in the SEC opener for UA moves the team to 16-3 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
"Our kids just kept scratching and clawing tonight," said Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon. "If we can clean up the game and keep that competitive spirit that we had tonight then that is really valuable and will help us going forward. I think it goes back to the experience that we have – we have a bunch of position players, or just players in general, that have been through the league, so it's a really special trait of our club to remain competitive and resilient. Hopefully we can continue to show that going forward."
Alabama came away with the victory despite a season-high four errors in the field that led to six unearned runs. Junior Dylan Duarte (2-0) tallied the win with 3.0 innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits while striking out a pair.
Eight of the nine Crimson Tide starters on offense recorded at least one hit with seven total players tallying multi-hit efforts. Alabama was led by juniors Cobie Vance (3-7) and Jett Manning (3-6), who each provided three-hit days. Senior Chandler Avant led UA in RBI with three as part of his 2-for-6 night for his team-leading 12th multi-hit effort of the season. Junior Chandler Taylor added a team-high three runs scored, finishing 2-for-6 with a home run.
Georgia sprinted to a 5-0 lead in the top half of the first. The Bulldogs used five hits and two errors to gain the early advantage. The Crimson Tide got on the board in the bottom half of the first thanks to a solo shot from Taylor. The home run was the junior's team-leading seventh of the year and cut the deficit to 5-1 after one inning of play.
The two teams scored again in the fifth. Georgia added one run to its total, using a leadoff single followed by a double to cross a run. Alabama came right back in the home half, posting a three-spot to make it a 6-4 game through five. Taylor led off the frame with a single and stole second one batter later to put himself in scoring position. Following another out, Avant singled through the left side to score Taylor from second.
Junior Keith Holcombe followed with a single and a walk to freshman Sam Praytor loaded the bases for the Crimson Tide, forcing a UGA pitching change. Manning greeted the new pitcher with a single up the middle, scoring two runs to cut the deficit to two.
Georgia doubled its lead in the top of the sixth on the power of a two-run home run. With one down, UGA reached a batter on a miscue by the Tide infield and the very next hitter homered deep to right-center to set it at 8-4 heading into the final three innings.
Five runs in the seventh gave Alabama its first lead of the night, making it a 9-8 game in favor of the Crimson Tide. Holcombe led things off with a hit-by-pitch and was followed by singles from pinch-hitter Matt Malkin, a junior, and Vance to load the bases for UA. Senior Cody Henry singled in the next at-bat to move everyone up 90 feet and bring Holcombe across before a wild pitch to the next batter crossed one more run. Hit-by-pitches to both Taylor and Breaux brought in two more runs before Avant capped the scoring with a two-RBI single to left to put Alabama in front.
In the eighth, the Bulldogs led off with a single before the Bulldog runner advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and eventually third on a wild pitch. With two down, an errant throw by the Tide infield allowed the man from third to score and even things up at 9-9. The teams would go scoreless for the rest of regulation. Both teams had multiple chances for the win in extras, but it was the Crimson Tide that would come out on top in the 13th thanks to Breaux's walkoff single.
Alabama looks for the series win on Saturday afternoon in game two of the series, scheduled for a 1 p.m. CT first pitch. The Crimson Tide will call on senior right-hander Jake Walters in the start while the Bulldogs will counter with freshman righty Emerson Hancock. The game can be seen nationally on SEC Network with the duo of Mike Morgan and Mike Rooney on the call.
Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaBSB on Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook at Alabama Baseball. General athletic news can be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide :biga:
3/17/2018
TUSCALOOSA, AL. – With runners on second and third and two down, junior Joe Breaux singled through the left side to cross the game-winner and help Alabama baseball walk off Georgia, 10-9, in 13 innings on Friday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The win in the SEC opener for UA moves the team to 16-3 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
"Our kids just kept scratching and clawing tonight," said Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon. "If we can clean up the game and keep that competitive spirit that we had tonight then that is really valuable and will help us going forward. I think it goes back to the experience that we have – we have a bunch of position players, or just players in general, that have been through the league, so it's a really special trait of our club to remain competitive and resilient. Hopefully we can continue to show that going forward."
Alabama came away with the victory despite a season-high four errors in the field that led to six unearned runs. Junior Dylan Duarte (2-0) tallied the win with 3.0 innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits while striking out a pair.
Eight of the nine Crimson Tide starters on offense recorded at least one hit with seven total players tallying multi-hit efforts. Alabama was led by juniors Cobie Vance (3-7) and Jett Manning (3-6), who each provided three-hit days. Senior Chandler Avant led UA in RBI with three as part of his 2-for-6 night for his team-leading 12th multi-hit effort of the season. Junior Chandler Taylor added a team-high three runs scored, finishing 2-for-6 with a home run.
Georgia sprinted to a 5-0 lead in the top half of the first. The Bulldogs used five hits and two errors to gain the early advantage. The Crimson Tide got on the board in the bottom half of the first thanks to a solo shot from Taylor. The home run was the junior's team-leading seventh of the year and cut the deficit to 5-1 after one inning of play.
The two teams scored again in the fifth. Georgia added one run to its total, using a leadoff single followed by a double to cross a run. Alabama came right back in the home half, posting a three-spot to make it a 6-4 game through five. Taylor led off the frame with a single and stole second one batter later to put himself in scoring position. Following another out, Avant singled through the left side to score Taylor from second.
Junior Keith Holcombe followed with a single and a walk to freshman Sam Praytor loaded the bases for the Crimson Tide, forcing a UGA pitching change. Manning greeted the new pitcher with a single up the middle, scoring two runs to cut the deficit to two.
Georgia doubled its lead in the top of the sixth on the power of a two-run home run. With one down, UGA reached a batter on a miscue by the Tide infield and the very next hitter homered deep to right-center to set it at 8-4 heading into the final three innings.
Five runs in the seventh gave Alabama its first lead of the night, making it a 9-8 game in favor of the Crimson Tide. Holcombe led things off with a hit-by-pitch and was followed by singles from pinch-hitter Matt Malkin, a junior, and Vance to load the bases for UA. Senior Cody Henry singled in the next at-bat to move everyone up 90 feet and bring Holcombe across before a wild pitch to the next batter crossed one more run. Hit-by-pitches to both Taylor and Breaux brought in two more runs before Avant capped the scoring with a two-RBI single to left to put Alabama in front.
In the eighth, the Bulldogs led off with a single before the Bulldog runner advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and eventually third on a wild pitch. With two down, an errant throw by the Tide infield allowed the man from third to score and even things up at 9-9. The teams would go scoreless for the rest of regulation. Both teams had multiple chances for the win in extras, but it was the Crimson Tide that would come out on top in the 13th thanks to Breaux's walkoff single.
Alabama looks for the series win on Saturday afternoon in game two of the series, scheduled for a 1 p.m. CT first pitch. The Crimson Tide will call on senior right-hander Jake Walters in the start while the Bulldogs will counter with freshman righty Emerson Hancock. The game can be seen nationally on SEC Network with the duo of Mike Morgan and Mike Rooney on the call.
Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaBSB on Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook at Alabama Baseball. General athletic news can be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide :biga:
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