Diamond Notes : Comeback Effort Falls Short in Bama’s 6-5 Loss to #18 Texas A&M

Diamond Tide

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A&M got out front with five in the first but the Tide battled all day, falling just short in the end

5/12/2019

TUSCALOOSA, AL –
After falling behind early, Alabama baseball fought its way back into the game but came up just short of completing the comeback in Sunday's 6-5 loss to 18th-ranked Texas A&M. Following the series finale, the Crimson Tide is 29-23 overall and 7-20 in Southeastern Conference play.

"Obviously, a really tough loss today after a terrible, terrible first inning, but once we woke up, the kids competed really well," said Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon. "The kids battled back. I've said this a few times – they do a good job of just going out and playing. We are down by five and they just kept playing. The bullpen was outstanding, and I think (Sam) Finnerty did a really good job of bouncing back after the first. We're making progress but we still have to play better, and we still have to execute better."

Texas A&M built its lead in the first with five runs on three hits and an error to put the Tide in an early hole. Alabama then began chipping away at the lead. The Crimson Tide struck for one in the bottom of the first to start narrowing the gap. A two-out triple from junior Morgan McCullough followed by an RBI-single from sophomore Tyler Gentry made it a 5-1 game after one inning.

Alabama added one more in the fourth and fifth innings. The fourth began with a walk to Gentry. A single moved him to second before a double play allowed the junior to move to third. Following another walk, a single up the middle from junior Kolby Robinson brought in the Tide's second run of the day. In the fifth, freshman T.J. Reeves delivered a one-out single before stealing second to put himself in scoring position. One out later, Gentry sent a liner to left that finished with a play at the plate as Reeves slid past the tag to set the score at 5-3 through five full.

The Aggie lead was moved to one in the seventh when Alabama crossed another run. A leadoff single from McCullough began the sequence. One out later, freshman Drew Williamson singled to center. On the play, the ball went under the A&M outfielder's glove, allowing McCullough to score and make it a 5-4 game headed to the final two innings.

A&M was able to scratch for one more in the top of the eighth, a run that would prove the difference in the game. Despite the two-run lead, Alabama continued to battle in the final frame. The Crimson Tide ninth began with a single to left from Reeves. One out later, Gentry doubled off the top of the wall in center, nearly missing a home run but still bringing in Reeves to cut the lead to one.

A walk to Williamson put the go-ahead run on the bases and brought freshman Tyler Ras to the plate. Ras would go down 1-2 in the count and then the rain hit. A 48-minute delay ensued. Once the two teams returned, A&M was able to get the final two outs to secure the Sunday win and the series victory.

Texas A&M reliever Chris Weber (4-0) picked up the win with 1.0 inning of relief. Aggie closer Kasey Kalich (12) secured his 12th save of the season with one run in the ninth. Sam Finnerty (6-7) suffered the loss on Sunday, giving up five runs (four earned) – all in the first. The senior settled in after the rocky start, retiring 12 of the next 14 batters he faced to keep the Crimson Tide in the game before turning it over to the bullpen.

Alabama's offense was led by the 2-through-5 hitters. Gentry and Williamson each finished with three hits while Gentry also added a team-high three RBI to go with one run scored. Reeves and McCullough trailed closely behind, recording two hits and a pair of runs to round out the foursome.

The Crimson Tide will remain in Tuscaloosa to close out its 2019 home slate. Alabama will square off with in-state foe Samford on Tuesday, May 14, at Sewell-Thomas Stadium with the game scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch. Fans can catch the midweek pairing live on SEC Network+.

Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabmaBSB 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.


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