Tide jumped out front early and used a pair of two-run innings in the fourth and sixth to secure the win
2/25/2020
TUSCALOOSA, AL – Alabama baseball picked up a 10-5 win over UT-Martin on Tuesday, using a pair of two-run innings in the fourth and sixth innings to pull away. With the victory, the Crimson Tide is now 8-0 to start the season.
Alabama got up 5-1 after two innings but a three-run third by UT-Martin made things close. The Tide countered with one in the home half of the third and used two in the fourth and a pair in the sixth to secure the midweek win. The Crimson Tide was able to hang on thanks to 6.2 solid innings from its bullpen. Leading the way was redshirt junior Garret Rukes (1-0), who contributed 3.2 innings of shutout baseball, allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out a career-high six batters for the win.
The Tide's bats continued to stay hot, producing 10 runs on 11 hits. Pacing the offense was Owen Diodati. The freshman finished 2-for-5 with his team-leading fourth home run of the season. He also added two RBI and a run scored. Matching him in hits was senior Brett Auerbach, who finished 2-for-3 with a team-high tying two runs and a stolen base. Rounding out the multi-hit efforts was catcher Sam Praytor. The redshirt sophomore went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
From Head Coach Brad Bohannon
"I'm really glad to get the win today. I thought UT-Martin was a really competitive group. I'm really proud of our offense – we scored in five different innings which has kind of been a consistent theme as of late. Obviously, the story of the game was (Garret) Rukes and the bullpen giving us 6.2 innings with one walk and one run. We've pitched really well in the bullpen up to this point this year, and if we continue to do that, then we will continue to win our share of games. This was a good win for us."
How It Happened
The Crimson Tide returns to The Joe tomorrow afternoon for a matchup with the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders. First pitch of the midweek is set for 3 p.m. CT with the game airing 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.
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide
2/25/2020
TUSCALOOSA, AL – Alabama baseball picked up a 10-5 win over UT-Martin on Tuesday, using a pair of two-run innings in the fourth and sixth innings to pull away. With the victory, the Crimson Tide is now 8-0 to start the season.
Alabama got up 5-1 after two innings but a three-run third by UT-Martin made things close. The Tide countered with one in the home half of the third and used two in the fourth and a pair in the sixth to secure the midweek win. The Crimson Tide was able to hang on thanks to 6.2 solid innings from its bullpen. Leading the way was redshirt junior Garret Rukes (1-0), who contributed 3.2 innings of shutout baseball, allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out a career-high six batters for the win.
The Tide's bats continued to stay hot, producing 10 runs on 11 hits. Pacing the offense was Owen Diodati. The freshman finished 2-for-5 with his team-leading fourth home run of the season. He also added two RBI and a run scored. Matching him in hits was senior Brett Auerbach, who finished 2-for-3 with a team-high tying two runs and a stolen base. Rounding out the multi-hit efforts was catcher Sam Praytor. The redshirt sophomore went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
From Head Coach Brad Bohannon
"I'm really glad to get the win today. I thought UT-Martin was a really competitive group. I'm really proud of our offense – we scored in five different innings which has kind of been a consistent theme as of late. Obviously, the story of the game was (Garret) Rukes and the bullpen giving us 6.2 innings with one walk and one run. We've pitched really well in the bullpen up to this point this year, and if we continue to do that, then we will continue to win our share of games. This was a good win for us."
How It Happened
- B1 | Auerbach led the game off with a walk. A single moved him to third before a sacrifice fly from junior Tyler Gentry brought in the Tide's first run. (1-0, Alabama)
- T2 | With a runner on, a two-out single to left got UT-Martin on the board. (1-1)
- B2 | T.J. Reeves walked to start the second and moved into scoring position when freshman Jim Jarvis was hit by a pitch. The duo moved up 90 feet on a double steal before Kolby Robinson delivered a two-RBI double. Robinson, a senior, would come home one out later when Diodati went deep for a two-run shot. (5-1, Alabama)
- T3 | UT-Martin began the frame with a solo home run. After a double and a walk, another double, this one with one down, scored one more. Following an Alabama pitching change, the Skyhawks grounded into a 4-3 fielder's choice for the inning's second out, but another UTM run. (5-4, Alabama)
- B3 | A two-out double from freshman Myles Austin kept the inning alive. Jarvis joined his fellow freshman with a hit, this one to center to score Austin and make it a two-run lead. (6-4, Alabama)
- B4 | Auerbach led things off with a walk before stealing second to move into scoring position. One out later, Gentry was hit by a pitch before Praytor drew a walk. Following a pitching change and the inning's second out, Reeves grounded to third but an errant throw by the UTM third baseman brought in a pair to extend the Tide advantage. (8-4, Alabama)
- B6 | Gentry began the inning with a walk and moved to third on a double from Praytor. A single up the middle from freshman Zane Denton brought across the two runners and widened the gap for the Crimson Tide. (10-4, Alabama)
- T7 | A solo home run from the Skyhawks led off the inning and capped the night's scoring. (10-5, Alabama)
- Alabama is 8-0 to start the year. That is the Crimson Tide's second-best start to a season under Brad Bohannon. The 2018 squad began the year 9-0 in Bohannon's first season at the helm.
- Garret Rukes worked 3.2 innings, his longest outing since March 19, 2017, when he tossed 3.2 against Missouri.
- Rukes also struck out a career-high six batters on the night. His previous high for punchouts was five, which he had on two occasions, most recently at Samford on May 14, 2019.
- The win for Rukes was his first since April 16, 2019.
- Alabama has now recorded double-digit hits in five games this season, including four of the five matchups at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
- The Crimson Tide hitters have now recorded at least one home run in seven of eight games with multiple homers in four of those contests.
- All but one starter recorded a hit on the night.
- Eight of nine starters totaled at least one run scored.
- Owen Diodati tallied his team-leading fourth home run of the season.
- Kolby Robinson's 1-for-4 day extended his hitting streak to seven games, the longest by any member of the Crimson Tide this season. Across those seven games, Robinson is batting .346 (9-26) with four doubles, five RBI, three runs scored, two hit-by-pitch and a stolen base.
- Tyler Gentry finished his day a perfect 1-for-1 with two walks, a hit-by-pitch and a sac fly.
- ATTENDANCE: 2,398
The Crimson Tide returns to The Joe tomorrow afternoon for a matchup with the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders. First pitch of the midweek is set for 3 p.m. CT with the game airing 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.
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide