Photo by Davida Franklin from The Crimson White

By Brandon Mraz

The Crimson Tide went into Fayetteville to face the dangerous and red hot Arkansas Razorbacks who found themselves ranked number one in the country. This would not deter the Tide as they came out swinging to start the game. 

In the second inning the Crimson Tide got off to a hot start with Jim Jarvis hitting a single to put the first run on the board, scoring Owen Diodati. With the score 1-0 and the bases then loaded, Peyton Wilson drew a walk to walk in a run to make the score 2-0. William Hamiter would also draw a walk for a run to make the score 3-0. Sam Praytor would come to bat and ground out to first to record the first out but would move the runners to second and third and score another run. With the score 4-0 Drew Williamson would double to center scoring Hamiter and Wilson. The score would move to 6-0 with Zane Denton at the plate. Denton would single to score Williamson and make the score 7-0. Diodati would come back to the plate and the Canadian born right fielder would take one yard to right field to open up the game and make it 9-0. Caden Rose would reach first on a single with Andrew Pinckney on base and on a throwing error Pinckney would score and the top of the second inning would end with the Crimson Tide up 10-0. 

The Crimson Tide and their starter Tyler Ras would enter the bottom of the second with a comfortable lead. Ras would give up a homerun in the second to make the score 10-1 but would settle in and pitch a solid game. Ras went 6 innings, giving up 6 hits, 1 run, and 6 strikeouts on the day. The homerun for the Razorbacks would be the only run in the game for them. After Ras, the Crimson Tide brought in Connor Shamblin who would only give up 2 hits and strikeout 4. Shamblin would finish the game for the Tide. 

The Crimson Tide’s big day at the plate was not over. In the seventh inning Rose would hit a homerun to make the game 11-1. Later in the eighth, with two on base, Diodati would round out his day with a 2 RBI double to make the score 13-1. Pinckney would then homerun to score Diodati in the eighth and make the score 15-1. Finally, in the ninth Jackson Take would get in on the action and hit a homerun into right that would take the Tide to their 16-1 victory over the number one team in the nation. 

The Crimson Tide will be looking to get a quick series win on Saturday at 6:30 central when they take on the Razorbacks again.