By: Joe Schatz

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – After starting the game up 3-0 after the third inning, Alabama (23-15,
8-7 in SEC) lost control of the game and added to their mid-week misery, losing to the UAB
Blazers (23-13, 8-7 in CUSA) 7-6 on Tuesday night.

The Crimson Tide started freshman right-hander Ben Hess on the mound. After some early
success and not letting up a hit in the first three innings, the Blazer were able to load the bases
and Matthew Golda hit a grand slam to put the visitors up 4-3 in the fourth. After getting a
strikeout to end the inning, Hess was done for the day, pitching four innings, giving up four runs
off two hits, with seven strikeouts and five walks.

“Ben’s got great stuff, just too many walks. He wants to strike everybody out, he’s trying to
avoid the bat…He’s got a lot of talent, but like the rest of us you have to get better,” said Head
Coach Brad Bohannon

The ball was given to Braylon Meyers in the fifth inning, as he worked one and two-thirds
innings, giving up two runs off three hits before being replaced by Landon Green. Green could
not record an out as we walked two batters and UAB took a 6-5 lead on an infield single by Josh
Sears.

Brock Guffey (2-1) came into the game and pitched two and one-third innings, giving up
the final UAB run on a fielder’s choice in the eighth inning, and Luke Holman came into the
ninth and gave up nothing in the final frame.

Alabama offensively was lead by outfielder Tommy Seidl, who went four-for-five with four
singles. The offense did struggle against the Blazers, as the Tide had 10 strikeouts in the game,
and could not manage to comeback from the 7-6 deficit they faced in the ninth.

“You can’t walk them eight or nine times, you can’t chase sloppy off-speed pitches out of the
strike zone, you can’t miss 90 mile per hour fastballs. Just the same thing we’ve seen on
Tuesdays,” added Bohannon.

The Tide are 6-5 on their mid-week games, as its proven to be a struggle for them to get much
momentum after a weekend series, a frustrating thing for coaches and players alike.

“We’ve tried everything, the day off on Monday’s, light practice before games, heavy practice before games, we’ve tried it all,” said Bohannon.

With the loss Alabama moves to 23-15 on the year, still 8-7 in SEC as they welcome top ten Georgia to Tuscaloosa this weekend.

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