By: Jake Reichert
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Going into their tenth straight home game to begin the season, Alabama uses the home run ball to win their first game of the series against UIC. Six of eleven runs scored were from the long ball on Friday night.
The Crimson Tide struck early in the first inning to grab the reins of the game right off the bat. Senior, Tommy Seidl, broke the goose eggs on the scoreboard with a grand slam over the right field wall. Jim Jarvis added another run in the first with a bases loaded walk.
Seidl discussed his grand slam in the first inning and what it meant to put his team up early.
“It felt great, just gotta give all praise to God. You just have to show up every day and glorify him,” Seidl said.
The bats didn’t stop there for Alabama as they stayed hot the very next inning. The Tide pushed two more across in the second. One coming off a solo shot from Colby Shelton and another from an Andrew Pinckney double.
Huge performances at the plate from Tommy Seidl and Colby Shelton pushed the Crimson Tide to victory against the UIC Flames. Seidl went two for three from the dish including six RBIs and that grand slam from the first inning. Shelton provided two long balls in four at bats to extend the score for Alabama.
Starting pitcher, Grayson Hitt, threw his second win of the season on the bump for the Tide. He now has a 2-0 record in games pitched this season. Through five innings he allowed seven runners on base, but was able to persevere and only allow one run.
Hitt was asked what brought him more confidence in this start against UIC.
“I was just throwing my cutter for more strikes. Last week I was kind of struggling to find it in the zone,” Hitt said.
Alabama was able to use their hot bats and prestige defense to earn a large win over UIC in game one of their series. The Crimson Tide will take on UIC tomorrow for game two of the series back at Sewell-Thomas stadium.
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