TUSCALOOSA, Ala. –The Crimson Tide played the third and final game at Baum-Walker Stadium on Sunday afternoon in Fayetteville taking on the sixth ranked Arkansas Razorbacks. After splitting the first two games of the series, Sunday would be the rubber match in a very impactful series in the middle of SEC play.
The Tide looked to keep swinging the bats well versus the Razorbacks after a slow to the SEC part of their schedule. After recording two quick outs for Arkansas freshman starter Ben Bybee, multiple two out hits and walks got scoring going with a first inning Tomez two RBI single getting Alabama on the board, leading to Bybee lasting just 24 pitches in the game.
The Razorbacks did not take long to answer, as Grayson Hitt got hit around leading to a 2-2 score after the first frame. The two teams would settle down on the mound and both offenses did not have much base traffic over the next few frames, but the tie was broken by the bat of Jim Jarvis who sent a screamer off the scoreboard in right field. The solo shot made the score 3-2 as the game reached the halfway point. The game began to be a back and forth affair in the middle innings as Jim Jarvis hit a ball hard over the right field wall to make it 3-2, but a no doubt two run shot by Jared Wagner in the bottom of the 5th gave the hogs a one run lead.
The Tide were able to retie the game in the next frame off a wild pitch which plated Tommy Seidl, but again the Hogs put up another run in the 6th to go back up 5-4 off a RBI single from Parker Rowland. The Tide got a very fortunate break in that frame as the second out of the inning was a strikeout by way of a pitch clock violation, but they still trailed by a run going into the 8th. They were able to find a runner in scoring position, but a hard lineout off the bat of Drew Williamson that retired the side. In the bottom of the eighth, Bama avoided trouble as reliever Braylon Myers got a clutch out to keep the Tide within a run going into the 9th.
However, even with the middle of the order due up in Jarvis-Pinckney-Hammiter, the Tide went down 1-2-3 to seal a frustrating 5-4 loss. Alabama moves to 21-8 and 3-6 in SEC play, and will need to find a way to pick that up if they want any prayer of reaching a regional.
Bama’s next three SEC series are home against Mississippi State, Auburn and at Missouri which are all very winnable and are very crucial before traveling to Baton Rouge to take on the number one ranked LSU Tigers. These next few weeks could decide the Crimson Tide’s fate, and it will have to start off strong next weekend—but before then, Alabama will host the Troy Trojans on Tuesday night from Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
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