TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball won their second SEC series of the season in a back-and-forth game, winning 10-6 to move to 21-6 (4-4) on the season.

“We heard Dixieland Delight in the eighth, and we were able to get it rolling,” said Coach Rob Vaughn on the sudden spark.

The fireworks started at the bottom of the third when Alabama took advantage of three free passes, turning them into an RBI groundout by TJ McCants. This was followed by clutch 2-out hitting by Ian Petrutz with a 2-run single. The “Captain” Evan Sleight served up a 2-run blast to his teammates in the bullpen in left-center to give Alabama a 5-run inning.

Ben Hess had one of his best outings so far until it all unraveled in the top of the fifth, off a 2-RBI single by Parker Noland followed by a 2-run moonshot off the top of the scoreboard by Cole Messina. In the home half, Alabama used doubles from McCants and an RBI double by Sleight over the first basemen down the line.

Alabama had it done last night, scoring in the eighth to take the lead and did the same tonight, with a gap-splitting 2-RBI double to right field by Kade Snell, who has been lights out since being slotted in the DH spot last weekend. Will Hodo followed Snell with an RBI double over the left fielder off the wall. Petrutz gave the knockout punch in the inning, sending a 3-run moonshot to the students out on the right field.

“To score 13 runs and to just stick with the pack offense is what we do, and that’s how we get our runs,” said Petrutz on the identity of the offense.

The Alabama pitching staff had 14 punchouts combined. Still, the 12 free passes from Hess, Aidan Moza, Braylon Myers, Pierce George, and Coulson Buchanan allowed South Carolina to come back and stay in the game.

“They didn’t have the greatest stuff as a unit, but they competed their tails off, and when they needed to make a pitch, they made a pitch,” Vaughn said.

Petrutz led the way at the dish for the Tide, going two-for-five with five RBIs and a homer, followed by Sleight, who went two-for-four with a homer and three RBIs.

Up next for Alabama is the series finale, where the Tide will be looking for its first SEC series sweep of the season with Greg Farone on the bump with the first pitch tomorrow at 1 p.m. central on the SEC Network +.