AUBURN, Ala. – After dropping the first two games, Alabama won the regular season finale, avoiding the sweep against Auburn 12-5. This win likely clinched a ticket to the NCAA Regionals.
The Tide carried the momentum of the comeback effort last night with a Kade Snell RBI single up the middle, scoring Ian Petrutz. Auburn responded, tying it up with a single to the opposite field by Ike Irish.
The Tigers got to Ben Hess in the fourth on a Mason Maners 2-run blast to right field to extend the lead to three runs. Alabama responded in a big way, tying the game with RBIs from Gage Miller on a single up the middle, followed by a single to right by William Hamiter, scoring Miller, who just got under the tag.
Miller continued to shine at the plate, clearing the bases with a double in the left-center that plunked the gap and got to the wall to give the Tide the lead. It was the first time the Tide seemed to control the ballgame.
Miller started the ninth with RBI number five on another single to finish the game with four hits. Ian Petrutz hit a 3-run home run to right field before the showers and a 2.5-hour weather delay, with the game resuming in the late hours of the night to secure the big win.
Ben Hess tied last week’s start, going 6.2 innings, tallying the win, striking out nine batters, allowing three runs with 10 hits on 108 pitches and walking zero batters, which has been a problem for Hess all season. Alton Davis II worked 1.1 innings, allowing no runs and striking out one. Braylon Myers worked a scoreless frame to close out the ballgame.
Up next for Alabama is postseason baseball in Hoover for the SEC Tournament. Alabama, seeded at seven, plays 10-seed South Carolina, with a start time set for 1 p.m. central on the SEC Network.
