On Saturday afternoon, No. 17 Alabama baseball defeated No. 19 Texas A&M, 6-2, in Game 2 of the three-game series on the road, clinching the series and setting up a potential sweep on Sunday during SEC opening weekend in College Station. The final score was deceiving, as the game was tied 2-2 in the ninth before Will Hodo once again came through in the clutch, delivering a two-out grand slam to give the Tide a four-run cushion they wouldn’t relinquish.
This was Alabama’s third straight game with a go-ahead home run in the ninth of a tie game. Jason Torres launched a solo shot against UAB on Tuesday, Brennen Norton did the same against Texas A&M in Game 1, and Will Hodo delivered the clutch grand slam today.
Alabama starting pitcher Riley Quick was dominant on the mound for Alabama. The redshirt sophomore came out firing, hitting 99-100 mph with his fastball, leaving the Aggies with no answers early. He didn’t allow a baserunner until the third and gave up his first hit in the fourth. Quick capped his outing by striking out the side in a perfect fifth. His final line was: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K.
The game was a pitchers duel for the first five innings of the game. Riley Quick and Aggie starting pitcher Justin Lamkin were going toe to toe. Early on, the Alabama offense was baffled by Lamkin. Lamkin was unhittable at points today. He went a stretch from the second inning to the fourth inning retiring 8 straight Alabama bats while striking out seven.
However, you can’t keep this Alabama firepower down for long. Justin Lebron led off the sixth inning with an oppo-taco solo shot to right-center field for his nation-leading 12th homer of the season and nation-leading 44th RBI of the year, really running out of superlatives for the superstar at this point.
The game was a pitcher’s duel through five innings, with Riley Quick and Texas A&M’s Justin Lamkin going toe-to-toe. Lamkin had the Alabama offense stumped early, retiring eight straight batters from the second to the fourth while striking out eight.
But you can’t hold this Alabama lineup down for long. Justin Lebron broke the deadlock in the sixth with an opposite-field solo shot to right-center, his nation-leading 12th homer and 44th RBI of the season. At this point, there aren’t enough superlatives for the superstar. His blast also marked the end of Lamkin’s afternoon on the mound.
In the seventh, Alabama loaded the bases with none other than Justin Lebron at the plate. He delivered again, ripping an RBI single up the middle to double the Tide’s lead and notch his 45th RBI of the season. However, Texas A&M responded with run-scoring singles from Sawyer Farr and Wyatt Henseler in the seventh and eighth to tie it up. Then, as mentioned, Will Hodo came through in the ninth with a two-out grand slam, his second homer of the series, to seal the Tide’s victory.
Hagan Banks, Tyler Fay, and Matthew Heiberger followed Quick’s strong start out of the bullpen. Banks and Fay each tossed 1.1 innings, allowing one run apiece, while Heiberger closed it out with 1.1 scoreless frames to earn his second win of the season. The trio combined to allow just three hits despite the two runs surrendered.
Offensively, Alabama had three players notch multi-hit games. Justin Lebron led the way, going 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs, while Will Hodo went 2-for-5 with 4 RBIs, and Coleman Mizell finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Kade Snell’s eight-game hitting streak ended, but he extended his on-base streak to 17 games with two walks. Richie Bonomolo Jr. and Will Hodo both pushed their season-long on-base streaks to 20 games, while Coleman Mizell extended his to 19. Jason Torres, however, failed to reach base for the first time this season.
With this win, Alabama improved to 19-1 on the season and 2-0 in conference play. The Crimson Tide will look to complete a road sweep of the Aggies in Game 3 on Sunday, aiming to start SEC play on a perfect note. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. CT on SEC Network. RHP Bobby Alcock (2-0) is slated to pitch for the Tide, while the Aggies will send LHP Myles Patton (2-1) to the mound.
