TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – After an 8-6 win in Game 1 on Friday night, No. 12 Alabama (24-4, 5-3) came up just short in Game 2, stranding runners on second and third in the ninth inning in a 6-5 loss to No. 9 Oklahoma (22-4, 5-3). The Sooners left the bases loaded in Game 1, while the Tide had the bases loaded with one out in Game 2 but were only able to get one home.
“We just couldn’t quite pull it out there at the end,” said Alabama head coach Rob Vaugh. “I love the fight, love the competitiveness. Some of those little things early just came back to get us.”
Alabama starting pitcher Bobby Alcock took the mound for the seventh time this season and delivered a solid outing. He faced some hard-hit balls and tough breaks early on but settled in nicely. The Sooners managed to score a run in each of the first three innings, but Alcock responded by putting up three straight scoreless frames before being pulled in the sixth.
Richie Bonomolo Jr. got the Tide on the board in the third inning with his second home run of the season, a solo shot to the Alabama bullpen in left-center. “RBJ” hit leadoff for the first time this year following a series of lineup adjustments by Head Coach Rob Vaughn.
“Richie’s been great,” said coach Vaughn. “He’s really been a jumpstarter there in the nine-hole so we were hesitant to move him but his on-base percentage has been through the roof. I thought his at-bats were great all day and he gave us a great chance to compete.”
Alabama added another run in the fourth to cut the deficit to 3-2 when Garrett Staton delivered an RBI single, scoring Kade Snell, who had led off the inning with a single of his own.
Connor Ball relieved Alcock in the sixth with a runner on first. After inducing a deep flyout to the warning track, he allowed an RBI single up the middle, extending Oklahoma’s lead to 4-2 and adding a fourth earned run to Alcock’s final line.
The Tide offense responded immediately, plating two runs in the seventh to tie the game at 4-4. Brennen Norton and Bryce Fowler both reached base to start the inning before a throwing error brought in a run. Snell then battled to push across the tying run with a groundout.
Hagan Banks and Braylon Myers struggled out of the bullpen in the ninth. Banks had pitched a clean 1-2-3 eighth inning but was pulled after allowing a leadoff single in the ninth. Myers then gave up another single and a walk before Oklahoma took the lead on a sacrifice fly, adding an insurance run with an RBI single to make it 6-4.
Alabama fought to the end, loading the bases with one out in the ninth. Snell grounded out to second, scoring a run to make it 6-5, but Will Plattner struck out to end the game as the Sooners’ pitching staff came up with clutch outs in the final frame.
Oklahoma starting pitcher Cade Crossland kept the Tide offense in check all day, finishing with an impressive line of 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, and 7 K.
Offensively, Bryce Fowler was the only Alabama player to record multiple hits, delivering a 3-for-4 performance from the nine-hole. The Tide struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities, going just 3-for-17 with runners on base and 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Next, Alabama will aim to secure its second SEC series win of the season when it faces Oklahoma in the decisive Game 3 on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
