By Cooper Huskey
The Crimson Tide have lost their last three baseball games in a row, only scoring 6 runs over those games. This is really unusual especially after putting 16 runs up against the number one team in the country: Arkansas. After scoring that astronomical number of runs against the Razorbacks, Alabama responded with a 9-1 loss to Arkansas, a 3-1 loss to Arkansas, and a 5-4 loss to Southern Miss. Those last two games, should have been wins because the Crimson Tide had chances, but couldn’t bring their runners home.
In Sunday’s 3-1 loss to Arkansas, the Crimson Tide had multiple chances to bring runs home but they couldn’t. While they weren’t getting hits, they were drawing walks and finding other ways to get on base. In the top of the first inning, Peyton Wilson struck out swinging, but got to first anyway because the third strike was a wild pitch that got away from Arkansas catcher Casey Opitz. Zane Denton also got on base that inning off a walk, but the Crimson tide could not bring them home, stranding two men on base. The rest of the game was like that. Someone would get a one out walk or single, but nobody else could do something for the rest of the inning.
The Crimson Tide got their lone run off a lead off homer in the top of the ninth by Sam Praytor, but that was it. Caden Rose walked a little later in the inning, but it was too little too late. Will Patota, who came in the pinch hit for Jackson Tate, struck out giving Arkansas a 3-1 win and the series win.
Pitching wasn’t bad in the Arkansas game. Antione Jean only gave up a run through five innings, which is a good performance. The other two runs came with Landon Green on the mound in the sixth inning, coming off a 2 RBI single for Arkansas. Those aren’t bad performances on the mound but the hitting has to get better.
Then on Tuesday, Alabama follows up the Arkansas loss with a 5-4 loss to Southern Miss. In this game, the bats were a little more active recording four runs off seven hits, but Southern Miss took the lead in the top of the seventh, and the Crimson Tide couldn’t do anything after that. Like in the Arkansas game, one batter would get on base either by a single or a walk, but the rest of the team couldn’t bring him in.
Grayson Hitt recorded the loss for Alabama since he gave up the 2 RBI double that gave in the seventh that gave the Golden Eagles the lead, but it was really a disastrous sixth inning for Will Freeman that gave Southern Miss three runs and put them in a position to win the game.
Overall, the Crimson Tide are in a slump right now, but the hope is they will break out of it in time for the Ole Miss series starting on Thursday. First pitch on Thursday is 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcasted on ESPNU.
