TUSCALOOSA, Ala.- After a couple of scrappy midweeks these past couple of weeks, the Tide bats got hot early and held on late with an 11-9 win over Samford to move to 26-4 on the season. 

“The resilience and toughness of this group continues to show when we need it most,” said head coach Rob Vaughn.

The bats got off to another good start with Bryce Fowler continuing to get on base after a big weekend at the dish to get the game’s first RBI. Ritchie Bonomolo Jr. continued to slug the baseball in the lead-off spot with a 3-run blast that just got over the left field wall. The Tide continued to buzz with Fowler’s second RBI in as many innings on a double to right center.

JT Blackwood got the ball for the midweek and mowed down the Bulldogs in 2.0 innings of work with two-K and continues to be saved for the weekend out of the bullpen. Zach Kittrell struggled out of the pen and allowed two runs, but Coulson Buchanan limited the damage to not let the inning get worse and continued to be consistent out of the pen with 2.2 innings of work and went on to get the first win of the season for the Senior. 

“Just be ready when I get my name called and settle the game down to get back into the dugout,” said Buchanan.

The bats stayed hot in the third with Brady Neal, who has had a resurgence at the dish the past two games, had a ball that kept carrying until it hit off the wall in dead center field that scored two runs. Justin Lebron continued the RBI hunt with a single to score one and now has over 53 RBIs in the season.

Freshman Connor Lehman had dealt with injury and saw his first collegiate action on the mound with 1.1 innings of relief with two-K on 15 pitches as a lefty out of the pen.

Things got dicey in the seventh with the Tide looking to give the young guys some innings, but free passes led to a three-run home run by the Bulldogs, which led to six straight hits and had the tying runner at third and the Bulldogs attempted a squeeze play with the bunt, but it was perfectly played by Tyler Fay and Will Plattner applied the tag with the play standing after a long review and the Tide held the Bulldogs stalemate for the rest of the night. 

Former Samford player and current Alabama infielder Garrett Staton with the huge insurance run to left field to get the momentum back into the dugout, which allowed Carson Ozmer to shut things down with save number eight on the season and struck out the side in a 1-2-3 frame. 

“It was a lot of fun to play against those guys,” said Staton on playing his former team.

Jason Torres had a perfect day at the dish with 3-3 and two walks as the Miami transfer is coming off his best weekend at the dish in conference play thus far and looks to continue the momentum. The outfield tandem of Bonomolor and Fowler both had two two-hit nights.

Up next for Alabama is the Iron Bowl of baseball, with the Tide heading down to the Plains to face Auburn for a three game set with first pitch set for Friday at 6 p.m. CT. On the SEC Network +TUSCALOOSA, Ala.- After a couple of scrappy midweeks these past couple of weeks, the Tide bats got hot early and held on late with an 11-9 win over Samford to move to 26-4 on the season. 

“The resilience and toughness of this group continues to show when we need it most,” said head coach Rob Vaughn.

The bats got off to another good start with Bryce Fowler continuing to get on base after a big weekend at the dish to get the game’s first RBI. Ritchie Bonomolo Jr. continued to slug the baseball in the lead-off spot with a 3-run blast that just got over the left field wall. The Tide continued to buzz with Fowler’s second RBI in as many innings on a double to right center.

JT Blackwood got the ball for the midweek and mowed down the Bulldogs in 2.0 innings of work with two-K and continues to be saved for the weekend out of the bullpen. Zach Kittrell struggled out of the pen and allowed two runs, but Coulson Buchanan limited the damage to not let the inning get worse and continued to be consistent out of the pen with 2.2 innings of work and went on to get the first win of the season for the Senior. 

“Just be ready when I get my name called and settle the game down to get back into the dugout,” said Buchanan.

The bats stayed hot in the third with Brady Neal, who has had a resurgence at the dish the past two games, had a ball that kept carrying until it hit off the wall in dead center field that scored two runs. Justin Lebron continued the RBI hunt with a single to score one and now has over 53 RBIs in the season.

Freshman Connor Lehman had dealt with injury and saw his first collegiate action on the mound with 1.1 innings of relief with two-K on 15 pitches as a lefty out of the pen.

Things got dicey in the seventh with the Tide looking to give the young guys some innings, but free passes led to a three-run home run by the Bulldogs, which led to six straight hits and had the tying runner at third and the Bulldogs attempted a squeeze play with the bunt, but it was perfectly played by Tyler Fay and Will Plattner applied the tag with the play standing after a long review and the Tide held the Bulldogs stalemate for the rest of the night. 

Former Samford player and current Alabama infielder Garrett Staton with the huge insurance run to left field to get the momentum back into the dugout, which allowed Carson Ozmer to shut things down with save number eight on the season and struck out the side in a 1-2-3 frame. 

“It was a lot of fun to play against those guys,” said Staton on playing his former team.

Jason Torres had a perfect day at the dish with 3-3 and two walks as the Miami transfer is coming off his best weekend at the dish in conference play thus far and looks to continue the momentum. The outfield tandem of Bonomolor and Fowler both had two two-hit nights.

Up next for Alabama is the Iron Bowl of baseball, with the Tide heading down to the Plains to face Auburn for a three game set with first pitch set for Friday at 6 p.m. CT. On the SEC Network +