Alabama thumps Alabama State 21-3 in Tuscaloosa Regional opening round
By David Wasson
Published:
While many national seeds struggled Friday on the opening day of the NCAA Baseball Tournament, No. 7 overall seed Alabama was not one of them – as the Crimson Tide walloped the Tuscaloosa Regional’s fourth-seeded Alabama State 21-3 in the opening round at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
The Crimson Tide (38-19) advance to play third-seeded USC Upstate (34-28), which surprised second-seeded Oklahoma State 8-5, on Saturday night (7 pm ET, ESPN+). Alabama State plays Oklahoma State in an elimination game earlier Saturday.
Alabama bashed four home runs and finished with 15 hits against the Hornets (34-22) on Friday night – with Luke Vaughn and Bryce Fowler each hitting two-run homers, Justin Lebron launching a three-run blast and Brady Neal adding a solo shot.
The Crimson Tide piled up six-run outbursts in both the fourth and sixth innings, while adding three-run rallies in the fifth and seventh innings.
Fowler and Neal each finished with three hits, and Lebron drove in four runs. Alabama State scratched out just six hits, with Miguel Orope and Trey Callawa each recording two hits.
Alabama starter Tyler Fay (10-4) earned the victory, scattering those six hits over 5 2/3 innings and striking out eight. Alabama State starter Jorhan LaBoy (9-6) took the loss.
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An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
