MOBILE – Alabama baseball scored five unanswered runs over the final four innings to defeat South Alabama, 7-3, in Friday’s series opener at Stanky Field.
The loss snapped a four-game Jaguar win streak, while the Crimson Tide (8-2) extended its winning streak to four games.
The three-game series will include a doubleheader, beginning at 2 p.m., on Saturday. The third game of the series was originally scheduled for Sunday, but predicted inclement weather for Sunday caused the change to a doubleheader on Saturday.
Alabama scored first in the game. In the top of the second, Justin King hit an RBI double to left field to scored Keith Holcombe, who led off the inning with a walk. Kolby Robinson lifted a sacrifice fly to right field later in the inning to double the Crimson Tide lead at 2-0.
South Alabama answered in the bottom of the third when Ethan Wilson, on a 1-2 pitch from Alabama right-hander Sam Finnerty, hit a three-run home run over the right field wall to give South Alabama a 3-2 lead. Colton Thomas led off the inning with a single, and moved to second on a one-out walk by Bennett Shell ahead of Wilson’s home run.
Alabama loaded the bases with one out in the top of the sixth inning on a pair of walks and a single by King. Robinson followed with a sacrifice fly to left to tie the game at 3-3. The Crimson Tide took a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh on a two-out RBI triple to left field by Holcombe. Alabama added the game’s final runs in the top of the eighth on a trio of one-out RBI singles by Kobe Morris, Brett Auerbach and Morgan McCullough.
Finnerty (3-0) allowed three runs on four hits with four strikeouts and one walk in six innings pitched to earn the win.
Eight Alabama starters hit safely in the game.
