The Alabama Crimson Tide lost a back and forth game 8-7 to UCF on Friday night. Bama fell behind early, bounced back to take the lead, then traded leads and ties over the first eight innings of the game before falling in the ninth. The Tide fell to 33-23 on the season while Central Florida improved to 36-19.
Greg Farone drew the start for Bama against Dom Stagliano for the Knights. Farone struck out the first two batters in the top of the first, but then walked the next two batters. Jack Zyska hit a double down the left field line to score both runners for the quick 2-0 lead. A pop out ended the inning.
The Tide answered in the bottom half of the first. Gage Miller led off with a single and Ian Petrutz reached on a hit by pitch. The next two batters were out, bringing Kade Snell to the plate. Snell blasted a 1-2 pitch deep over the right center field wall for a three run home run, his sixth long ball of the season.
The Knights led off the bottom for the second with a single and a two run home run by Andrew Williamson. Farone retired the next three batters, then struck out the side in the top of the third, and worked around two singles for a scoreless fourth inning.
Bama tied the game up in the bottom of the third on a two out, laser shot home run by Justin LeBron, his 12th of the year. In the bottom of the fourth TJ McCants launched his 15th home run of the year to give the Tide a 5-4 lead. Farone went back out for the top of the fifth. A lead off walk and a run scoring double chased the big left hander from the game in favor of Matthew Heiberger. Heiberger allowed a one out double to score a run, closing the book on Farone. Farone’s final line was 4-plus innings, six hits allowed, three walks, six strikeouts, and six runs- all earned. All three batters Farone walked in the game scored.
In the bottom for the fifth the Tide had got a single from Miller who was then forced at second on a ground ball by Petrutz. LeBron hit a double in the right-center gap that looked like it would tie the game. Unfortunately Petrutz appeared to slip rounding third and was held up, putting two runners in scoring position with two outs. William Hamiter grounded out to strand the runners.
In the top of the seventh, Heiberger walked the lead off man and was replaced by Braylon Myers. Myers struck out the first man he faced and Mac Guscette gunned down the runner trying to steal for the strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out double play. Two more runners reached, but Myers finished off the scoreless inning. Bama tied things up again in the bottom of the seventh. After two quick outs the Tide got a walk to Miller and another hit by pitch to Petrutz. LeBron came through again, lining a run scoring single to left field for the tying RBI.
Myers was back out for the top of the eighth. A lead off walk was followed by a strikeout, before Myers was lifted in favor of Alton Davis II. A hit batter and wild pitch put runners on second and third with one out. A ground out to shortstop brought the go ahead run scores for a 7-6 Knight lead. The Tide used some small ball in the bottom of the eighth to tie things up yet again. Snell led off by drawing a walk. Max Grant entered the game as a pinch runner for Snell. Guscette laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Grant to second base. A fly ball to left field, that just missed getting over the fielder’s head, advanced Grant to third base. Will Hodo followed up with a Texas leaguer that fell between three fielders for an RBI single, and a 7-7 game.
Davis walked Jack Zyska to lead off the top of the ninth. Danny Neri put down a pretty sac bunt to advance Zyska. After a fly out for out two, pinch hitter Andrew Sundean dumped a single into center field to score Zyska with the go ahead run. In the bottom of the ninth Miller and Petrutz both were out to start the inning. LeBron lined his fourth hit of the game to get the tying run on base. Hamiter smoked a ball that Knights first baseman Lex Boedicker had to lay out for, but he smothered it, got up, and raced to the bag to end the game. LeBron likely would have scored had the ball gotten past Boedicker.
Tide hitters went 9-35 in the game with two walks, two hit batters, four strikeouts, and six men left on base. LeBron led the way his 4-5 game with a double, home run, two RBI, and a run scored. Miller was 2-4 with a walk and two runs scored. Snell drove in three with his home run and also drew a walk. McCants and Hodo drove in one run each. Davis fell to with the loss.
UCF went 11-36 in the game with seven walks, a hit batter, 11 strikeouts, and 10 left on base. Five of the seven walks led to runs, and three were leadoff walks, including in the eighth and ninth innings. Kris Sosnowski was the winning pitcher and improved to 1-0 on the season.
The walks again spelled doom for the Tide. The free bases were the difference in the game. More production up and down the lineup was needed as well. Alabama, the two seed in the Regional, will take on fourth seed Stetson at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday. Stetson lost to the host FSU on Friday. Alabama’s season will end on Saturday with loss, while a win will allow Bama at least one game on Sunday.
Roll Tide
