Wow. That was ugly.
Clemson just finished beating up on Alabama, 19-5 in the second game of the super regional to force the winner-take-all final tomorrow.
It will be a high noon affair with Nathan Kilcrease heading to the mound for the Crimson Tide as it looks to add another note to their unlikely run through the postseason.
For the sake of baseball fans everywhere, let’s hope Monday’s game is a little prettier than tonight’s.
Posted in baseball, Clemson, NCAA Tournament
The Tide just wrapped up a 5-4 win over Clemson in the first game of the super regional. A win Sunday sends them to Omaha.
Jimmy Nelson was the winning pitcher and Jake Smith finished it off. Smith also hit a solo homer in the second and contributed to the four-run third that put Alabama up 5-0 before Clemson made it a game.
Read the paper Sunday for more details.
Posted in baseball, Clemson, NCAA Tournament
Since I am not in Clemson for today’s super regional opener, there will be no live blogging today. If you were hoping to see one, I apologize, but it is out of my hands.
If you can’t see the game on ESPNU, there is always game tracker.
Follow all the action by clicking here.
Posted in baseball, NCAA Tournament
The NCAA announced the assignments for next weekend’s super regionals and the Crimson Tide is heading back on the road.
Clemson will host Alabama in the best-of-three series starting Saturday.
Here is the schedule. (times are central)
Saturday: 5 p.m. (ESPNU)
Sunday: 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Monday: Noon or 6 p.m.. (ESPN2)
Posted in baseball, Clemson, NCAA Tournament
Alabama wins the Atlanta Regional on the back of a 107-pitch relief performance by Nathan Kilcrease.
Tech sent the game-winning batter to the plate but a line out to left ends it.
The five-run fourth was the difference as Kilcrease shut the Jackets down after that.
More details to come.
Posted in baseball, NCAA Tournament
Winner advances to super regional to face Auburn regional champion.
Middle ninth: 1-2-3 ninth, Tide needs three outs for the title up 10-8. Kilcrease heads back to the mound.
End eighth: Kilcrease works out of another jam with no damage. He’s thrown 84 pitching in five innings of relief. Tide takes 10-8 lead into the final frame.
Middle eighth: Jake Smith hits into double play to end threat. Alabama takes 10-8 lead into bottom eighth.
End seventh: Kilcrease strikes out two, Tech goes down in order. Tide leads 10-8.
Middle seventh: Alabama records first 1-2-3 inning of the game, still leads 10-8 and it’s dead skunk time in Atlanta.
End sixth: No runs, one hit, one left on base for Tech. Alabama remains ahead 10-8 with three innings left.
Middle sixth: Tide scores another on fielder’s choice. It’s 10-8 Tide in a marathon.
Top sixth, Part II: Four-pitch bases loaded walk scores Dugas, Tide leads 9-8
Top sixth: Tech goes to the bullpen for the first time after a Dugas lead-off single. Still 8-8. Patrick Long enters this wild game. Auburn still trails 8-6 to Clemson.
End fifth: Kilcrease just works out of jam, leaves game tied 8-8 still after his second inning. His stuff isn’t effective, but limiting damage.
Middle fifth: Tide leaves one stranded, still tied 8-8 with a lot of baseball left to play.
End fourth: Only one half inning so far has gone scoreless after two more Georgia Tech runs tie the game 8-8.Adam Scott working in the bullpen with Nathan Kilcrease laboring through his first inning.
Middle fourth: Clay Jones just hit a 3-run homer aided by the jet stream to left, 8-6 Tide back in the lead.
Top fourth: Josh Rutledge just hit a 2-RBI double to right, cutting the lead to 6-5 Tech.
End third: Three straight 2-out singles puts Tech up 6-3. This could get ugly at any second, but Alabama not dead yet. In Auburn, Clemson leads the host Tigers 7-5 after three in what appears to even more of a hit-fest. That’s what happens when pitching staffs dry up after a long weekend.
Middle third: Jake Smith RBI single gets one back for the Tide, 5-3 but inning ended on double-play. Georgia Tech pitcher Deck McGuire just got drafted with the 11th pick in the draft by the Blue Jays. Ch-ching.
End second: Alabama calls in third pitcher with no outs in the second after Matt Taylor went 1/3 of an inning and walked two. Jonathan Smart gets the call — the third lefty for the Tide still trailing 4-2, for now. Tech adds another to go ahead 5-2 after two.
Middle second: Tide strands one and still trails 4-2. Thee feeling in the park: This could get away from in a heartbeat with the wind blowing out to left and a Tech lineup packed with left-handed sluggers.
End first: Tech answers right back with a 2-run homer from No. 2 batter Derek Dietrich, 2-2 in an offensive battle already. Chase Burnette also hits a 2-run shot, ending Taylor Wolfe’s day after 2/3 of an inning and Alabama trailing 4-2.
Middle first: Jake Smith’s 2-out, 2-run double to left center put Alabama up 2-0 after Taylor Dugas and Ross Wilson crossed the plate.
Posted in baseball, live blog, NCAA Tournament
One final time at Russ Chandler Stadium. This time, the title is on the line.
Tyler Wolfe is officially getting the start for the Tide. His last outing didn’t last long since LSU knocked him around in the SEC tournament championship game, so take that for what it’s worth.
It doesn’t look like weather will be much of an issue as of now. But stay tuned if that changes. First pitch is about 30 minutes away.
Posted in baseball, NCAA Tournament
For this, the 800th post in Bama Blog history, I take you inside the world famous Atlanta eatery known as “The Varsity.” With time to kill before tonight’s 6 p.m. showdown between Alabama and Georgia Tech for the regional baseball title, the Bama Blog staff of one took the advice it has received all week.
Two chilli dogs later, satisfaction was achieved. According to the brochure, “The Varsity” cooks two miles of hot dogs, a ton of onion and 2,500 pounds of potatoes every day, all from scratch. Enjoy the low quality video captured on the soon-to-be obsolete iPhone.
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Posted in baseball, Georgia Tech, NCAA Tournament
One picture every minute adds up to a 49-second time lapse of last night’s 8-1 Alabama win over Georgia Tech.
In case you wanted to see the video of Auburn’s game-winning home run from last night’s game with Clemson, click here.
Posted in baseball, Georgia Tech, NCAA Tournament, video
FINAL: Alabama 8, Georgia Tech 1
It all comes down to one game Monday night. Alabama’s early-game power forced the rematch at 6 p.m. Monday for a spot in the super regional.
Adam Morgan got the complete game win in a performance the Tide needed to survive. He struck out nine.
UPDATE: Mitch Gaspard could say with certainty who would pitch in Monday’s game, but he said it would likely be another left-hand arm such as Taylor Wolfe, the SEC tournament title game starter. Nathan Kilcrease should also be available for a few relief innings, as will Jake Smith, Gaspard said.
Check back for more details later.
Posted in baseball, Georgia Tech, NCAA Tournament
Alabama needs to beat Georgia Tech to force a winner-take-all final at 6 p.m. Monday.
End eighth: Georgia Tech is down to its final three outs with Alabama leading 8-1.
End seventh: Tech is running out of at-bats as Alabama takes 8-1 lead into final two innings after a Ross Wilson RBI single scores Rutledge.
End sixth: Another hitless inning for Alabama who still leads 7-1 in a game that has sped up as the offensive power slowed down.
End fifth: It’s pouring here in Atlanta but it’s dry in the box and this sports writer is fulfilled after they just played Springsteen between innings instead of the usual ballpark music. Alabama still leads 7-1 after stranding runner at third.
End fourth: Tide goes down in order, remains ahead 7-1 with light rain falling.
End third: Alabama leaves one on base, still leads 7-1 after three.
End second: Cumton pulled with no outs and Brock Bennett on second. Freshman Buck Farmer is the new Tech pitcher. Ross Wilson hit the fifth HR of the night, a 2-run shot that put Alabama up 7-1.
Middle second: Tech got one back on a lead off homer by Matt Skole, 5-1 ‘Bama.
End first: Taylor Dugas hit the first pitch he saw over the center field wall Four batters later, Jake Smith does the same with two on. Jon Kelton then crushes one over left field wall for back-to-back homers. 5-0 Tide. Tech pitcher Brandon Cumton threw 39 pitches in the first.
Pitching matchup:
Georgia Tech: Brandon Cumton (9-2) 4.95 ERA
Alabama: Adam Morgan (6-4) 6.04 ERA
It’s a perfect early-June evening in Atlanta. Let’s play ball.
Posted in baseball, Georgia Tech, NCAA Tournament
The Tide get Georgia Tech at 6 p.m. Central after eliminating a pesky group from Mercer, 5-3 in the afternoon game.
A four-run second made the difference for Alabama, losers 5-3 against the Yellow Jackets on Saturday.
Mercer brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth, but Jacob Tanis popped out to the catcher ending the game.
5:33 p.m. update: Not exactly breaking news, but Adam Morgan is pitching for the Tide against Georgia Tech in the night game. An Alabama win would force a winner-take-all final at 6 p.m. Monday.
More details to follow.
Posted in baseball, NCAA Tournament
These notes didn’t run in print, so here are a few spare thoughts from Saturday night’s loss to Georgia Tech. And remember, the Tide plays Mercer at 2 p.m. Central in an elimination game.
ATLANTA — Alabama freshman Brett Booth made his 23rd start of the season Saturday and his first as designated hitter.
And he delivered.
He turned in one of the three multi-hit performances Crimson Tide hitters managed in the 5-2 loss to Atlanta Regional top-seed Georgia Tech.
The Tuscaloosa County High School graduate dropped a single into right in the second and another to left in the fifth. Booth then scored on Josh Rutledge’s home run two batters later when the Alabama tied the game at 2-2.
Coach Mitch Gaspard has been trying a few different options at designated hitter after starter David Kindred was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma Tuesday.
Brandt Hendricks and Cody Trotter combined to go 0-for-4 in Friday’s win over Elon making the designated hitter the only spot in the lineup to go hitless.
OVERFLOW CROWD: If there was a view of the Russ Chandler Stadium playing surface, that space was occupied on a perfect Saturday evening in Atlanta.
The announced crowd of 4,157 is the exact capacity of the urban ballpark, but there were several hundred fans occupying standing room sections along the foul lines.
Then there were 30 students perched atop a wall just beyond the right field wall who barely flinched when Yellow Jacket Chase Burnette’s towering home run sailed over their heads.
In contrast, Friday’s Alabama win over Elon was witnessed by just 1,257.
Posted in baseball, Georgia Tech, NCAA Tournament
The Tide falls to the loser’s bracket with a 5-2 loss to Georgia Tech in the semifinals of the Atlanta Regional.
Alabama plays Mercer at 2 p.m. (Central) Sunday for the right to play Georgia Tech again at 6 p.m. That means the Tide would need three wins in two days to advance to the super regionals.
That’s it for tonight. Enjoy the rest of your Saturday.
Posted in baseball, Georgia Tech, NCAA Tournament
It’s Day 2 in the Atlanta Regional and we’re about to get started in what is close to being the championship game. Top-seeded Georgia Tech hosts No. 2 seed Alabama for the golden ticket into the championship game.
The loser tonight will have to win three games in two days to get the win, so tonight is big to put it bluntly.
The hometown Yellow Jackets have drawn a big crowd but there also appears to be more Alabama fans in the seats tonight.
Stay tuned for a few updates during the game at the Bama Blog’s twitter site.
Posted in baseball, Georgia Tech, NCAA Tournament
Michael Casagrande covers University of Alabama athletics for The Decatur Daily, The TimesDaily, The Montgomery Advertiser and The Anniston Star.
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