The Alabama Crimson Tide traveled to Pensacola, Florida to take on the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets Saturday afternoon. The game was played in the AA Pensacola Blue Wahoos Stadium. The Yellowjackets took the game by a score of 6-4. The Tide used five pitchers and 14 position players in the exhibition. Alabama will finish their pre season schedule with a two seven inning contests on Friday night against Birmingham University. The first game will start at 5 p.m. CT. Entrance will be free to the public.
The Tide, coming off their first College World Series appearance since 1997, look to reload after losing shortstop Justin LeBron, starting pitchers Tyler Fay and Zane Adams, and catcher/outfielder Brady Neal to the MLB draft as well as catcher Johnny Lemm and outfielder Bryce Fowler to the professional ranks via the free agency route.
Coach Rob Vaughn sent out the falling starting lineup: 1) Coleman Mizell-DH, 2) Luke Vaughn- C, 3) Sam Christensen 1B, 4) Will Plattner-DH, 5) Jaser Arms-CF, 6) Evan Taylor-LF, 7) JoJo Williamson-3B, 8) Logen Devenport-RF, 9) Cooper Neville SS, 10) Griffin Rardin-2B. Senior left hander Matthew Heiberger drew the starting nod on the mound. Both teams used a ten man lineup and several pitchers in the game. Substitution rules were similar to softball and players could come and go from the game. The Tide was the designated home team.
Heiberger allowed a two out single to go with a ground out and two strikeouts in the top of the first. Georgia Tech starter Jackson Blakely set down the Tide in order in the bottom half of the inning. Heiberger walked the lead off man in the second and then walked the next man before notching a strikeout and a fly out. Tech shortstop Jordan Lodise drew a walk to load the bases but Heiberger induced a fly out by Coleman Lewis to strand the bases loaded. Evan Taylor had a two out single in the second for Bama’s first base runner.
Heiberger was cruising in the third with a pop out to shortstop and a strikeout before trouble happened. Kent Schmidt hit a roller that second baseman Rardin couldn’t handle, reaching on the error. Georgia Tech slugger Ryan Zuckerman then blasted a 1-1 pitch the opposite way over the right field fence. Heiberger than struck out Caleb Daniel to end the inning and his outing for the day. The big lefty tossed three innings, allowing three hits with two walks, five strikeouts, and two unearned runs.
The Tide bounced back in the bottom of the third to take the lead. Devenport led off with a walk, one of three for the outfielder in the game, Rardin walked with one out to put two runners on. Both advanced on a wild pitch before Mizell notched an RBI on a ground out to third base. Vaughn doubled in the left-center gap to plate Rardin before Christensen drilled a single into right field scoring Vaughn for the lead. When Plattner dribbled an infield single Christensen rounded second to wide and was thrown out to end the inning with Bama leading 3-2.
Myles Upchurch replaced Heiberger in the top of the fourth and struck out the first two batters he faced before allowing a single to Holden Painter. Neville made a great play up the middle to throw out Lodise and end the frame. Taylor and Devenport both drew walks in the bottom half but were both stranded.
Upchurch ran into trouble in the 5th. Coleman Lewis led off with a home run to tie the score. After two long fly outs to centerfield, Schmidt worked a walk on a 3-2 borderline pitch that might have been overturned if ABS was in use. Alas it was not. Zuckerman came back up and hit another oppo home run, this one that may have reached the gulf, giving the Yellowjackets the lead at 5-3.
The Tide cut into the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Plattner led off with a single and advanced to second on a single by Justin Osterhouse. With Taylor at the plate Osterhouse was picked off first base by Tech catcher Drew Rogers. Taylor then lined his second hit of the game to put runners on the corner. Zack Johnson hit a long fly ball to centerfield for a sacrifice fly and RBI to make the score 5-4. Devenport hit a slow roller to shortstop to end the inning.
Freshman right hander Wyatt Williams replaced Upchurch in the 6th and tossed two scoreless innings while walking two and striking out three with no runs allowed. In the bottom of the 7th Rardin singled with one out but a double play ensued. Zach Kittrell pitched the 8th for Bama and allowed only a walk with a strikeout to hold the score. Vaughn reached on an error in the bottom of the inning but the Tide couldn’t bring him around.
Connor Lehman took over for Bama in the top of the 9th and hit the leadoff batter. After a strikeout of Lodise, Lewis hit a ground ball to third base that Neville couldn’t handle to put two runners on. William Baker hit a line drive to third hit in and came out of Neville’s glove, allowing a run to score. A ground out and strike out completed the inning with the score 6-4.
Caden Gaudette took the mound for the Yellowjackets in the bottom of the 9th. With one out Johnson reached second on an error by Gaudette. Devenport drew his third walk to put the tying runs on base. Neville grounded out and Rardin struck out to end the game with the visitors on top 6-4.
Alabama hit 8-34 in the game with five walks, nine strikeouts, and left 10 men on base. Vaughn’s double was the only extra base hit. Taylor hit 2-3 with a walk, Plattner was 2-3 with a run scored, Vaughn was 1-4 with his double and an RBI. Christensen drove in a run during his 1-4 game, Osterhouse with a 1-2 game and Rardin with a 1-3 with a walk had the other safeties. Devenport was 0-1 with 3 walks and Johnson drove in the other run with his sacrifice fly. Upchurch was tagged with the loss.
The Tide pitching held Georgia Tech to 6-34 at the plate, but half of their hits were home runs. The Jackets walked six times, had one hit batter, fanned 11 times, and left 10 on base. Zuckerman drove in four with his two home runs to lead the offense. Justin Shadek was the winning hurler.
It was good to see the Tide play someone other than themselves, and GT is a quality opponent. Bama’s power hitting outfielder Eric Hines was unavailable in the game as several pitchers. Offensively the Tide looks like they will have a deeper lineup than they did last year. Getting Mizell and Devenport back after both missed all of last season will be a boost. Upchurch returns as a weekend starter after a Freshman All-American campaign in 2026. Heiberger looks to join him in the rotation and there will be several candidates for the other spot. The 2026 freshman class has multiple hard throwing pitchers that could contribute, including Williams. Like last year the team needs to clean up the base running and fielding. The overall speed of the team should be better than season. The depth of the pitching staff should be a strength as well.
Try to get to The Joe on Friday night to catch some Alabama Baseball on home coming weekend!
Roll Tide
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