TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama clinched the series Saturday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium with a three-run, walk-off homer to down Vanderbilt 8-6.
The Commodores (17-22, 6-11) extended their lead in the top of the ninth when Tony Kemp tripled to lead off the inning and scored one batter later when Connor Castellano singled up the middle for a 6-4 VU lead. Vandy took a two-run lead into the bottom of the ninth and sent Will Clinard to the hill to close it out. James Tullidge greeted Clinard with a single to start the inning and Taylor Dugas’ single put runners on the corners with no outs. Hunter Gregory’s sacrifice fly to left field cut the lead to one run but Jared Reaves’ fly out to center gave the Crimson Tide (16-24, 6-11) only one out left. That was all Austen Smith needed, as the sophomore lined a three-run shot over the left-center field fence under the scoreboard to give Alabama its third straight Saturday walk-off win.
Vanderbilt rallied to take the lead in the seventh inning with three runs. Conrad Gregor plated a run with a bases loaded walk and Spencer Navin’s two-run single capped the rally and put the Dores in front. Alabama scratched out a run in the first inning before Anthony Gomez tied the game with a RBI-double in the fourth. Kemp scored three runs to lead VU as five different players had one hit each in the loss. Ben Moore led the Tide with three hits.
Trey Pilkington (2-3) picked up the win allowing one run on two hits in two innings. Clinard (4-2) took the loss allowing Smith’s home run in the ninth. Vanderbilt starter Tyler Beede turned in another solid outing giving up four runs on six hits over 6.1 innings. Fellow freshman Taylor Guilbeau was solid for Alabama as well giving up two runs on one hit and four walks in six innings.
The Commodores and Tide wrap up the series tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 p.m. Southpaw Kevin Ziomek gets the ball for the Dores against Alabama’s freshman left-hander Jon Keller.
