Fay, LeBron, Lead Tide To Victory
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<p>In front of a Sewell-Thomas Stadium record crowd of 7,573, the Alabama Crimson Tide inched closer to a return to Omaha for the College World Series for the first time since 1999. The 7th overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, Bama defeated St Johns 8-0 on Saturday night. With a win on Sunday the Tide would punch their ticket to the biggest dance in Omaha, NE for the first time in 27 years. Red shirt junior pitcher Tyler Fay and junior shortstop Justin LeBron led the way to the win. Fay worked 7.1 innings, allowing two hits with three walks and nine strikeouts. The nine punch outs moved Fay to second all-time in Alabama history with 121 strikeouts. The Nebraska native is just seven K&#8217;s away from tying the great Wade Leblanc for the single season honor. LeBron had three hits including a double and drove in two runs. Alabama improved to 41-19 and St Johns fell to 36-25.</p>
<p>Fay faced of with St Johns right hander Liam O&#8217;Leary. The Red Storm went down in order in the first on three strikeouts. LeBron had a one out single in the bottom half for the Tide. Fay allowed a leadoff bloop double to Adam Agresti leading off the 2nd frame, but retired the next three hitters. Bama scored all the runs they needed in the bottom of the second. Johnny Lemm singled to lead off, and hustled to third on a Baltimore Chop single by Eric Hines. Hines advanced to second on the throw. Brennan Holt yanked a double in the corner into right field to plate two runs. The next three hitters went out in order to end the inning.</p>
<p>In the third Fay had a quick 1-2-3 inning in the top of the third with a strikeout. Alabama got another single from LeBron leading off the bottom half, but a double play and ground out to shortstop ended the inning with O&#8217;Leary needing only five pitches. Fay struck out the first two batters in the top of the 4th, walked the next man after a nine pitch at bat, and induced a ground ball to Jason Torres at third base to end the inning.</p>
<p>Bama sent 10 men to the plate in the bottom half, scoring four times to put the game away. Lemm led the uprising off with a walk and Holt singled to right to put two runners on. Luke Vaughn and Peyton Steele drew back to back walks to force in one run before Bryce Fowler smoked a double just over the first base bag to score two runs. LeBron was hit by the next pitch to reload the bases. Brady Neal coaxed a full count walk to drive in the fourth run of the inning. Tyler Longoria replaced O&#8217;Leary at that time and slowed the Tide down. A strikeout and fly out followed and the Tide left 6-0 heading to the 5th inning.</p>
<p>Neither team did much in the 5th and 6th innings, with only one base runner each. Fay ran into his only trouble of the night in the top of the 7th, loading the bases with no outs on a walk, a single, and a hit batter. The big right hander got a fly out to short right field, a strikeout, and a pop to short left field the LeBron ran down to secure the third out. Bama got a hustling two out double from Hines in the bottom of the inning, finally chasing Longoria from the game in favor of Thomas Harding. Harding got Holt to pop out on a bunt attempt to keep the score at 6-0.</p>
<p>Fay was back for the 8th, and after striking out Jon LeGrande was removed to a rousing ovation. The raucous crowd stood and chanted Fay&#8217;s name as he got the well deserved accolades. Left hander Ashton Crowther was called in and needed only six pitches to record the final two outs of the inning. In the bottom of the 8th Bama added their final two runs. Vaughn legged out an infield single leading off and advanced to second on a throwing error by shortstop Rob Mansour. With one out Fowler was hit by a pitch and when LeBron blasted a double in the right center gap, Vaughn and Fowler easily scored for an 8-0 lead. Neal followed with a single but a strikeout and pop out ended the Tides turn at bat.</p>
<p>Crowther had an easy 9th with a fly out, walk, another fly out, and a ground ball to second base to end the game. Crowther pitched 1.2 innings allowing no hits, no runs, and one walk.</p>
<p>The Tide hit 11-34 in the game with four doubles, four walks, three hit batters, eight strikeouts, and nine men left on base. Bama did not commit an error. LeBron finished 3-4 with a double, hit by pitch, and two RBI. Holt was 2-4 with two RBI, a double, and a run scored. Fowler had a double, two RBI, a hit by pitch, and a run on his 1-4 night. Hines was 2-4 with a double and run scored. Vaughn had a 1-2 game with a walk, a hit by pitch, and scored twice. Fay improved to 11-4 with the win, tying Leblanc with the most wins for an Alabama pitcher since 2006 when Leblanc finished 11-1.</p>
<p>St Johns was 2-29 with four walks, a hit batter, nine strikeouts, one double, and left seven on base. The Johnnies committed two errors on defense. Agresti was 1-2 with a double and two walks. O&#8217;Leary fell to 8-5 with the loss, lasting 3.1 innings and allowed seven hits and six runs while walking four and striking out four.</p>
<p>This was an amazing night at The Joe. An overflow crowd that was loud and hungry for victory. A team that has been counted out over and over only to rise from the dead is now nine innings away from a trip to Omaha for the College World Series. The Tide isn&#8217;t often a pretty team, but they are gritty and tough and will not give up. The starting pitching has sparkled all year with Fay, Zane Adams, and Myles Upchurch continually keeping the team in games. Matthew Heiberger, Crowther, and Hagan Banks have held up the back end. Fowler and Neal have carried the team offensively for much of the year and now LeBron is playing like the superstar he is. The team is getting hot at the right time and now is one victory away from the goal every team starts the season with.</p>
<p>Roll Tide</p>
<p>Bama Baseball Fever, Catch It!</p>

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