BATON ROUGE, La. - Alabama bounced back in Saturday's game three, avoiding a series sweep by defeating No. 8 LSU. The Tide secured the victory with a strong performance on the mound and an impressive batting display, scoring seven runs in the win.

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Alabama’s starting pitcher, Zane Adams, had a fantastic outing, which saw the left-handed pitcher only allow four hits and one run while striking out three batters through five innings to give the Tide’s offense a chance to get to work, and that’s exactly what they did.

In the third inning, Alabama got the bats going with Bryce Fowler starting the top of the third off with a single to center field, following LSU replacing their starting pitcher, Connor Ware, with Chase Shores, who went on to force LeBron to line out to third base. Shores then walked Kade Snell, setting up Bonomolo Jr. to hit his sixth home run of the season, bringing home three runs and giving the Tide an early three-run lead. 

LSU cut into the Tide’s three-run lead in the bottom of the third with a home run of their own when the Tigers’ third baseman Jared Jones knocked a solo shot over right center field to make the score 3-1 going into the fourth, with LSU failing to add any more runs in the inning. 

Alabama scored two more runs through the next two innings, with Fowler bringing Coleman Mizell home on a single to center field in the top of the fourth inning. The Tide’s catcher, Brady Neal, got him an RBI in the top of the fifth with a single to left field to drive home Snell, to make it a 5-1 ball game going into the bottom of the fifth. 

Adams continued to pitch an outstanding game, not allowing a single hit during his last two innings. However, his day came to an end at the start of the bottom of the sixth inning when Hagan Banks was brought in to relieve the left-handed pitcher.

Banks had a rocky opening inning on the mound, which saw LSU take advantage of the pitching change with the Tigers’ first baseman, Jake Brown, sending a two-run home run over left field to cut into Alabama’s four-run lead, making it a two-run ball game going into the seventh inning.

Matthew Heiberger, one of the Tide’s relievers, was called from the bullpen to come relieve Banks after the right-handed pitcher allowed LSU’s Daniel Dickerson to single on a bunt, and the Tigers had the game-tying runner up at bat with lefty Derek Curiel at the plate. Vaugn and the pitching staff decided to throw in their trusted lefty to stop any opportunity of a comeback, and it worked just as planned, with Curiel hitting into a double play to retire the seventh.

Alabama’s closer Carson Ozmer checked in to do what he knows best, and that’s finish the ball game and get the win, and that’s exactly what the grad student did when he checked into the eighth inning for Heiberger and straight delivered with three strikeouts to retire the eighth.

Brennen Norton drove in an important insurance run in the top of the ninth inning with a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Neal to score. The Tide added another run when Justin Lebron was walked with the bases loaded, bringing Jason Torres home. This gave the Tide a four-run lead as they entered the bottom of the ninth inning.

Things became tense in the bottom of the ninth inning when Ozmer issued an unusual walk, allowing LSU's Josh Pearson to reach first base. This set the stage for Jake Brown, who hit a triple, driving Pearson home and extending the Tide's lead to three runs with no outs and a runner on third. Ozmer then returned to form, striking out the Tigers' pinch hitter Tanner Reaves. He followed that by retiring another LSU pinch hitter, securing two outs for the Tide. The game concluded when Dickinson fouled out to Neal, giving Alabama the final out.

Stat Leaders

• Hits- Kade Snell (2)
• Runs- Kade Snell (2)
• RBIs- Richie Bonomolo Jr (3)
• K's- Carson Ozmer (5)
• HRs- Richie Bonomolo Jr (1)

Alabama managed to avoid a series sweep against LSU on Saturday, bringing their season record to 31 wins and 10 losses, with a conference record of 9 wins and 9 losses in SEC play. The Tide will be back in action next Tuesday, April 22, in Birmingham, Alabama, as they face the Samford Bulldogs, with the opening pitch scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT.

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