Alabama Defeats Alabama State, Improves to 5-0

Despite a rainy, soggy afternoon, the Alabama Crimson Tide handled their business on Wednesday, defeating the Alabama State Hornets 9-2 and improving to a 5-0 start to the season.

Freshman Hagan Banks made his first career start on the mound for the Tide and threw for two innings, holding the Hornets scoreless and hitless through the first part of the matchup and even earning his first two strikeouts in crimson.

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From the beginning of the game, Alabama's bats were active with junior Zane Denton getting things started in the first inning with a double to right field. Although the Tide found success early, putting two runners on base in the bottom of the first in Denton and Diodati, the runs did didn't start piling up until junior Jim Jarvis took home on a wild pitch in the bottom of the second.

Jarvis continued the scoring the next inning, hitting his first home run in a Crimson Tide uniform and knocking home another runner home as well.

From there, the Tide never looked back, scoring again and extending its lead in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings and finding success against all of State's pitchers.

Starting the game for the Hornets was junior Nate Palmer who went for just over one inning, allowing three hits, two walks and two runs in his time on the mound. In relief of the junior stepped in freshman Omar Melendez who was able to last until the bottom of the sixth when he was replaced by, fellow freshman, Kevin Matos. Melendez and Matos combined to allow ten hits and seven runs in just over four innings pitched.

The Crimson Tide finished the afternoon with a season high 14 hits, and look to be on top of their game heading into a three game series with Texas this weekend.

"These guys have had great at-bats all year. We have a really good lineup. A really deep lineup. Even when they aren't falling, they're always giving good at-bats," Alabama pitching coach Jason Jackson said following the win.

Junior Jim Jarvis joked about his first career homer, saying, "I think it was just funny," Jarvis continued, laughing,  "As I was running the bases, I was right behind [Diodati] because he thought it was a pop up which makes sense. I think I may have panicked a bit when I touched home plate, so I need to work on that, but it was fun."

The Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0, 0-0) moves on to Austin, Texas take on the Longhorns in a three game series this weekend which could give Tide fans some real insight as to how this team will handle a rigorous SEC schedule.