MADISON, Ala.- Alabama wins its fourth straight after taking down Austin Peay 6-2 at Toyota Field in Tuesday’s midweek matchup, which was fueled by the Tide's bullpen with five pitchers appearing in Alabama's four-run win.

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The game started with the Governors getting off to a rocky start on defense due to inconsistent pitching. Austin Peay walked the first four batters of Alabama’s lineup. Jason Torres, the Crimson Tide’s third baseman, drew the walk that put Alabama on the board, with center fielder and leadoff batter Bryce Fowler advancing home from third base. This sent Justin Lebron to third, and he eventually scored on a sacrifice fly from Alabama’s team captain Will Plattner. This gave the Tide a two-run lead going into the second inning.

Austin Peay answered back in the top of the third inning with two runs. Catcher Trevor Conley started the inning with a double, and left fielder Zion Taylor drove Conley home from third by grounding out to Alabama’s third baseman. In the very next at-bat, Austin Peay’s third baseman, Ray Velazquez, hit a solo home run over left field to tie the game at two going into the bottom of the third inning.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Alabama put together a five-run rally. Second baseman Brennan Holt hit an RBI double, and a throwing error by Austin Peay’s left fielder allowed Luke Vaughn to score, giving Alabama the lead once again. Shortly after, Torres doubled down the right field line, driving home Holt. The Crimson Tide’s shortstop Justin Lebron added to the lead, making it a three-run advantage going into the sixth inning.

Alabama held Austin Peay scoreless for the remainder of the game, thanks in large part to the Crimson Tide's bullpen, which played flawlessly for 6.1 innings following JT Blackwood's exit in the top of the third inning. Blackwood scattered four hits, allowed two runs, walked one batter, and struck out two before being relieved by Connor Lehman. The left-handed pitcher did not allow a single hit through two and a half innings and recorded a pair of strikeouts while walking only one batter. Austin Morris made an appearance on the mound as well, entering the game in the top of the sixth inning, where he pitched a hitless inning and was relieved in the seventh by Owen Sarna. Sarna also had a solid outing; the right-hander pitched two innings, faced seven batters, allowed just one hit, gave up no runs, struck out one, and walked one batter. Making his first appearance on the mound since February 20th against Rhode Island, Sarna set the stage for Evan Steckmesser, who came out from the bullpen to wrap up the final inning. The left-handed pitcher allowed one hit while striking out one batter.

The Crimson Tide added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning after Fowler hit an RBI single to right field, driving home Chase Kroberger, who had entered earlier as a pinch runner for Alabama’s catcher John Lemm. This run gave the Tide a commanding four-run lead going into the final inning.

Stat Leaders

RBI- Torres (3)

Hits- Fowler and Holt (2)

Runs- Lebron (2)

K- Blackwood, Lehman, and Morris (2)

Alabama improves to 19-7 on the season and 3-3 in SEC play after picking up its fourth win in a row in Tuesday’s midweek matchup, which also saw Lehman earn his first win of the season. The Crimson Tide will now prepare to host archrival Auburn this weekend at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, with game one scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. CT.

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