Alabama Plates Three in the Seventh to Steal Series Opener From OM

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 18 Alabama (36-17, 17-11) scores three runs in the seventh inning to come back and snatch the series opener from No. 15 Ole Miss 5-3.

The win marks Alabama's 17th conference win, likely solidifying the Crimson Tide as a host seed and potentially sneaking into top-eight seed territory.

The win also marks the Crimson Tide's seventh league victory in a row, making Alabama the first team to have multiple seven-plus SEC game winning streaks since Vanderbilt in 2013.

Alabama starter and winning pitcher Tyler Fay controlled the game with seven innings of three-run baseball, punching out eleven Rebels. The Doniphan, Neb., native mitigated damage all night, only allowing the Mississippi offense to plate one run in each inning they scored to keep the Crimson Tide in the game.

Alabama's offense wasn't pretty, but it got the job done.

After Ole Miss second baseman Dom Decker led off the game with a first-pitch solo shot in the top of the first, the Crimson Tide punched back in the bottom half of the frame.

Bryce Fowler opened the bottom half of the first with a double off the shin of Ole Miss starter Hunter Elliot (who was OK and remained in the game, throwing 97 pitches across six innings), allowing Justin Lebron, returining after missing two games due to a head injury sustained in the series opener against South Carolina, to belt a two-run shot to left-center as Alabama jumped out to take the lead from under the Rebels.

The Crimson Tide offense then entered a lull despite having prime opportunities to add runs to the scoreboard, allowing Ole Miss to claw back out to a 3-2 lead.

The seventh inning proved to be the tipping point of Thursday's opener:

After a leadoff Owen Paino single in the top of the inning for the Rebels, Fay struck out a pair and forced a flyout to prevent Ole Miss from adding on more runs to its 3-2 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, a Brennan Holt swinging bunt and an error that allowed Luke Vaughn to reach safety changed the mood at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

With the crowd back in it, Alabama opted to pinch-hit the left-hander Jojo Williamson for the right-handed Peyton Steele to face OM's right-handed reliever, Hudson Calhoun.

After two unsuccessful bunt attempts, Williamson laced a single the opposite way to shallow left field to juice the bases as the lineup card flipped over to Fowler.

The center fielder cashed in, sending the first pitch he saw to right field to move the stations and bring in Holt to tie the game at three apiece.

With bases still loaded, Justin Lebron ripped a groundball down the third base line. Ole Miss' Judd Utermark made a great play to stop it and pick up the force at third, but his throw to first was offline, allowing Lebron to reach safely and Vaughn to score, handing Alabama the 4-3 lead.

After a Brady Neal strikeout, Eric Hines walked on four pitches to load the bases again, this time for catcher John Lemm.

The Australian backstop battled to a 3-2 count, seeing ball four to walk-in what proved to be a very important insurance run. 5-3, Alabama.

Southpaw reliever Matthew Heiberger entered in the eighth, eyeing a six-out save. The Oak Mountain alumnus picked up the first three outs in loud fashion, striking out the side while touching 94 with his fastball.

A two-out Chase Kroberger single, in the game in left field for Williamson, was all for the Crimson Tide in the bottom of the eighth.

A two-out RBI single pulled one run back for Ole Miss, but Heiberger grit his teeth, striking out Rebel pinch-hitter Cannon Goodin to seal the game and hand Alabama the game one victory.

Alabama returns to action Friday at 6 pm CT on SECN+, looking to win its sixth SEC series and 18th league game.

For more Alabama Baseball, Basketball, and Football content from Simon Besnoy, follow him on Twitter at @SimonBesnoy and stay tuned to Tide1009.com for daily news.