Alabama’s Hoover run cut Short Against Tennessee

HOOVER, Ala. — No. 23 Alabama (41-16, 16-14) falls to No. 21 Tennessee (42-15, 16-14) 15-10 in round two of the 2025 SEC tournament.

The Crimson Tide threw nine pitchers Wednesday, collectively allowing 15 runs and 20 hits, the most hits the Crimson Tide have allowed in a single game since 2017.

Similarly to Tuesday, the Alabama batting order began the game sluggish, unable to work a baserunner in the first three frames.

The Volunteers' batting order jumped on Alabama starter Aeden Finateri early, tallying four hits and two runs to begin the game and cut Finateri's start short after 1.2 innings.

Matthew Heiberger entered the game for Alabama in the second, picking up a flyout on his first pitch to calm the storm.

After Heiberger kept Tennessee off the board for the first time of the afternoon in the third, the Crimson Tide plated their first run in the top of the fourth thanks to an RBI double from Richie Bonomolo Jr. to cut the UT lead to 2-1.

Tennessee responded with a big inning in the bottom of the fourth, plating three runs thanks to a Gavin Kilen two-RBI single and a Braylon Myers wild pitch. 5-1, Tennessee.

The Crimson Tide punched back in the top of the fifth. A Jason Torres leadoff double, followed by a Brady Neal walk to set up a Brennen Norton RBI single, cut the Vols' lead to 5-2.

A two-out Justin Lebron walk set up Kade Snell with a bases-loaded opportunity. Snell knocked a grounder to Tennessee second baseman Dean Curley, who misplayed the throw to first baseman Andrew Fischer, allowing two Alabama runs to cross to cut the Volunteer advantage to 5-4.

The next at-bat, Richie Bonomolo Jr. came through for the Crimson Tide, ripping a two-RBI double as Alabama stormed in front to take a 6-5 lead in the top of the fifth.

That lead didn't last long as Cannon Peebles ripped a two-out RBI single to even up the ballgame in the bottom of the fifth.

From then on, it would be mostly all Vols, as Tennessee would rip off nine unanswered runs to more than likely put the Crimson Tide to bed.

Alabama would plate four runs in the ninth, but that wouldn't be enough to surmount the deficit, eventually falling 15-10.

Alabama will return to Tuscaloosa and await its postseason destination on Monday, May 26, as they hope to earn their first national seed since 2023.

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.