Tide Reach Supers in Extra-Inning Thriller over Oklahoma State

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 7 (1) Alabama fends off a red-hot (2) Oklahoma State offense 9-7 across eleven innings to punch its ticket to the first Tuscaloosa Super Regional since 2006.

A quality start by Myles Upchurch set the tone, allowing four earned runs across six innings while punching out nine. Ashton Crowther — albeit allowing two runs via back-to-back solo shots — and Hagan Banks turned in gutsy relief performances to keep the Crimson Tide in the ballgame. Banks earned the win as he tossed the final three innings, allowing a lone earned run while punching out half a dozen to carry the Crimson Tide across the finish line.

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Brady Neal led the way offensively for the Crimson Tide, notching four RBIs, including three on his go-ahead three-run blast to right field in the top of the eleventh — after having to exit the game for a brief moment in the eighth after dislocating his thumb, which he "popped" back into place.

Speaking of catchers with finger injuries, John Lemm tacked on two RBI on the day thanks to a two-hit, one-walk night. Alabama head coach Rob Vaughn confirmed postgame that the Australian backstop broke his finger in the 21-3 win over Alabama State on Friday night.

Eric Hines also had a productive night, knocking three base hits, including a game-tying no-doubt home run off the scoreboard in the eighth.

Upchurch and Oklahoma State starter Noah Wech traded a scoreless first inning before Alabama opened the scoring in the top of the second, courtesy of a Brennan Holt bloop single to left to put the Crimson Tide up 1-0 early.

After plunking the first batter of the inning, Upchurch induced a smooth 3-6-4 double play before picking up a swinging strikeout to kick it back to the Alabama offense in the top of the third.

The Crimson Tide jumped on the Pokes in the top of the frame, loading the bases with no outs after a pair of singles and a throwing error. Wech then plunked Brady Neal to bring in the second run of the ballgame.

After a Jason Torres strikeout, Lemm pulled a single to right to double the Crimson Tide's advantage. 4-0, Alabama.

After a pair of Wech strikeouts, the Tide began to turn in Oklahoma State's favor. A four-pitch Remo Indomenico walk set the table for Deacon Pomeroy, the Cowboys' nine-hole hitter, to hit a home run to right-center to cut the Crimson Tide lead back to two.

A two-out Kollin Ritchie double and an ensuing pair of wild pitches allowed the Cowboys to come back within one run. 4-3, Alabama.

Torres pulled a run back for the Crimson Tide in the top of the fifth with a leadoff solo shot to give Alabama a 5-3 lead, but, as became the theme of the game, Oklahoma State came right back with a run in the bottom of the sixth, slugging a leadoff homerun of its own to cut the Alabama lead back to one.

After knocking on the door, the Cowboys knocked it down, belting two more solo shots an inning later in the seventh to take a 6-5 advantage over the Crimson Tide.

Looking for a fix in the top of the eighth, the Crimson Tide found one in Eric Hines towering 400-foot blast to even the ballgame at six runs.

Crowther ran into trouble in the bottom of the frame, loading the bases with two outs, but picked up a groundout to Holt to end the inning still tied at six.

After a three-up, three-down top of the ninth for Alabama, Banks entered the game to try to send it to extras in the bottom of the frame.

The closer ran into similar trouble as Crowther, picking up two early outs but loading the bases, bringing the winning run to third. But just like his fellow bullpen arm, Banks dug his heels in, striking out Oklahoma's Garrett Shull to keep the Tide alive.

After a pair of zeros in both halves of the tenth, Alabama came into the eleventh looking to take the lead and then some. And boy, did they do that.

A one-out infield single by Peyton Steele and a two-out infield single by Justin Lebron brought the tying run to second base, but Brady Neal wanted them all, blasting a no-double bomb to the Right Field Ragers to jump out to a 9-6 lead.

Banks ran into trouble in the third, loading the bases with two outs — a common occurrence for the Crimson Tide on Sunday night — allowing a Shull single to bring the tying run onto the basepaths.

However, it didn't matter to Banks, who struck out Indomenico to punch Alabama's ticket to the first Tuscaloosa Super Regional since 2006.

Alabama will welcome the winner of the Tallahassee Regional, either St. Johns or Florida State, to Tuscaloosa later this week.

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.