Tide Wash Over Bradley; Clinch Series Sweep

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Year two under Rob Vaughn is off to a strong start. The Crimson Tide took care of business Sunday, defeating the Bradley Braves #-# to clinch an Opening Weekend series sweep on a cold and dreary February afternoon.

Alabama starter Bobby Alcock made his Crimson Tide debut Sunday afternoon, earning the win. The right saw 3.1 innings of work, allowing one run (unearned), three hits, and three strikeouts.

Bradley starter Brayden Marks was credited with the loss, allowing seven earned runs in 3.2 innings of action.

Rob Vaughn's opening statement following Alabama's 11-4 win over Bradley:

"Obviously, really happy with the way the guys got after it this weekend. You know, especially today, you've had two really nice days of weather for baseball, and then you come out today, and my goodness, it felt like a day in College Park for us. It was a chilly, windy day. It kept getting colder and man, they rang the bell all day—just consistent, consistent at-bats. Every guy coming up in the pen doing their job. Just really happy with the effort. Good opening weekend. Good to get out there and play different jerseys for a couple days. Now get some rest and turn our attention to Middle Tennessee on Tuesday."

The beginning of the game started eerily similar to the first inning of Friday's opener, as the Braves would get two runners on early via an error and a single, setting up an RBI single from the designated hitter Bobby Atkinson, giving Bradley a quick 1-0 lead.

The Tide would respond in the bottom half of the first. Justin Lebron would weather a hit-by-pitch, setting up a Jason Torres RBI single to tie the game — which would become a common theme of the afternoon.

Alcock would settle into a groove in the top of the second, dropping the bottom portion of the Braves order 1-2-3.

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Alabama designated hitter Coleman Mizell would begin the home half of the inning with a bang, sneaking a ball just past the left field fence and foul pole for his secondhome runn in just as many days.

However, the following three Tide batters would all be retired in order.

The third inning would be a similar story. Alcock would allow Bradley right fielder Mason Breidenbach to reach on a single, but the Braves would be unable to capitalize.

Alabama right fielder Bryce Fowler would lead off the inning with a single, followed by another Lebron hit by pitch. A Fowler-Lebron double steal would set up an RBI groundout for Jason Torres, marking the Miami transfer's fifth RBI of the series.

A Kade Snell lineout to left would end the third, however, the Crimson Tide still led 3-1.

Alcock would get a swinging strikeout before allowing a Timmy O'Brien single, ending Alcock's day. Austin Morris would enter to relieve Alcock, picking up a strikeout and groundout to end the fourth.

The floodgates would begin to open for the Crimson Tide offense in the bottom half of the fourth. A pair of singles from Brennen Norton and Brady Neal, plus a walk from Richie Bonomolo Jr., would set up a bases-loaded opportunity for Fowler. Fowler would rip a liner into the outfield,d scoring Norton and Neal and advancing Bonomolo Jr. to third. Fowler would attempt to leg out a double but was ruled out.

The following at-bat, Lebron would erase the memory of the call at second by blasting a two-run homer into the Crimson Tide bullpen for his first home run of the year.

Will Hodo would single the following at-bat, then Torres would work a walk, however the Crimson Tide couldn't generate any more runs in the fourth.

The Braves would swing back in the top of the fifth. After two quick outs, Bradley, the second baseman Beau Durbin, would single, followed by a Breidenbach eight-pitch walk. Atkinson would capitalize, singling to right field to score Durbin — his second RBI of the day.

Breidenbach would score off of a Morris wild pitch against Mitch Ball, however Morris would end up striking Ball out looking to end the away half of the fifth.

The Crimson Tide would regain some of their lead in the fifth thanks to a Fowler single, scoring Neal.

Each ball club would score one in the sixth. Bradley off of an RBI single from Nick Fleckenstein and Alabama via a Jason Torres homerun.

Braylon Myers and Connor Ball would combine to keep the Braves off the scoreboard in the seventh.

Torres would come up big for the Crimson Tide in the seventh, legging out a two-RBI triple to push the Crimson Tide lead to 11-4.

Myers and Campbell transfer Packy Bradley-Cooney would combine to close out the eighth inning, where both teams agreed to end the game due to the Braves travel schedule back to Peoria, Ill.

The Crimson Tide retake the diamond Tuesday at 4 p.m. against Middle Tennessee State.

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.