Alabama baseball secures comeback win over Arizona at Frisco Classic to improve to 11-0
Alabama baseball remained unbeaten with a 7-6 comeback victory over Arizona at the Frisco College Classic on Saturday at Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas.
No. 15 Alabama’s stout offense started hot in Friday night’s 12-0 run-rule victory over Indiana, but Saturday was a different story as the Crimson Tide (11-0) struggled to get anything going early against the Wildcats (5-5).
The Wildcats recorded a double play in each of the first three innings and kept Alabama off the scoreboard. Aidan Moza impressed on the mound with five strikeouts through three innings but surrendered a pair of two-run home runs in the fourth to give Arizona a 4-0 lead.
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The Crimson Tide responded in the fifth inning. Evan Sleight got to first base to lead off the inning before Bryce Eblin brought him home with his third home run of the season. Justin Lebron then made his way around the bases quickly, hitting a single before stealing second and coming home on an RBI single from Gage Miller to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Will Hodo evened the score in the sixth with a solo home run, his second of the year. Meanwhile on the mound, Alabama reliever Tyler Fay put together a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the fifth and sixth to facilitate the comeback.
In the top of the seventh, an error by Arizona’s infield allowed Eblin to score and give the Tide a 5-4 lead, its first of the game.
Fay gave up his first hits of the game in the seventh inning, which put Wildcats on second and third with no outs. Alabama then turned to closer Alton Davis II. Arizona managed to retake the lead by sending home the runners from second and third, but Davis stranded another pair of runners with a strikeout to send it to the final two innings.
With Alabama trailing 6-5 with two outs in the eighth, Mason Swinney and Sleight got on base, and both were brought home after a short hit by Mac Guscette led to another Arizona error.
The error play gave Alabama a 7-6 lead heading into the final frame. That score would hold, as Arizona attempted to steal home with two outs and was quickly put out by Guscette.
Alabama will close out its weekend against No. 24 Dallas Baptist University on Sunday. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama baseball tops Arizona at Frisco Classic to stay undefeated
