USCALOOSA, Ala. – The Presbyterian College baseball team (8-9) delivered one of their most impressive performances of the season, taking down the previously undefeated No. 23 Alabama (16-1) with an 11-8 victory on the Crimson Tide's home field. Behind clutch pitching from
Sean Hollister and key hits from
Matthew Rollison,
Trey Fenderson,
Ryan Ouzts, and
Mikah Conner, the Blue Hose handed Alabama its first loss of the year.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Alabama struck first, plating four runs in the bottom of the first inning.
- The Blue Hose responded in the top of the second.
Jake Randolph led off with a single, and
Brody Linker drove him in with an RBI. Rollison followed with a sacrifice fly to score Linker, cutting the deficit to 4-2.
- PC held Alabama scoreless in the second inning, a rare achievement against a team known for its strong offensive production in that frame.
- In the third, Conner and Fenderson singled, while Randolph drew a walk to load the bases. Ouzts then delivered in a big way, smashing a three-RBI double to left-center, giving the Blue Hose their first lead of the day at 5-4.
- With Hollister taking the mound for PC, both teams were held scoreless in the fourth. - In the fifth, each side managed to plate a run. Fenderson singled and later scored on Randolph's RBI, maintaining PC's lead at 6-5.
- The Blue Hose broke the game open in the sixth. Linker led off with a double down the right-field line, followed by Rollison's RBI double to left. After
Ryan Becker drew a walk, Conner laid down a perfectly placed bunt single to load the bases. Fenderson then worked a bases-loaded walk, bringing in another run. Dewberry followed with an RBI single, and Randolph capped off the explosive inning with a sacrifice fly, pushing PC's lead to 11-7.
- Both teams went down in order in the seventh, and Alabama added a run in the eighth to make it 11-8 heading into the ninth.
- Rollison doubled to right-center in the top of the ninth, but PC was unable to add any runs.
- Hollister remained dominant on the mound, retiring the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to secure the 11-8 victory over the Crimson Tide.