Alabama opened the Tuscaloosa Regional with a 21-3 win over Alabama State on Friday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, and a game that began with a tight first few innings turned into a runaway long before the final out. Tyler Fay gave Alabama the start and handled the early traffic while the Crimson Tide’s bats kept stacking damage.
That matters now because Alabama entered the NCAA Tournament as the 7th overall seed and could not afford a slow start in its home regional. The 21-run outburst put the Tide in position for a Saturday matchup against South Carolina Upstate, while Alabama State was sent into the elimination bracket with Oklahoma State.
Alabama set the tone almost immediately. Bryce Fowler opened with a leadoff triple in the first inning and scored on a sacrifice fly by Justin LeBron, then Luke Vaughn added his ninth home run of the year in the second. Alabama State answered in the third when Miguel Oropeza hit a two-run homer to trim the lead to 3-2, but the response from Alabama was immediate and crushing.
The Tide scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth, with Brady Neal doubling to bring Fowler home, and the inning turned a narrow game back into a comfortable one. LeBron then sent a mammoth home run over the fence in the fifth, and Trey Callaway added a solo shot in the sixth as Alabama kept stretching the margin against a bullpen that eventually went to its third Alabama State pitcher.
Fay was lifted after 5.2 innings, having thrown 95 pitches and allowed six hits, one walk, one hit batter and three runs while striking out eight. He worked long enough to protect the lead, and Alabama’s offense made sure the rest was never in doubt. The Crimson Tide scored another six runs in the bottom of the sixth, turning the regional opener into a statement win rather than a test.
South Carolina Upstate reached Saturday’s winner’s game by beating Oklahoma State 8-5 earlier Friday, which set the bracket and locked in the next matchup. South Carolina Upstate was scheduled to face Alabama at 6 p.m. CT on Saturday, with Oklahoma State and Alabama State meeting in an elimination game at 1 p.m. CT. For Alabama baseball, the first hurdle is cleared; the real work now shifts to staying on the winner’s side of the regional.
