Tide Run-Rules Presbyterian To Cap Best Start In Program History

TUSCALOOSA, AL — No. 23 Alabama baseball (16-0, 0-0 SEC) made program history Saturday night with a 15-1 run rule win over Presbyterian after seven innings in Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

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The series-clinching win over the Blue Hose gives the Crimson Tide the longest win streak — 16 games — to start a season in program history, breaking the record previously held by the 1997 team that went on to finish runner-up to LSU in the College World Series.

The win also ties the program's all-time win streak record, with Alabama having the chance to break the record Sunday for the final game of the series.

Riley Quick, a power-pitching sophomore from Trussville and the Tide's regular Saturday starter, tossed three hitless innings to start the game before surrendering his first hit in the top of the fourth and then his first run in the top of the fifth by way of a solo home run to Presbyterian's Amman Dewberry.

Quick earned his fourth win of the season, finishing with 4.1 innings and one strikeout, while giving up one earned run on two hits and two walks.

Hagan Banks was first on out of the bullpen, while Beau Bryans also contributed on the mound in the winning relief effort.

Alabama team captain and left fielder Kade Snell got the first Tide runs across the board in the bottom of the second with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center to score Jason Torres. Catcher Will Plattner then got the second run of the inning across a fielder's choice on a botched double play.

Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron, swinging one of the hottest bats in the country and leading the nation in RBIs, got two more in his second at-bat of the game on a bases-loaded single to center to put the Tide up 4-0.

First baseman Will Hodo also put his own stamp on the big 9-run second inning, hitting a 380-foot grand slam into the sparsely populated Right Field Terrace to put the Tide up 9-0.

Lebron later added three more by way of his 10th home run of the season — a 407-foot shot in the left-center gap to put the game that much farther out of reach for the Blue Hose. Saturday's win brought Lebron's RBI total to 42.

Torres, Snell, Bryce Fowler and Will Plattner each had RBIs in the win.

The Crimson Tide and Blue Hose will meet for the third and final matchup of their weekend series on Sunday, with first pitch at The Joe tentatively set for 1 p.m.

Alabama will close out its non-conference schedule Wednesday with a matchup in Birmingham's Regions Field against the UAB Blazers at 6 p.m.

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