By Loveth 
Alabama baseball had quite the rollercoaster game against in-state rival Samford on Tuesday night. The Crimson Tide seemed to be cruising with a solid 10-2 lead, but things got messy in the seventh inning when Samford erupted for seven runs, turning it into a nail-biter.
Thankfully, Alabama held on, with Garrett Staton adding a key insurance run and Richie Bonomolo Jr. driving in five RBIs to seal the 11-9 victory.
A Crazy Seventh Inning
The game started smoothly for Alabama. JT Blackwood was solid as the midweek starter, throwing two perfect innings. The bats were hot early too, with Bryce Fowler and Bonomolo getting the scoring started. Bonomolo crushed a three-run homer in the second, his third of the season, and the Tide piled on five more runs in the third to build what seemed like a comfortable lead.
But Samford had other plans. The Bulldogs exploded in the seventh, stringing together four straight hits, including a pinch-hit three-run bomb from Gatlin Pitts. Suddenly, an eight-run lead turned into a one-run game, and Alabama had to dig deep to avoid a total collapse.
Closing It Out
With the game still tight, Staton delivered an RBI single in the eighth to give Alabama a little breathing room. Then, closer Carson Ozmer took care of business, striking out the side in the ninth for his eighth save of the season.
Head coach Rob Vaughn was impressed with how his team handled the adversity. “It was a weird seventh inning, but the guys showed their toughness,” he said. “At the end of the day, a win is a win.”
Now, Alabama (26-4) looks ahead to a big weekend series against No. 16 Auburn. After losing last year’s series on the road, the Tide will be hungry for redemption when they take on the Tigers at Plainsman Park starting Friday