Should Heiberger Have Stayed In for the Final Inning? Let’s Talk About It

In the eighth inning of Sunday’s game, Alabama baseball was hanging on by a thread. They’d just given up three two-out runs to Vanderbilt, turning what looked like a comfortable 7–2 lead into a nerve-wracking 7–5 game. With a lefty batter up next, Alabama brought in left-handed pitcher Matthew Heiberger. He did his job—struck the guy out and shut things down.

But then, for the ninth inning, the Tide made a switch. Instead of sticking with Heiberger, they brought in right-handed closer Carson Ozmer—even though a lefty, Mike Mancini, was leading off. Mancini dropped in a bloop single, and from there, it all unraveled. Ozmer gave up a walk-off homer, and just like that, Alabama lost 9–7. It was Ozmer’s first blown save of the year.

Now, Heiberger was still pretty fresh. He pitched a bit on Friday and just that one out in Sunday’s game. And lefty vs. lefty matchups typically favor the pitcher. So, should Alabama have stuck with Heiberger instead of handing it off to Ozmer?

Sure, Ozmer’s been a rock all season, even tying the school’s single-season saves record. And no manager can know the future. But still—looking back, you can’t help but wonder if keeping Heiberger in would’ve changed how this one ended.