WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Alabama fell to top-ranked Wake Forest, 5-4, in NCAA Super Regional play on Saturday afternoon at David F. Couch Ballpark. With the loss, the 16th-ranked Crimson Tide is now 43-20 on the season.
Wake jumped out front to a 3-0 advantage after two innings of play, using a pair of solo homers and a wild pitch to take the early lead. The Tide got on the board in the third thanks to a solo home run from Caden Rose and then tied things up with a two-run shot from Colby Shelton in the fourth. The Demon Deacons regained the advantage with one apiece in the fifth and sixth and held Alabama scoreless until the eighth. That eighth saw Rose hit his second homer of the day to make it a one-run ballgame, but UA would get no closer for the 5-4 final.
Rose led the offense with a 2-for-3 day that included the two homers, a pair of RBI and two runs scored. Shelton also contributed a multi-hit effort, finishing 2-for-4 with a homer, two RBI and one run.
Luke Holman (7-4) gave the Crimson Tide a solid start, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits with no walks and eight punchouts. He was countered by Wake Forest starter Rhett Lowder,(15-0), who allowed three runs on five hits and a walk with six strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work. Sean Sullivan followed Lowder, working the final 2.2 innings for his third save of the year.
From Interim Head Coach Jason Jackson
“This was a really, really good college baseball game. Both teams had a couple of really good starters going at it, and there were a couple of good bullpen pieces going at it, too. There were 23 strikeouts and one walk between the two pitching staffs, so a pretty well-played game from both sides. There were some home runs, which you would expect in this ballpark, but both teams did a good job of keeping those to mostly solo shots. A well–played game from both sides – we did some good things; they did some good things. They got us today, but we’ll be back at it tomorrow.”
How It Happened
- B1 | Tommy Hawke sent the first pitch he saw over the wall in right-center for a leadoff home run. (1-0, Wake Forest)
- B2 | Justin Johnson led off with a solo homer. The Demon Deacons then got a single and advanced the runner all the way to third before a wild pitch tacked on another run. (3-0, Wake Forest)
- T3 | Caden Rose got the Tide on the board with a solo home run to left-center. (3-1, Wake Forest)
- T4 | Dominic Tamez drew a two-out walk and came home in the next at-bat on a Colby Shelton game-tying home run to right. (3-3)
- B5 | A check swing went in favor of Wake to extend the at-bat for Danny Corona, who then snuck the next pitch over the wall in right for a solo homer. (4-3, Wake Forest)
- B6 | An error began the inning and eventually led to a two-out RBI-single by the Demon Deacons. (5-3, Wake Forest)
- T8 | Rose cut into the lead once again with a solo homer, his second of the game. (5-4, Wake Forest)
Postgame Notes
- The Crimson Tide did not issue a walk in today’s game. It was the fourth time this season Alabama’s pitchers did not walk a batter.
- Luke Holman tossed a career-high 104 pitches in his start. The sophomore’s previous best was 103 against Ole Miss on May 18 of this season.
- Alabama has homered in 53 of the 64 total games this season while producing multiple homers 34 times.
- Colby Shelton hit his 23rd home run of the season to move into sole possession of fourth place on the Alabama single-season homer list. He now trails Dustan Mohr (25), Doug Duke (27) and Kent Matthes (28).
- Caden Rose recorded his first career two-homer game.
- Tommy Seidl extended his hitting streak to an Alabama season-long 14 games with a 1-for-4 effort. Over the 14-game stretch, Seidl is batting .382 (21-55) with five doubles, two homers, 15 RBI, 15 runs, five walks, three hit-by-pitch and one stolen base.
Alabama will now face elimination on Sunday. The Crimson Tide and Demon Deacons are scheduled for an 11 a.m. CT first pitch with a network for the game still to be announced.
