TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Consistent offense and a strong showing from the bullpen helped Alabama baseball secure a 9-4 win over High Point on Friday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. With the win, the Crimson Tide is now 6-0 on the season.

Both teams got on the board with one run in the first. The Tide then took the lead with another tally in the second before a two-run top of the fourth put the Panthers back in front. Alabama answered again, scoring two apiece in the fourth and fifth to go with three in seventh for the series-opening win.

Alabama's offense totaled double-digit hits for a sixth straight game, finishing with 12 total by day's end. The bats were led by Ed Johnson, who homered twice and tallied a team-high five RBI to go with two runs scored. Mac Guscette also homered in the game, finishing 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Brock Blatter (1-0) picked up the first win of his career, entering out of the bullpen for 2.2 innings of one-run baseball. The freshman gave up two hits and walked one while striking out six in a row at one point - all swinging. Blatter was followed by Alton Davis II and Hunter Furtado, who combined to hold HPU scoreless over the final 2.2 innings.

From Head Coach Brad Bohannon

"The bullpen was awesome today. They did a great job. Brock (Blatter) came in with some people on base, and it took him a couple of hitters to settle in, but once he did, he minimized the damage and put up some zeros. It gave our offense a chance to do what our offense has been doing. We scored in five of the eight innings today and had a nice mix of guys fighting to get on base with some two-strike contact to go with the doubles and home runs to put up some crooked numbers."

How It Happened

• T1 | With runners on the corners, an error allowed the first run to cross for the Panthers. (1-0, High Point)
• B1 | Jim Jarvis started the game with a walk before moving to second on a flyout. A groundout to short moved Jarvis to third before Dominic Tamez doubled to right-center to plate Jarvis. (1-1)
• B2 | Mac Guscette sent a 3-1 pitch over the wall in left to start the inning and give the Tide the lead. (2-1, Alabama)
• T4 | The Panthers loaded the bases before a hit-by-pitch pushed a run across. A single in the next at-bat put HPU back in front. (3-2, High Point)
• B4 | Colby Shelton started the frame with a walk. Ed Johnson scored Shelton one out later with a two-run home run. (4-3, Alabama)
• B5 | Jarvis led off with a single before a walk to Tommy Seidl. The pair were joined on-base by Andrew Pinckney with a groundball double play in the next at-bat crossing a run. Shelton followed with a single to center to score Seidl for one more run. (6-3, Alabama)
• T7 | High Point got a run back with a one-out double followed later by a two-out single. (6-4, Alabama)
• B7 | The Tide added three on Johnson's second home run of the afternoon. (9-4, Alabama)

Postgame Notes

• Alabama finished with 12 hits and has totaled double-digit hits in all six games to start the season. The six-game stretch with double-digit hits is the longest since the Tide bats achieved the feat in seven straight games from April 4-15, 2021.
• All nine starters reached base safely in the game.
• Ed Johnson homered twice in today's contest. He is the first Alabama hitter to do so since Owen Diodati at Tennessee last season on April 15.
• Drew Williamson extended his hitting streak to seven games, dating back to May 28 of last season. Over that stretch, Williamson is batting .636 (14-22) with a double, four home runs, 11 RBI, nine runs and eight walks.
• Andrew Pinckney finished 2-for-5 and has tallied at least one hit in all six games this season.
• Caden Rose reached base safely in today's matchup and has now gotten aboard in 24 straight contests dating back to April 25 of last season.
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The Crimson Tide and Panthers will return to the diamond tomorrow afternoon for a 4 p.m. CT first pitch at The Joe. Alabama will look to sophomore right-hander Ben Hess in the start with High Point sending junior lefty Brett Wozniak to the hill. Fans can catch game two of the series on the Crimson Tide Sports Radio Network and SEC Network+.