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Columbia, Missouri

Shelton leads potent Alabama offense past Missouri

219 days ago
Alabama Athletics

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Steady offense helped Alabama baseball to a 10-4 win over Missouri on Saturday evening at Taylor Stadium.

The Crimson Tide clinched the series with the Game Two victory and is now 28-12 on the season and 8-9 in Southeastern Conference play.

Colby Shelton homered twice for his fourth two-homer effort of the season. He also posted two homers on March 3 and 4 against UIC along with March 7 at Samford.

Shelton has recorded a team-high 15 home runs in his first year. That number ties Ross Wilson (2008) and Jeremy Brown (1999) for the Alabama single-season home run record by a freshman. The Lithia, Fla., native's 15 homers are also the most in a single season for UA since Chandler Taylor hit 16 roundtrippers in 2017.

Alabama scored in seven of the nine frames and finished with 15 hits and five walks on the way to 10 runs. The Tide crossed one in the first and added three in the fourth for the 4-0 advantage.

Missouri got on the board with one in the fourth but was answered by UA with a single tally in the fifth. The Tigers were able to cut the lead to one with a three-run fifth but were held scoreless the rest of the way.

Alabama took advantage of the drought, posting single tallies in the sixth, eighth and ninth with a two-run seventh in between for five unanswered runs on the way to the series-clinching win.

The Tide reached the leadoff man in seven of the nine innings, including home runs to start the seventh and ninth. The homer in the seventh came from Colby Shelton, who led the Alabama offense with a 3-for-5 night that included a double, two home runs, four RBI and two runs scored.

UA's roundtripper in the ninth was off the bat of Andrew Pinckney, who finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, two runs scored and one stolen base. Also homering was Caden Rose, who added a solo shot in the seventh.

Hunter Hoopes (1-0) earned the win in his first appearance for Alabama this season. The graduate reliever worked 1.1 scoreless frames with a hit, a walk and two strikeouts. Riley Quick finished things off, securing his second save with 2.1 scoreless innings that included two hits, a walk and two punchouts.

Quotables from Assistant Coach Jason Jackson

"Every time Missouri scored and made a little push, we came right back at them and answered tonight. We used the longball to get our runs - Colby (Shelton) had two, (Andrew) Pinckney and Caden (Rose) each had one. But anytime you pound out 15 hits and get 10 runs, you expect to win those games. The biggest thing to me was that we scored in six straight innings to end the game and that helped us put it away."

How It Happened

T1 | Jim Jarvis started the game with a single. He then moved to second on a single and stole third to put himself 90 feet away. A wild pitch in the next at-bat allowed Jarvis to cross. (1-0, Alabama)

T4 | Dominic Tamez led off with a walk and came home immediately on a two-run homer from Colby Shelton. Andrew Pinckney followed with a single and advanced to third with a stolen base and a single. A walk then loaded the bases before a wild pitch allowed Pinckney to score in from third. (4-0, Alabama)

B4 | The Tigers loaded the bases with a hit-by-pitch pushing across their first run. (4-1, Alabama)

T5 | Tamez and Shelton recorded back-to-back doubles to start the fifth and add one more. (5-1, Alabama)

B5 | Mizzou drew a two-out walk and then added a hit-by-pitch to put two aboard. Hank Zeisler took advantage of the opportunity, homering to cut the lead to one. (5-4, Alabama)

T6 | Jarvis doubled to start the sixth before moving to third on a 1-3 groundout. A grounder to first in the next at-bat went for out No. 2 but allowed the Tide leadoff man to score. (6-4, Alabama)

T7 | Shelton began the frame with a solo homer for his second roundtripper of the night. Two outs later, Caden Rose recorded a solo home run over the wall in left to push the lead back to four. (8-4, Alabama)

T8 | Drew Williamson got aboard with a two-out single and promptly came home on a Tamez triple to right. (9-4, Alabama)

T9 | Pinckney started the inning with a solo home run to center. (10-4, Alabama)

Postgame Notes

  • Alabama recorded 10 runs and has scored double-digit runs in 17 contests.
  • The Crimson Tide finished with 15 hits and has recorded double-digit hits in 25 games including seven SEC pairings.
  • All nine starters recorded at least one hit on the night.
  • Alabama has homered in 31 of 40 games this season and has produced multiple homers 21 times.
  • Andrew Pinckney has now homered in both games of the Missouri series. It marks the first time in his career that the junior hit a home run in consecutive games.
  • Pinckney has now reached base in 21 straight contests.
  • Tommy Seidl has gotten aboard in 15 straight games dating back to March 28.

UP NEXT

The Crimson Tide will go for the series sweep on Sunday afternoon in Columbia. Alabama will look to graduate right-hander Jacob McNairy with the Missouri starter still to be announced. Fans can catch the series finale live on SEC Network+.