FRISCO, Texas – Alabama baseball (9-2) staved off a late charge from No. 19 Oregon State (5-4), as Peyton Steele’s highlight-reel assist from right field cut down the potential tying run in the 9th, helping guide the Crimson Tide to a thrilling 8-7 win at Riders Field on Saturday.

Hagan Banks entered the game in the 9th with a three-run lead, though Oregon State wouldn’t go away quietly. The Beavers saw the first three men in the order reach base, while an RBI single and an error allowed for two runs to score, cutting the Alabama lead to just a run. With no outs and the bases loaded, Steele’s incredible throw from right field to home resulted in a double play, allowing for Banks to induce the game-ending fielder’s choice two batters later and earn his second save of the season in the process.

The Tide did most of its offensive work early on, jumping out to a 6-0 lead over the first four innings. Brady Neal was among the bats to jump-start the Alabama lineup, as the senior clubbed a two-run home run in the 3rd, finishing the night 1-for-4. Jason Torres also homered in the 3rd, sending a solo homer to left. In addition to the homer, Torres doubled and walked as part of a 2-for-4 effort. Eric Hines lifted his first collegiate home run in the 4th, a solo blast that landed beyond the fence in left-center field. Justin Lebron led all Tide players with three hits in five at-bats, including an RBI double in the 8th. Luke Vaughn and Brennan Holt both finished 2-for-4 with Vaughn driving in a run, while Steele and John Lemm were both responsible for a run batted in.

Matthew Heiberger (1-0) picked up his first win after slowing down Oregon State’s momentum in the middle innings. Heiberger managed 2.2 innings of one-run ball, allowing just two hits and a walk while tallying a strikeout. In his second appearance of the season, Kaden Humphrey retired both hitters he faced in the 8th in relief of Heiberger. Zane Adams didn’t factor into the decision after totaling 4.2 innings in his third start of the season. Adams allowed seven hits, a walk and four earned runs to go with four strikeouts, as the left-hander operated on cruise control until surrendering four runs in the 5th.

“What a game. Oregon State is Oregon State for a reason. We knew they weren’t going to go away. We were in complete control of that game for five or six innings. They had two outs and a runner on third base and here they come. Pinch-hitters off the bench, hit, hit, hit, and just not trying to do too much, just a great approach on their end. I talked to our team on Tuesday. It’s not about making errors, but about making plays. Peyton Steele there in the last inning, that’s what I want from these guys, to be unafraid. Just send your stuff and if you’re wrong, I’ll live with it. I would’ve loved if it had been a 15-2 game, I would have slept a little easier, but for our team to be in that spot like that, against a team like that, will make our team even better.”

How It Happened

• T1 | Bryce Fowler lined the first pitch of the game into left-center for a double before Brady Neal walked and Luke Vaughn was plunked, loading the bases. John Lemm then dribbled a grounder to second for a fielder’s choice, allowing Fowler to score. (1-0, Alabama)
• T3 | Justin Lebron led off the inning with a single to left, with Brady Neal lifting a two-run homer the opposite way to left one batter later. Three batters later, Jason Torres slugged a solo shot to left. (4-0, Alabama)
• T4 | On the first pitch of the inning, Eric Hines connected on a solo home run to left-center. After the homer, Brennan Holt singled, Fowler was hit by a pitch and Lebron singled to left to load the bases. With one out, Vaughn beat out a potential double-play ball at third to drive in the second run of the inning. (6-0, Alabama)
• B5 | After a leadoff double, Oregon State produced a two-run home run to cut into the deficit. Following the home run, a single, double and another single, all in succession, tallied two additional runs for the Beavers. (6-4, Alabama)
• B6 | Oregon State began the inning with a solo home run to cut the Tide lead to just a run. (6-5, Alabama)
• T7 | As the leadoff man, Vaughn lined a single through the right side. Two batters later, Torres grounded a ball to third that went between the legs of the OSU third baseman, with Vaughn attempting to take two bases. After originally being called out at third, instant replay reversed the ruling, placing runners on the corners. Peyton Steele then poked a sacrifice fly to right to score Vaughn. (7-5, Alabama)
• T8 | Holt sent a single up the middle with one out and eventually scored from first on a two-out double by Lebron down the left field line. (8-5, Alabama)
• B9 | The Beavers gave the Tide all it could handle in the final inning, opening the frame with a pair of singles and hit-by-pitch to load the bases with nobody out. A bloop single into left drove in a run, while an error allowed a second run to score. With the go-ahead run at second, a flyball to right field was caught by Steele, who gunned down the potential tying run at the plate. Hagan Banks induced a fielder’s choice to Lebron for the final out to secure he Tide victory. (8-7, Alabama)

Postgame Notes

• The win becomes Alabama’s first-ever victory over Oregon State as Saturday marked the first-ever matchup between the two programs
• Brady Neal and Jason Torres both homered in the 3rd, marking the first time the Tide produced two home runs in the same inning since Torres and Will Hodo did so against Missouri on April 26 of last season
• Bryce Fowler’s double to begin the ballgame extended his hitting streak to six games
• Justin Lebron kept his on-base streak intact and now spans 11 consecutive games
• Luke Vaughn advanced his hitting streak to five games and his on-base streak to eight games
• John Lemm saw his 43-game on-base streak come to an end following a 0-for-4 line
• Saturday’s contest marked the first game this season that the Tide did not steal or attempt to steal a base
• In two games in Frisco, the Tide has produced 25 hits, including 11 extra-base hits (six home runs, five doubles)
• Alabama earned its first win over a ranked opponent this season and is now 1-1 against top-25 foes
• Attendance: 5,771

Up Next

• Alabama will end its weekend at the Frisco College Baseball Classic on Sunday, March 1
• The Crimson Tide will battle Houston at 3 p.m. CT, streaming on D1Baseball.com