Alabama runs out of steam against Cody Campbell’s Lubbock mercenaries

You could certainly tell which roster was purchased.

Well, that sucked. But, recap it we shall…though in a stream of consciousness.

Game 1: Our Disappointment Told in Home Runs.

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5–4 Tech. And no, I don’t want to talk about Briski coming out and getting absolutely torched and rattled in the 2nd and 3rd before being pulled, or Vandagriff giving away a homer when she just had to raise her glove six inches, or Bama’s implacable staff giving up four runs on shots over the fence.

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I’m too sad.

And now we have to regroup for Game 2, winner take all, and Alabama’s pitching staff not being in a great headspace. This will be Murph’s toughest battle of the season — getting them to believe and regroup.

Game 2: In which the Tide runs out of gas

The decisive game of the series, and the one that sent the Tide back to Tuscaloosa, was everything the first was not, at least for Team 30.

Both Moten and Briski were gassed and leaving too many mistakes over the plate. Texas Tech is simply too good of an offense to miss the zone that many times, or leave balls hanging for juicy targets, and the Raiders duly teed off on them: 10 hits and another homer in their 2–0 shutout win.

Offensively is where Alabama had to make it up, but the bats weren’t there. All season, Bama has made a living off getting hits at the right time — opportune offense rather than raw gorilla ball. But both their ability to bring home runners and hit the long ball completely evaporated, as a tired team simply wasn’t able to figure out Canady.

Instead, it was the Raiders who made the opportune plays, who got out of jams, who knocked the cover off when they needed to.

Alabama fell three runs short of their goal, but the season was not lost — not by any stretch. They simply lost to the better team tonight. Awful human beings, but a better team.

This one hurts, though Alabama will be back next season: Briski and Moten and the heart of the offense returns.

Take your time, grieve for 24 hours, and then we turn to #Team31. Will Alabama need some more power? Sure. Better gloves in the outfield? Sure. A stellar job by Murph to hang on to these players? Absolutely.

But those are for the future to decide. Tonight we just have the loss.

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Miscellany:

Meanwhile, on the men’s diamond, upsets continued apace…

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It has been revenge of the mid- and low-majors, as five have advanced to Super Regional play: Troy, Arkansas-Little Rock, Cal Poly, Jacksonville State, and St John’s.

Have a good evening, Roll Tide.