Gentry’s 14th-Inning Walkoff Single Helps Alabama Baseball to 5-4 Win over South Dakota State

Tyler Gentry’s RBI-single in the 14^th pushed Alabama baseball past South Dakota State, 5-4, on Wednesday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. With the victory, the Crimson Tide improves to 12-2 on the season and moves its winning streak to eight games.

"I’m really glad we found a way to win the baseball game,” said Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon. “Two days in a row that the games have been tight late, and I think our kids have been able to stay relaxed and find a way to win the baseball game – that means something. That's valuable.”

Alabama took a 4-1 lead to the ninth, but a three-run rally by the Jackrabbits moved the game into extras. Graduate reliever Jeremy Randolph carried the Crimson Tide through the early innings, tossing 3.1 scoreless with only one walk and two hits allowed while striking out a season-high five batters. Kyle Cameron (1-0) then took over, working 2.0 scoreless frames for the win. The redshirt junior allowed just one hit to keep the Jackrabbit offense at bay and allow his bats the time needed to push across the winning run.

Senior Joe Breaux led off the bottom of the 14^th with a double to right-center and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. After an intentional walk, Gentry came to the plate with the sophomore singling to left for the game-winning hit to extend Alabama’s winning streak to eight games.

Gentry led the Tide offense with a 3-for-7 night that included a team-high two RBI. Also posting a three-hit effort was Morgan McCullough. The junior finished 3-for-5 with a triple to go with his team-high two walks and two runs scored.

The Crimson Tide jumped out front early with a two-run first inning. A series of three one-out singles began the frame, highlighted by the RBI-single from Gentry to bring in the game’s first run. After a hit-by-pitch and one more out, a passed ball over the catcher’s glove allowed each runner to advance a station, with the man from third crossing home for run No. 2.

Alabama added another run in the bottom of the third. McCullough sent a one-out triple into the corner in right and came home in the next at-bat, with Gentry grounding out to short. South Dakota State got its first tally in the top of the fifth, but the Tide came right back with one of its own in the home half. Another series of three consecutive singles, with the third bringing in a run thanks to Kolby Robinson’s grounder through the left side. The junior’s RBI-single gave Alabama a 4-1 advantage through five innings of play.

The two teams then went scoreless until the ninth, with SDSU putting up a three-spot to send the game to extras. Alabama’s bullpen allowed just three hits in the final four frames and provided the necessary time for the offense to score the game-winning run. Gentry’s single in the bottom of the 14^th ended things at 5-4 in favor of UA, with the game lasting 4:18 minutes – the ninth-longest game by minutes in program history and the longest against a non-SEC foe.

Alabama remains at home this weekend for a three-game series with Northern Kentucky. The Crimson Tide and Norse are scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch on Friday at The Joe followed by a 2 p.m. start on Saturday and a 1 p.m. air-time in the series finale. All three games can be seen live on SEC Network+.

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