Published May 30, 2025
Tide's comeback bid in regional opener against Miami comes up short
Kelly Quinlan  •  TideIllustrated
Publisher

Alabama baseball turned to ace pitcher Riley Quick in game one of the Southern Miss regional in Hattiesburg on Friday afternoon. Things did not go to plan for the Tide, and Miami jumped on the pitcher for three runs in the first inning, digging a hole the Tide couldn’t hit their way out of in a 5-3 loss. Alabama will face the loser of the Southern Miss-Columbia game on Saturday at 2 pm CT in an elimination game. Number two-seed Alabama fell to 41-17 on the season with the loss to 3-seed Miami.

Despite a rough start, Alabama had a chance to win the game in the ninth inning against Miami closer Brian Walters when Bryce Fowler reached on an error and star shortstop Justin Lebron was hit by a pitch by Walters. Outfielder Kade Snell came up with two on and two out and hit a ball that hung up in the air and was caught on the warning track at the wall just short of a walk-off home run on a 1-0 pitch.

Quick bounced back from his rough start, going six innings, throwing a career-high 108 pitches, but he also gave up a career-high five earned runs in the loss. Matthew Heiberger was excellent in relief, throwing three scoreless innings for the Tide.

Daniel Cuvet crushed a three-run home run in the first to put Miami on the scoreboard, and the Canes added another run in the third on an RBI single by Renzo Gonzalez, putting Miami up 4-0

The Tide answered back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, thanks to a two-run double by Brennan Norton to make it 4-3 Miami.

Max Galvin added a solo home run in the top of the 5th to put the Canes up 5-3. AJ Ciscar walked only one batter over seven innings while striking out eight Alabama players.

The Tide stranded nine runners on base in the loss, while Miami only left six on. Quick's five walks loomed large as well as Miami had only eight hits in the game. Miami's pitching allowed only seven hits and only two walks.

Alabama fell to 1-13 this season when trailing after seven innings. Miami improved to 26-1 when leading after eight innings this season.