Alabama Baseball Falls to Miami in Heartbreaker at Hattiesburg Regional
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – In a nail-biting opener to the 2025 NCAA Hattiesburg Regional, the No. 2 seed Alabama baseball team was edged out by No. 3 seed Miami, losing 5-3 at Pete Taylor Park. The Crimson Tide’s comeback attempt fell just short, with a potential walkoff home run from Kade Snell barely missing the mark, landing just shy of the fence to seal Alabama’s fate.
Trailing by two runs in the final inning, Alabama ignited a two-out rally. Bryce Fowler’s 13-pitch at-bat culminated in an error by Miami’s first baseman, granting him first base. Justin Lebron was hit by a pitch, putting Snell at the plate. Despite a valiant effort, Snell’s deep fly ball was caught on the warning track, ending the game.
Riley Quick (8-3) took the loss after giving up five earned runs over six innings, but he struck out six and showed resilience after a rocky start, allowing only two earned runs in his final five innings pitched. Conversely, Matthew Heiberger impressed in relief, tossing three scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
The Tide found their rhythm in the fourth inning. Brennen Norton drove in two runs with a double, part of a productive frame that saw Alabama narrow the gap to 4-3 after Brady Neal’s groundout scored the first run. However, Miami responded with a solo home run in the fifth, extending their lead to two runs.
Head Coach Rob Vaughn praised his team’s fighting spirit, emphasizing the need for a strong mentality moving forward as they prepare for an elimination game against the loser of the Southern Miss vs. Columbia matchup on Saturday. With first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. CT, Alabama aims to regroup and advance in the regional tournament.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
