Alabama and Tennessee were locked in a tight matchup when the game took a sharp turn. Tennessee’s lefty hitter sat back on a middle-zone curveball and launched it deep for a solo home run, pushing the lead from 2-0 to 3-0. The fans in orange let loose, and the momentum clearly shifted. The very next batter, also a lefty, stepped in and worked the count before a disputed play sparked chaos. A tumbling curveball hit the dirt but appeared to be caught clean by Alabama’s catcher, who was convinced he’d made the grab for strike three. He pleaded his case, but replay showed the ball bounced. Cloud of dirt, clear bounce, not an out.
Alabama’s coach erupted. He screamed at home plate umpire Kevin, arguing that he couldn’t have seen the play clearly. The ump stuck with the call, and the coach got tossed after unloading a string of curses. He even tried to yank off his cap to throw it in protest, but it slipped through his hands, adding an awkward beat to the outburst. The players and crowd backed their coach, yelling support as he walked off.
Back on the mound, Alabama tried to refocus, but the next pitch sequence was too familiar. High fastball, then another break in the zone. The Tennessee lefty didn’t miss. Second homer. Same approach, same result. Tennessee extended the lead again, and Alabama had no answers. Their pitch mix wasn’t fooling anyone, and the emotional burst from the ejection didn’t shift the play. Tennessee stayed locked in and kept capitalizing.