Barbara's sixth-inning blast completes comeback vs. No. 24 Alabama

Game #29: No. 6 Texas A&M 5, No. 24 Alabama 4
Records: Texas A&M (25-4, 5-2), Alabama (21-11, 1-3)
WP: Sidne Peters (7-0)
LP: Alea Johnson (1-1)
Box Score

A go-ahead two-run home run by Mac Barbara in the bottom of the sixth inning powered the Aggies to another thrilling victory at Davis Diamond.

It wasn’t easy, and no one said it was always going to be another easy outing, but No. 6 Texas A&M got the job done when it was needed most, defeating No. 24 Alabama on Friday night, 5-4.

“I just felt like today I came out feeling good,” Barbara said. “It’s been peaks and valleys, but I thought I came out with a good attitude, good spirits, feeling good physically and mentally.”

After two innings of scoreless softball, the Crimson Tide scored its first run in the third inning on a Kali Heivilin sacrifice fly to center field. 

Grace Sparks allowed the first of three earned runs on the evening and was taken out of the game after orchestrating four innings while allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

“Grace didn’t get any innings last weekend, and so I wanted to see what that looked like,” A&M head coach Trisha Ford said. “I felt like she could come in, and we’re going to need all of them as the season goes on, and so I felt like, let’s see how this goes.”

Ford made the decision to go to the bullpen and put Sidne Peters in a position she knew she could handle under pressure. Even with Emiley Kennedy not getting the nod, Peters came in clutch when the game turned upside down. She went three innings where she gave up only two hits while striking out three Alabama batters.

“I just think it was time for us to make a change,” Ford said. “They were starting to time up some things, and Grace was elevating her ball, and Grace being a downball pitcher, that’s going to be one of her keys, so Sidne is a very different look from Grace. One of the reasons why we went into the portal and got them was because of that diversity piece.”

A&M’s offense came alive in the fourth inning when Barbara picked up her first of three RBIs after a single to center field scored pinch runner Kelsey Mathis.

In the fifth, the Crimson Tide added to its lead after Salen Hawkins belted a double down the third base line, and Audrey Vandagriff, who led the team in hits and stolen bases, crushed a two-run shot over the fence in right-center field.

Vandagriff’s homer made it a 4-1 Alabama lead.

“I think she is a tough out,” Ford said. “I think she’s got some speed. She’s obviously got a little bit of power, got some juice. So, I think we just have to execute our pitches a little bit better. I think we left some balls over the heart of the plate that you can’t do against a good hitter.”

Still, A&M crawled its way back into the game when Koko Wooley scored Frankie Vrazel via an RBI groundout. Excitement broke out in the bottom half of the frame when Mya Perez drilled a solo home run to get within one.

Then Barbara’s go-ahead blast served as the final theatrics.

“They believe in themselves, and that was the talk of the dugout of we just got to keep working,” Ford said. “I feel like when that talk is happening, I feel good, so when it’s quiet, that’s when I worry, and I thought tonight they had good energy.”

The Aggies will aim to clinch the series tomorrow at Davis Diamond against the Crimson Tide at 4 p.m. CT.