Alabama State falls hard against Alabama on diamond

Alabama State entered Friday night’s NCAA Tournament opener hoping to shock an in-state powerhouse. For three innings, the SWAC champions looked more than capable of doing just that.

Then Alabama reminded everyone why it earned a national seed.

The Crimson Tide broke open a one-run game with a six-run fourth inning and never looked back, defeating Alabama State 21-3 in the opening round of the Tuscaloosa Regional at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

Alabama State (34-22) now drops into the losers bracket and will face an elimination game on Saturday, while No. 1 regional seed Alabama advances in the winner’s bracket.

The Hornets showed early fight against the heavily favored Crimson Tide.

Alabama grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly from Justin Lebron before a two-run homer by Luke Vaughn extended the lead to 3-0 in the second.

Alabama State answered immediately in the third.

SWAC Tournament MVP Miguel Oropeza blasted a two-run home run to center field, scoring Breydon Divine and cutting the deficit to 3-2. At that moment, the Hornets had all the momentum and were within striking distance of the SEC powerhouse.

That momentum disappeared in the bottom of the fourth.

The Crimson Tide sent 10 batters to the plate and scored six runs on five hits. RBI hits from Vaughn, Bryce Fowler and Brennen Neal highlighted the inning, while a wild pitch and a two-run single by Eddie Hines pushed the Crimson Tide advantage to 9-2.

The Tide kept pouring it on.

A three-run homer from Lebron in the fifth inning made it 12-2 before Trey Callaway provided a bright spot for Alabama State with a solo homer in the sixth.

The Hornets’ pitching staff struggled to contain Alabama’s lineup after the fourth inning. The Crimson Tide added six more runs in the sixth, fueled by homers from Fowler and Neal, before scoring three additional runs in the seventh to invoke the run-rule margin.

Alabama finished with 15 hits and scored in six different innings. Vaughn, Fowler, Neal and Lebron all delivered multiple RBI performances as the Crimson Tide overwhelmed the Hornets offensively.

For Alabama State, Oropeza and Callaway supplied the only extra-base hits with their home runs. The Hornets managed six hits overall against Alabama starter Tyler Fay and the Crimson Tide bullpen.

The game was considerably tighter than the final score suggests. Alabama State trailed only 3-2 entering the bottom of the fourth before the Crimson Tide erupted for 18 unanswered runs over the next four innings.

Despite the setback, the Hornets remain alive in the double-elimination regional and will now attempt to fight their way through the losers bracket.

By the Numbers

• Alabama outscored Alabama State 18-1 after the third inning.
• Miguel Oropeza hit a two-run homer in the third inning.
• Trey Callaway added a solo home run in the sixth.
• Alabama collected 15 hits while Alabama State finished with six.
• The Hornets committed four errors.
• Attendance was 4,466 at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

What’s Next

Alabama State will play an elimination game Saturday at 1 pm against Oklahoma State in the Tuscaloosa Regional. A loss ends the Hornets’ season, while a win keeps alive the program’s hopes of advancing through the NCAA Tournament.

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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 10:54 PM.