Blue Hose Take Down Previously Undefeated No. 23 Alabama on the Road
March 9, 2025
The Presbyterian College baseball team (8-9) delivered one of their most impressive performances of the season, taking down the previously undefeated No. 23 Alabama (16-1) with an 11-8 victory on the Crimson Tide’s home field. Behind clutch pitching from Sean Hollister and key hits from Matthew Rollison, Trey Fenderson, Ryan Ouzts, and Mikah Conner, the Blue Hose handed Alabama its first loss of the year.
HOW IT HAPPENED
– Alabama struck first, plating four runs in the bottom of the first inning.
– The Blue Hose responded in the top of the second. Jake Randolph led off with a single, and Brody Linker drove him in with an RBI. Rollison followed with a sacrifice fly to score Linker, cutting the deficit to 4-2.
– PC held Alabama scoreless in the second inning, a rare achievement against a team known for its strong offensive production in that frame.
– In the third, Conner and Fenderson singled, while Randolph drew a walk to load the bases. Ouzts then delivered in a big way, smashing a three-RBI double to left-center, giving the Blue Hose their first lead of the day at 5-4.
– With Hollister taking the mound for PC, both teams were held scoreless in the fourth. – In the fifth, each side managed to plate a run. Fenderson singled and later scored on Randolph’s RBI, maintaining PC’s lead at 6-5.
– The Blue Hose broke the game open in the sixth. Linker led off with a double down the right-field line, followed by Rollison’s RBI double to left. After Ryan Becker drew a walk, Conner laid down a perfectly placed bunt single to load the bases. Fenderson then worked a bases-loaded walk, bringing in another run. Dewberry followed with an RBI single, and Randolph capped off the explosive inning with a sacrifice fly, pushing PC’s lead to 11-7.
– Both teams went down in order in the seventh, and Alabama added a run in the eighth to make it 11-8 heading into the ninth.
– Rollison doubled to right-center in the top of the ninth, but PC was unable to add any runs.
– Hollister remained dominant on the mound, retiring the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to secure the 11-8 victory over the Crimson Tide.
NOTABLES
– The win marks PC’s first victory over a ranked opponent since defeating Campbell (3-1) on April 6, 2023.
– PC became the first unranked team to take a lead on Alabama this season—let alone the first to defeat them—since Ohio State held a ninth-inning lead on February 23.
– The Blue Hose held Alabama scoreless in the second inning, a rare occurrence against a team that had scored 48 total second-inning runs this season.
– Hollister delivered 4.2 strong innings, facing 19 batters while allowing just one run on one hit and recording two strikeouts.
– Fenderson led the offense with three hits and three runs scored.
– Ouzts’ bases-clearing double gave him three RBIs on the day.
– Conner contributed two hits and two runs.
– Rollison notched two doubles and two RBIs.
– Linker finished with a hit, two runs, an RBI, and a double.
UP NEXT
The Blue Hose return home to Elton Pollock Field on Tuesday, March 11, for a matchup against The Citadel. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
Coach Pollock’s Thoughts: https://youtu.be/NA436XLRq5g
