TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (Interstat) — In a back-and-forth midweek contest that stretched from afternoon into evening, the Alabama Crimson Tide edged the Jacksonville State Gamecocks 6-5 on Tuesday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, with a pivotal sixth-inning rally proving the difference.

Both teams entered and exited the game with identical 10-3 records after a tense battle that saw five lead changes and featured a combined seven scoreless innings from the bullpens.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the bottom of the sixth inning with Alabama trailing 5-4. The Crimson Tide loaded the bases with no outs via a hit-by-pitch to Mason Osterhouse, a walk to TJ Steele and a single through the right side by Will Holt that drove in Osterhouse to tie the game. A Jacksonville State challenge of the safe call at the plate was upheld. After a pitching change and another hit-by-pitch re-loaded the bases, Jaxson Lebron delivered a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Steele with what became the decisive run.

Alabama’s early offense was powered by designated hitter Brady Neal, who erased a 2-0 deficit in the first inning with a two-run homer to right-center field off Gamecocks starter Fisher Cantrell. Justin Torres added an RBI single later in the first and an RBI double in the third, finishing with two runs batted in.

Jacksonville State responded immediately in the second. After singles by Gabe Ashe and Jalen Pate, left fielder Luke Williams lined a two-run single to left to reclaim a 5-3 lead. The Gamecocks added another run in the fifth on a Cameron Blauser groundout.

The Crimson Tide bullpen combination of Kade Snell, Kaden Humphrey and Ashton Crowther was instrumental in preserving the narrow lead. Crowther earned the win with 2 1/3 perfect innings of relief, striking out two. Bobby Alcock took a no-decision for Alabama, allowing three runs, two earned, on two hits over three innings.

Jacksonville State mounted a serious threat in the ninth against Alabama reliever Austin Morris. Pate led off with a double and, after a strikeout, Williams bunted for a single to put runners at the corners. A stolen base put two in scoring position for Matthew Cash, who laced a two-run double to right-center to pull the Gamecocks within one. Morris recovered to retire Trey King on a flyout to left, securing the win and his first save.

Cash finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs for Jacksonville State. Williams also had two hits and two RBIs. The Gamecocks’ bullpen trio of Maddox McDougall, Chase Horst and Jackson Sleeper combined for 5 2/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief, striking out six. Sleeper was particularly dominant, striking out three over two perfect frames.

The result defied the pregame projection from Interstat, whose game simulator had predicted an 8-7 Jacksonville State victory, though its ELO rating system had favored Alabama with a 75.1% win probability.

Alabama travels to face Alabama State on Wednesday. Jacksonville State opens a three-game home series with Valparaiso on Friday.