Tide senior Nick Sizemore missed the majority of the 2024 season after suffering a torn UCL and having Tommy John’s surgery last February. After a long road to recovery, his first at bat was a special one.
With a 2-1 count, Sizemore took a pitch and sent it over the centerfield wall for a solo home run, giving the Tide an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
Sizemore was overjoyed with his return after the game, but said there was a bit of a “learning curve.” He gave a lot of the credit to his coaches and teammates for helping him get back into shape for the season.
“Happy as can be,” Sizemore said. “Did not see that coming back from not playing in a year, a year and some change. It’s definitely been a little learning curve coming back to it, too. It wouldn’t be possible without (James) Hobbs and all my team for pushing me and being like I was last year.”
The defense and pitching of senior Kenny Pickens was a big part of the team’s early success in the game.
Pickens went four innings and recorded six strikeouts and allowed just one hit. The Tide added two runs in the bottom of the fourth on a Peyton Pilon sacrifice RBI and a Braedon Chambless single.
Isaiah Miller’s single in the fifth added one run to make the score 4-0 before the Raiders started to work their way back into the game in the top of the sixth.
Three hits and two walks and cutting the Tide’s lead down to just one run prompted a pitching change with the bases loaded for Bacon County. They got out of the inning after Pilon turned a 1-6-3 double play from the mound to close out the inning and leave the bases loaded for the Raiders.
Up 4-3, the Tide got some insurance on back-to-back run-scoring doubles by Sizemore and Pickens to make the score 6-3.
The Raiders started to work back into the game in the top of the seventh after a single and two walks loaded the bases. A sacrifice to right field made the score 6-4.
The Tide brought in Sizemore to close the game out and he struck out the next two batters to secure the victory for the Tide.
Sizemore ended the night 2-for-2 at the plate with two RBIs. He recorded the save in the top of the seventh, securing the win for Pickens, who threw six strikeouts on the night.
The Tide, now 1-0, will have a quick turnaround against the Raiders as they will face off against Bacon County in Alma in a Valentine’s Day matchup.
