Alabama baseball’s run in the NCAA tournament ended after a 22-5 loss to one-seed Wake Forest. The Crimson Tide had no answer for Wake Forest’s power, allowing nine home runs in game two and 12 total in 18 innings.

A season that could’ve ended in disgrace proved to be one of Alabama’s best in over a decade. UA was 30-15 when Brad Bohannon was fired amid a gambling scandal on May 4. Under interim coach Jason Jackson, the turnaround was swift. Days after the scandal broke, the Tide took two of three from Vanderbilt. It eventually played itself into hosting a regional with a 13-4 stretch and the first 40-win season since 2010.

But the long ball sunk the Tide in the Super Regionals. Wake Forest bashed six home runs before making eight outs on Sunday. And while the Tide also took advantage of the hitter-friendly conditions of David F. Couch Ballpark, the early deficit was too much, giving the Demon Deacons a two-game sweep and their latest trip to Omaha, Neb., since 1955.

The home runs came early and often. Nick Kurtz and Brock Wilken, two of Wake Forest’s best hitters who had been in a slump, went back-to-back in the opening inning of Tide starter Jacob McNairy. On Wilken’s blast, his first of three, the Tide outfielders barely moved as the ball sailed over their heads.

Alabama’s Andrew Pinckney, though, notched his first hit of the weekend with a two-run shot that cut the deficit to one. A pair of home runs an inning later by Wake Forest’s Tommy Hawke and Alabama’s Colby Shelton made it 5-3.

Yet, Wake Forest starter Josh Hartle eventually limited the damage, retiring nine of 12 batters after Shelton’s shot. And McNairy couldn’t match. Neither could Kade Woods, who replaced McNairy after six outs and allowed back-to-back home runs to Danny Corona and Bennett Lee.

The Tide offense managed eight base runners against Hartle, who entered the day with a 2.59 ERA. Colby Shelton capped his elite freshman campaign with three home runs over the weekend, finishing with a team-high 25.

Marek Houston added some unneeded insurance runs with a grand slam in the eighth inning. Wilken continued to fill up the scorecard with his fourth extra-base hit in the final inning. Danny Corona pushed Wake Forest over 20 runs with a three-run blast. Wake Forest’s leadoff hitter had seven at-bats.

Attention will now turn to the future of Alabama’s head coaching position. Jackson had been a revelation as Bohannon’s replacement, earning kind words from his peers and among the Tide roster.