Walk-Off Home Run by Owen Diodati Propels Alabama Baseball Past Xavier, 5-4

Heading into the ninth inning, the Crimson Tide had recorded just three hits and five baserunners on the afternoon.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A walk-off home run by Owen Diodati lifted Alabama baseball up and over Xavier on Saturday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, 5-4.

Prior to the ninth inning, the Crimson Tide had recorded just three hits and one run. The four-run comeback was enough to give Alabama an opening-day victory and start the season 1-0.

"I thought today went just like we scripted it out," Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon joked after the game. "We've been working for six months to just look like crap offensively for eight innings and then turn on the switch in the ninth."

JUCO transfer and Tuscaloosa local Garrett McMillan picked up his first start for the Crimson Tide, and took to the mound to the cheering of the Alabama crowd. However, the surreal feeling for McMillan didn't last long, as Xavier's Luke Franzoni crushed McMillan's first-ever pitch over the left-center field wall, giving the Musketeers a 1-0 early lead.

In the top of the third, an RBI double by Xavier shortstop Jack Housinger increased the Musketeers' lead to 2-0. However, Alabama catcher Dominic Tamez was finally able to put a run up on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth, halving the Xavier lead and putting the Crimson Tide back in the ballgame.

"Offensively, I pulled the guys together in the fourth inning and you could tell there was a lot of adrenaline, a lot of effort in our swings," Bohannon said. "I think we flied out 13 times today — whatever it was — and I think only two or three of them were competitive. That's something that we gotta get better at going forward."

The fifth inning would go by without a run for either side, but Housinger's second home run of the day — this time a two-run shot over the wall in right field — gave the Musketeers a 4-1 lead in the top of the sixth.

In the bottom of the ninth, Tamez lofted his second home run of the afternoon, bringing the score to 4-2. The next at-bat, third baseman Zane Denton doubled to right-center field, energizing the crowd as right fielder William Hamiter — who represented the tying run — approached the plate.

"I wasn't really that nervous," Tamez said about his Alabama debut. "I really feel comfortable here and it's a great environment. I got all the nerves out when I was a freshman."

If there were any members of the Right Field Ragers not already on their feet, Hamiter alleviated that issue with an RBI double that brought Denton across the plate, pulling the Crimson Tide within one run. With Caden Rose pinch-running for Hamiter on second, designated hitter Owen Diodati stepped up to the plate.

On the very first pitch of his at-bat, Diodati smashed a two-RBI walk-off home run into the Xavier bullpen in right-center field, sending the crowd at The Joe into a frenzy.

"I talked to our hitting coach, Hunter Morris, before the at-bat and he kinda just preached something that, to me, that I probably hadn't done as well as I should have the whole game which was just take a nice, easy swing," Diodati said. "Simplify, don't try to do too much and that was kind of my approach going up there.

"It's just about not trying to do too much and I think in those situations you try to do too much, so that was kind of my approach."

Video of tonight’s walk-off Diodati Dinger, with Eli Gold on the call:

pic.twitter.com/kDkQobCWua

— Joey Blackwell (@_JoeyBlackwell) February 19, 2022

And just like that, the Crimson Tide defeated the Musketeers, 5-4.

Diodati's home run was his only hit of the game. In total, Tamez was the only player on the game with multiple hits, both being home runs. Left fielder Tommy Seidl was the only other Alabama player that reached base twice, being walked in both the third and fifth innings.

In his first Division 1 start, McMillan performed well despite giving up four runs. Through 6.0 innings pitched, he allowed just four hits, walked two batters and struck out five of his 23 batters faced.

"G-Mac gave us a good start," Bohannon said. "He wasn't as sharp as he will be or as he has been, but certainly pitched good enough to win."

Guffey also impressed during his two innings on the mound, entering the game in the eighth inning and seeing it through to the end. In six batters faced, Guffey allowed no hits or runs, struck out three and walked none.

Xavier's Lane Flamm (0-1) was credited with the loss, while Guffey (1-0) of Alabama picked up his first win of the season.

Alabama will have a chance to improve to 2-0 against Xavier on Saturday (2 p.m. CT, SEC Network+).

Gallery: Alabama Baseball Opens the Season with 5-4 Win over Xavier