Diodati goes deep in Ontario Black's win over Alberta
Ontario Black catcher Owen Diodati (player on far right), who has honed his skills with the Great Lake Canadians, celebrates with his teammates after belting a two-run home run in the fifth inning of his club’s 6-1 win over Alberta at T12 on Thursday. It was the first home run of the tournament. Photo Credit: Nikolas Marsiglio
By Anthony Amador
Canadian Baseball Network
TORONTO—Owen Diodati hit the first home run of the T12 tournament to secure a 6-1 win for team Ontario Black over the Alberta Reds Thursday at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
Diodati’s two-run shot in the fifth inning cleared the wall in right field to give Ontario Black some insurance on their late lead. It was his first home run not only in the tournament, but in a stadium like the Rogers Centre.
“I’ve put one out before, but only in practice. It felt pretty good,” said Diodati after the game. “My game is based around power, I’m expected to hit doubles or home runs when it comes to games.”
Every batter in the tournament starts with a 1-1 count. This puts offensive-minded players like Diodati in a swing-first mindset at the plate.
“It makes you be more aggressive at bat, that’s for sure,” Diodati added. “If you go down 1-2, you’re basically in the pitcher’s hand right now. It’s good for this tournament because if he throws you a nice deuce, you’ll be able to connect. You just need to be aggressive for this tournament.”
Diodati wants everyone to know that this isn’t the only place he will shine.
“I want to be a professional, but not just any professional. I want to be the best on the field,” said Diodati, while smiling.
There is plenty of other star power on this Ontario Black team, as starting pitcher Hayden Pilmer took the mound. The hard-throwing righty had a no-hitter going through three innings, while walking three batters and striking out a total of four.
Team Alberta Red fell behind early when starting pitcher Branden Woods struggled with control in the first inning, throwing two wild pitches that got Ontario Black on the board for a 2-0 lead.
Woods went three innings, allowing three runs off of two hits, while walking five and striking out two. He was later replaced by Andrew Yusypchuk.
The two teams continue their round robin play this weekend. Ontario Black takes on Ontario Green on Friday at 5:30 p.m. ET. Alberta Red plays their next game against BC Orange, Friday at 8:00 p.m. E.T.