Diodati homers, knocks in four for Tide in rout of No. 1 Arkansas

Great Lake Canadians and Junior National Team alum Owen Diodati (Niagara Falls, Ont.) belted a home run, scored three runs and knocked in four others to help the Alabama Crimson Tide to a 16-1 win over the No. 1 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks on Friday. Photo: Alabama Athletics (file photo)

March 19, 2021

By Alex Thompson

University of Alabama Athletics

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The 22nd-ranked Alabama baseball team used a 10-run second inning to come away with a dominant 16-1 win over No. 1 Arkansas on Friday night at Baum-Walker Stadium.

With the win, the Crimson Tide is now 15-3 on the season, including a 1-0 mark in Southeastern Conference play.

Alabama used eight hits, three walks and a hit-by-pitch to post 10 runs in the second inning – that 10-spot would prove to be all the Tide needed. Arkansas came back with one run in the home half of the second, but the Crimson Tide answered with one in the seventh, four in the eighth and one in the ninth to cruise to the 16-1 win.

The Crimson Tide saw seven of the nine starters record a hit to combine for 15 by night’s end, including a season-high four home runs. The homers came from Owen Diodati (Niagara Falls, Ont.), Andrew Pinckney, Caden Rose and Jackson Tate.

Diodati led the UA offence with four RBIs while tying for the team-high mark in runs with three. Pinckney matched Diodati’s run total while pacing Alabama in hits with a 3-for-5 evening that also included two RBI.

On the mound, Tyler Ras (3-1) picked up his first career SEC win and third win of the 2021 season. The Tide starter tossed six frames, allowing one run on six hits and two walks with a career-high tying six strikeouts. Ras was followed by fellow junior Connor Shamblin. Shamblin worked three innings of scoreless baseball, striking out four on his way to his first career save.

From Head Coach Brad Bohannon

“Arkansas helped us early, and to our kids’ credit they did a great job of taking advantage of the mistakes that (Arkansas) made. I’ve talked some times this year about how we haven’t been incredibly efficient offensively, but tonight we were. We got some big hits – Drew (Williamson) hit the ball off the centre field wall; (Owen) Diodati hit the big home run. (Tyler) Ras gave us a good start. I thought Connor Shamblin was electric for two of his three innings. It was a great effort all around. We had seven freshmen in the lineup tonight, and I didn’t know how they’d respond coming to Baum Stadium – which is a really tough place to play – and playing a great team. We were loose and aggressive. It felt good at practice last night, it felt good in the dugout before the game, and if we can continue to play with that mentality, we have a chance to have a good season.”

How It Happened

T2 | Alabama erupted for 10 runs on eight hits, three walks and a hit-by-pitch to put the game out of reach early. Owen Diodati began the frame with a walk and was followed by an Andrew Pinckney single. Jim Jarvis brought in Diodati in the next at-bat with a single to left, placing runners at the corners. A wild pitch moved Jarvis into scoring position before a hit-by-pitch loaded them up. With nowhere to put them, Peyton Wilson and William Hamiter drew consecutive bases-loaded walks for two more runs. A ground out then brought another run in with Drew Williamson clearing the bases in the next at-bat thanks to a two-RBI double. Zane Denton then singled in Williamson before Denton came in himself on a Diodati home run. A single from Pinckney gave the Tide one more baserunner with Pinckney coming around one batter later when an infield single resulted in an errant throw past the first baseman and crossed the final run. (10-0, Alabama)

B2 | A solo home run from Christian Franklin got the Razorbacks on the board. (10-1, Alabama)

T7 | Caden Rose sent a line drive homer over the wall in left-center for a solo shot. (11-1, Alabama)

T8 | Williamson drew a two-out walk. A Denton double put two in scoring position for Diodati, with the sophomore bringing both runs home on a single to right. A passed ball moved Diodati into scoring position, but the extra base would not matter as Pinckney homered to right to add a pair. (15-1, Alabama)

T9 | Jackson Tate sent a solo shot over the wall in right-center for the game’s final run. (15-1, Alabama)

Postgame Notes

-Tyler Ras matched his career-high total for innings with six in tonight’s game. Ras had tossed six frames on two previous occasions prior to tonight, most recently on March 5 at the College of Charleston.

-Ras’ six strikeouts tied his career high. The junior also punched out six in that March 5 start.

-The 83 pitches by Ras were his most in any outing for his career. Ras had made 25 previous appearances, including 16 starts, and had maxed out at 77 pitches in the Charleston start.

-Connor Shamblin earned his first career save. The junior had gone 21 previous appearances without a save to begin his UA career.

-Alabama won tonight’s game by a 15-run margin. That differential is the highest in a Crimson Tide win against an SEC opponent since UA defeated Auburn on April 18, 2004, by a score of 19-0.

-The Crimson Tide’s 16 runs are the second-most runs scored by Alabama against a top-ranked opponent. The highest run total for UA is 28, which UA scored against LSU on May 10, 1997.

-UA scored 16 runs on the night. The 16 runs are the most by the Tide in an SEC game since March 21, 2014, when the offence posted 17 runs in a 17-9 win at Arkansas.

-Alabama scored 10 runs in the top of the second. The 10 runs were the most by a Tide offence in any single inning of a league game since at least 2001.

-The 10 runs in the second tie for the most by the Crimson Tide in a single inning this season. Alabama also posted 10 runs in the third inning against at the College of Charleston on March 7.

-The Tide tallied eight hits in the second to tie the season-high total for hits in an inning. UA also had eight hits in the third inning of the game with Troy on March 3.

-Alabama had 15 hits in tonight’s game. The 15 hits are the most by a Tide offence against an SEC opponent since UA had 17 at Auburn on May 7, 2017.

-The Crimson Tide totalled a season-high four home runs in the game. Those four homers are the most in a single game since UA had four against South Alabama on March 3 of last season.

-Alabama’s four home runs in an SEC game are the most by a UA offense against a league foe since at least 2014.

-All nine starters had at least one RBI in the game.

-Eight of the nine starters recorded at least one run with five of those eight totalling two or more runs.

-All nine Alabama starters reached base safely.

-Jim Jarvis got aboard in tonight’s game and has now reached base safely in 16 straight games dating back to Feb. 21.

-Andrew Pinckney recorded his first collegiate home run.

The Crimson Tide and Razorbacks return to the diamond on Saturday for a 6:30 p.m. C.T. first pitch once again. Alabama sends right-hander Dylan Smith to the mound while Arkansas counters with Zebulon Vermillion, also a righty.