Diodati knocks in four in Tide's walk-off win

Great Lake Canadians and Junior National Team alum Owen Diodati (Niagara Falls, Ont.) had two hits and four RBIs to help propel the Alabama Crimson Tide to a 10-9 walk-off win over Auburn on Saturday. Photo: University of Alabama Athletics

April 17, 2021

By Alex Thompson

University of Alabama Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – For a second game in the series, Alabama baseball walked off Auburn, this time to the tune of a 10-9 win on Saturday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

The victory clinched the series for the Crimson Tide and improved UA to 22-13 overall and 7-8 at the midway point of Southeastern Conference play.

The two teams traded runs and leads all night. The key moments came late, as Alabama put up three runs in the seventh to make it an 8-8 ballgame. Auburn proceeded to score one in the top of the eighth with Alabama answering with a run of its own in the home half. The game headed to the ninth with Chase Lee getting a huge inning-ending 6-4-3 double play in the top half to bring the Tide to the plate with a chance to win.

Alabama’s ninth began with a single from Drew Williamson. The Tide first baseman then moved to second on a perfect sacrifice bunt from Jackson Tate to bring Jim Jarvis to the plate. Jarvis played hero, doubling over the head of the Auburn left fielder to walk it off in favor of Alabama for the series-clinching win.

Williamson led the Tide in hits with a career-high tying four as part of a 4-for-5 showing that included a double and one run scored – the game-winning run. Owen Diodati (Niagara Falls, Ont.) paced Alabama in RBI with four to go with a 2-for-5 effort that included a home run and one run scored. Also homering on Saturday were Sam Praytor and William Hamiter, with each home run coming in that huge three-run seventh that tied things up at eight apiece.

Lee (5-0) earned the win with 2 2/3 innings of one-run baseball. The Tide closer allowed three hits and issued two walks while striking out three batters. Alabama was able to get to Lee thanks to another impressive effort out of Landon Green. Green picked up the hold thanks to 2 1/3 scoreless frames that included a pair of strikeouts.

From Head Coach Brad Bohannon

“Heck of a ballgame. Just both teams trading blows, going back and forth. All three of these games this weekend either team could have won. It could have been 3-0 or 0-3, either way. Huge credit to Auburn – they just kept their foot on the pedal. They scored first in all three games and just kind of kept us on our heels, but I’m really proud of our kids. They just kinda kept coming and kept responding.”

How It Happened

T1 | A two-out RBI-single got the Tigers on the board first. (1-0, Auburn)

B1 | Peyton Wilson led off the inning with a single to left center. A hit-by-pitch for Sam Praytor pushed Wilson to second before a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. With men at second and third, Owen Diodati singled through the right side to give UA the lead. (2-1, Alabama)

T2 | Auburn took the lead right back, scoring four runs thanks to two hits and a pair of walks. (5-2, Auburn)

B2 | Jackson Tate led off the inning with a single. The senior moved all the way to third on back-to-back wild pitches before an infield groundout from Jim Jarvis brought him across. (5-3, Auburn)

B3 | Zane Denton drew a one-out walk to give Alabama a baserunner. After another out, Diodati came to the plate and evened things up with a two-run home run to right-center. (5-5)

T4 | The Tigers regained the lead, notching a two-out single and double to plate three in the fourth. (8-5, Auburn)

B7 | Wilson led off the inning with a single and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. The extra base would not matter as William Hamiter cleared the bases with a homer, Hamiter’s second of the season. One out later, Praytor evened things up with a solo shot. (8-8)

T8 | The Tigers drew a leadoff walk. A double in the next at-bat brought in the go-ahead run. (9-8, Auburn)

B8 | Alabama matched once again. Jarvis led off the inning with a single before moving to second on a sac bunt from Caden Rose. Wilson took advantage of the man in scoring position, doubling to left-center to set things at nine apiece heading to the final frame. (9-9)

B9 | Drew Williamson led off the inning with a single for his career-high tying fourth hit of the day and moved into scoring position in the next at-bat thanks to a perfect sac bunt from Tate. Jarvis finished things off with a double to left to bring in the game-winning and series-clinching run. (10-9, Alabama)

Postgame Notes

-Connor Prielipp made his first appearance on the mound since Feb. 19 of this season.

-Chase Lee gave up his first run of the season. Lee had made 11 straight scoreless appearances in 2021 and 13 straight dating back to March 3 of last season.

-Lee’s streak of scoreless innings ended. Lee tossed 20 1/3 scoreless to start 2021 and 27.0 dating back to Feb. 29, 2020.

-The Tide closer picked up his team-high tying fifth win of the season in today’s game.

-Alabama homered three times in today’s game and finished with six on the weekend. The Tide has homered in 10 of 15 SEC pairings, totaling 24 home runs across those 10 matchups.

-The Tide is now 16-6 in games with a home run, including a 12-3 mark in games with two-plus homers.

-Alabama has recorded six home runs apiece in all three home SEC series this season.

-The offense also saw eight of the nine starters record at least one hit on the day. Five of those eight hitters posted multi-hit efforts.

-Alabama totalled 16 hits in today’s game. The 16 hits against an SEC opponent are the most in conference play since UA totaled 16 on May 4, 2018 against Mississippi State.

-The Crimson Tide has now totaled double-digit hits in 10 of the last 12 games.

-Eight of the nine starters notched at least one run scored.

-Owen Diodati matched his career-high total for RBI with four. Diodati had registered four on four previous occasions, most recently at Arkansas on March 19 of this season.

-Drew Williamson tied his career-high total for hits with four. Williamson had four only one time previously with those four hits coming against Auburn in the Capital City Classic on March 26, 2019.

-Sam Praytor has reached base safely in 12 straight games dating back to March 27.

The Crimson Tide will now welcome North Alabama to The Joe on Tuesday, April 20. The midweek matchup is set for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch with the game airing on SEC Network+.