Live Updates: Alabama Baseball Opens Season Against Xavier
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Once again, Sewell-Thomas Stadium is lively, and as outfielder William Hamiter put it, it is time to play a team with a different colored jersey. Alabama baseball will face Xavier in game one of the season opening series, and first pitch is set for 3 p.m. CT.
The Crimson Tide is in the home white jerseys with Alabama displayed across the chest in Crimson lettering, and the right field student section has begun to fill up in anticipation.
Senior first baseman Drew Williamson is slated as the leadoff hitter, as he started throughout the season for Alabama in 2021.
Stay tuned for live stats, updates and analysis as the Crimson Tide take on the Musketeers.
Brock Guffey gets the win on the mound for Alabama, and Owen Diodati is once again the Alabama hero. The Crimson Tide is 1-0.
Bottom 9
- Diodati sees one pitch, and he drives it into the Xavier bullpen. Alabama walks off with a 5-4 win to open the season.
- Hamiter comes through, dropping a double into left center. Denton scores and the Xavier lead is just 4-3.
- Denton ropes a double into the right center field gap, and he strikes the Crimson crane pose on second base. Everyone in the right field student section is on their feet.
- Tamez strikes again with a long fly ball over the wall in left. Two home runs in his Alabama debut. Alabama cuts the Xavier lead to 4-2 with still no outs.
- Last chance for Alabama begins with Tamez at the plate. Xavier's closer Lane Flamm is on the mound.
Top 9
Mid 9th: Xavier 4, Alabama 1
Guffey: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 K on 17 pitches
- Guffey sits the Xavier 9th down in order with help from his defense on two groundouts.
Bottom 8
End 8: Xavier 4, Alabama 1
- Alabama makes solid contact three times, just right at the Xavier defenders. The Alabama eighth is retired in order.
Top 8
Mid 8th: Xavier 4, Alabama 1
- Jarvis with a web jam on a backhanded ground ball retires the side. Guffey struck out the first two hitters on just eight pitches.
- Guffey strikes out the first batter looking on just three pitches.
- For Alabama, LHP Brock Guffey relieves McNairy after just one inning.
Final line on McNairy: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K on 17 pitches
Bottom 7
End 7: Xavier 4, Alabama 1
- Eblin strikes out looking, and Alabama has just six outs left to come back in the game.
- Diodati whiffs on a high heater for the first out, and Pinckney rolls a ground out to second.
Top 7
Mid 7th: Xavier 4, Alabama 1
- McNairy gets two vital swinging strikeouts, and Alabama escapes the seventh with no damage done.
- Cushing steals second for Xavier, and Rivero singles up the middle. Runners at the corners, though, because Cushing did not test the arm of Pinckney in center.
- Eblin commits an error on a dropped ball in fair territory down the right field line. Alabama has now allowed the leadoff hitter aboard four times in seven innings.
- McNairy is on the mound to start the seventh for his first outing of the year.
Bottom 6
End 6th: Xavier 4, Alabama 1
- Fly outs from Tamez and Denton and a swinging strikeout from Hamiter retires Alabama in order.
- RHP Luke Bell takes over on the mound for Xavier.
Top 6
Mid 6th: Xavier 4, Alabama 1
McMillan: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K on 78 pitches
- McMillan retires the side with another strikeout followed by a pop out to Jarvis. His day is likely done as he battled to get through the sixth.
- Like he did in the first inning, McMillan strikes out the next batter after giving up a home run.
- Jack Housinger puts a fly ball into the Alabama student section for a two-run homer. Xavier extends its lead to 4-1.
- Franzoni stings a ground ball down the third baseline for a leadoff single. Jacob McNairy gets up and moving in the Alabama bullpen following the hit.
Bottom 5
End 5th: Xavier 2, Alabama 1
Olson: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 K on 73 pitches
- Williamson is called out on strikes, and the Alabama threat in the fifth is over.
- Eblin grounds to first for an out, but Pinckney advances to second. Seidl earns his second walk, and Alabama has multiple runners on base for the first time today.
- Pinckney reaches base for the second time today on a leadoff walk.
Top 5
Mid 5th: Xavier 2, Alabama 1
McMillan: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 K on 59 pitches
- A groundout to Jarvis and a bouncer back to McMillan gives Alabama its second straight inning retiring the side in order.
- McMillan gets his third strikeout of the game as the hitter swings through a breaking ball for out number one.
Bottom 4
End 4th: Xavier 2, Alabama 1
- An impressive double play is turned by Xavier to end the fourth.
- Hamiter hustles for an infield single on a ground ball that was fielded deep by the first baseman.
- Tamez gives Alabama its first run of the year with a line drive home run over the left field wall. It is Tamez's first hit in an Alabama uniform. Xavier 2, Alabama 1.
Top 4
Mid 4th: Xavier 2, Alabama 0
- A fly out t center, McMillan's second strikeout of the game, and a pop out to Tamez gives Alabama a 1-2-3 inning.
Stats through three innings:
Bottom 3
End 3rd: Xavier 2, Alabama 0
- Eight of Alabama's nine outs have been fly outs.
- Following two fly outs, Seidl is thrown out trying to steal second on a ball in the dirt to end the third.
- Seidl earns a leadoff walk in his first at-bat.
Top 3
Mid 3rd: Xavier 2, Alabama 0
- A fly ball to Hamiter ends the Xavier third.
- A ball struck to right center hits off Hamiter's glove, and Xavier plates another run on a double. The batter advances to third on a wild throw from Eblin on the cut off.
- McMillan issues a two-out walk.
- Hamiter takes a long run to right center to track down the first out.
Bottom 2
End 2nd: Xavier 1, Alabama 0
- Eblin slices an inside pitch to left that is tracked down to retire the side. Every Alabama out so far has been in the air.
- Pinckney ropes a ball down the left field line for a two-out double and Alabama's first hit of the year.
Top 2
Mid 2nd: Xavier 1, Alabama 0
McMillan: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 K on 22 pitches
- A line drive is snared by Williamson at first, and he calmly steps on the bag to retire the side.
- Seidl tracks down a fly ball on the warning track for his first putout as a member of the Crimson Tide.
- McMillan issues a leadoff walk.
Bottom 1
End 1st: Xavier 1, Alabama 0
- Alabama is retired in order on a fly out from Williamson and pop-outs from Tamez and Denton. Xavier's Trevor Olson is getting the Crimson Tide under the baseball early.
Top 1
Mid 1st: Xavier 1, Alabama 0
- McMillan bounces back to retire the next three batters, including his first strikeout for the Crimson Tide.
- McMillan gives up a home run to Luke Franzoni on the first pitch of the season. Xavier takes a 1-0 lead as the ball landed in the Alabama bullpen in left center.
- Alabama has taken the field to the song The Boys are Back in Town.
Pregame
- The national anthem has been sung, and we are under ten minutes away from the 2022 Crimson Tide baseball season.
- Check out the Crimson Tide's starting lineup for opening day at the bottom of the page.
Alabama Baseball Starting Lineup:
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