Crimson Tide Completes Weekend Sweep of Xavier with 9-4 Win on Sunday

Sunday, February 20

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

1 p.m.

Alabama

3-0

Xavier

0-3

Xavier

Alabama

Crimson Tide Completes Weekend Sweep of Xavier with 9-4 Win on Sunday

2/20/2022 5:55:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery Highlights SEC Network+ Recap Postgame Press Conference

Alabama applied consistent pressure on offense, scoring in five of the eight innings to secure the win

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball completed the series sweep of Xavier with a 9-4 win on Sunday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The season-opening series sweep was the Tide's fourth in five seasons under head coach Brad Bohannon.

The Crimson Tide grabbed the lead early on Sunday afternoon and never looked back. Alabama scored one run in the second before putting up a four-spot in the bottom of the third to put the game out of reach. The Tide then added one in the fifth, two in the seventh and one in the eighth, scoring in five of the eight frames on Sunday on the way to the win.

All nine starters reached base safely in the game with eight of the nine recording at least one hit. Seven of the Tide's nine starters contributed at least one run while six posted an RBI by day's end. Leading the offensive charge was Tommy Seidl. The Harvard transfer finished 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI, two runs and a walk. Jim Jarvis matched Seidl for the team-high in runs with two, part of his 2-for-4 showing that included an RBI. William Hamiter also contributed a multi-hit effort, going 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and adding one run.

Grayson Hitt (1-0) earned the win for Alabama in his first career weekend start. The sophomore tossed a career-high tying 4.0 scoreless innings while striking out a career-best six batters.

From Head Coach Brad Bohannon

"I'm really glad to get a series sweep over a very good Xavier team. We played progressively better over the course of the weekend, but to be able to win three games and make as many mistakes as we did, ones that we can learn from, is really a positive. Offensively today we had a lot of production up and down the lineup. There was a point in which we put together 10 consecutive quality at-bats and we scored in five of the eight innings. After we put the four-spot up in the third, we maintained our focus, didn't let our foot off the gas and ended up scoring in three of the next five innings after that. I thought that was a real positive sign of our maturity and mentality."

How It Happened

B2 | Drew Williamson worked a two-out walk with the bases loaded to give the Crimson Tide the early lead. (1-0, Alabama)
B3 | Zane Denton got the four-run rally started with a leadoff walk. William Hamiter followed with a double to right-center to put the pair in scoring position for Owen Diodati. Diodati then moved everyone up 90 feet with an RBI-single and advanced himself to second on the play thanks to a throwing error by Xavier. Jim Jarvis added one more with a sacrifice fly to score Hamiter and move Diodati to third, before Tommy Seidl brought across the Tide DH on a single to left. Following a walk to Caden Rose, Bryce Eblin capped the scoring with a single to plate Seidl. (5-0, Alabama)
B5 | Rose reached with a one-out single before a balk moved him into scoring position. After a walk and a single moved Rose to third, the sophomore came in to score on a Dominic Tamez sacrifice fly. (6-0, Alabama)
T6 | The Musketeers began the inning with a pair of singles. Both runners would come around to score later in the frame, one on an RBI-single and then eventually on a two-out double. (6-2, Alabama)
T7 | A one-out infield single followed by a double put a pair of Musketeers in scoring position. A fielder's choice then brought in the man from third to make it a three-run affair. (6-3, Alabama)
B7 | Seidl reached with a one-out single before Eblin's hit-by-pitch put two on for the Tide. After a groundout moved the runners into scoring position, both Seidl and Eblin came home on a grounder that snuck under the Xavier shortstop's glove. (8-3, Alabama)
T8 | Xavier reached a pair with two down before a double steal moved the runners into scoring position. A single in the next at-bat brought in one to narrow the gap. (8-4, Alabama)
B8 | Seidl roped an RBI-double down the left field line to plate Jarvis, who reached in the previous at-bat with a two-out single. (9-4, Alabama)

Postgame Notes

The Crimson Tide is now 37-3 under head coach Brad Bohannon in the month of February.
Alabama has recorded a sweep in the season-opening series four of the five seasons under Bohannon.
Grayson Hitt struck out a career-high six batters in his first career weekend start. Hitt's previous high for punchouts was four, which he had in his Alabama debut on Feb. 21 against McNeese.
Hitt tossed a career-long tying 4.0 innings. The sophomore also worked 4.0 frames against Samford on April 13 of last season.
All nine Alabama starters reached base safely on Sunday afternoon.
Eight of the Tide's nine starters recorded at least one hit in the series finale.
Alabama had seven of the nine starters contribute at least one run while six of the starters notched one-or-more RBI.
Pitchers Luke Holman, Brayden Gainey and Hunter Hoopes all made their Crimson Tide debuts in the series finale against Xavier.
ATTENDANCE: 3,154

Alabama will continue the current five-game homestand with a midweek matchup against Jacksonville State on Tuesday afternoon at The Joe. The in-state matchup is scheduled for a 3 p.m. CT first pitch on SEC Network+.

Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabmaBSB on Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook at Alabama Baseball. General athletic news can be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.