Alabama baseball’s back was against the wall early on Sunday against Ohio State in the Jacksonville College Baseball Classic.
The Crimson Tide trailed 10-0 in the fourth after the Buckeyes’ seven-run smackdown in the top half of the inning. It was Alabama’s first major roadblock of the season, entering the game undefeated in seven games.
The final cheers and celebratory emotes didn’t come from Ohio State’s side, though, it was from Alabama and its players. The team was happily screaming while rushing to the plate to meet first baseman Will Hodo, who just launched a walk-off three-run home run to beat the Buckeyes 12-10 and win the classic.
ROLL TIDE WILLIE.@will_hodo I #RollTide pic.twitter.com/Hdp1iSO8Zg
— Alabama Baseball (@AlabamaBSB) February 23, 2025
The Crimson Tide put together nine runs over the last three innings, including the home run, to remain undefeated. The Buckeyes didn’t score or record a hit after the fourth.
The rally started immediately after Ohio State’s seven-run downpour. Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron hit a three-run blast to right center to put Alabama on board and cut the deficit to seven. Lebron, a preseason second-team All-American, finished with a team-high six RBIs in the comeback win.
The scoring halted in the fifth and sixth innings, but resumed in the seventh. Centerfielder Richie Bonomolo Jr. singled to shortstop to score second baseman Brennen Norton, and then Lebron hit his second three-run home run, nearly identical to his first.
Déjà vu!@justinlebron15 I #RollTide pic.twitter.com/l4X6jLYKTW
— Alabama Baseball (@AlabamaBSB) February 23, 2025
The Crimson Tide made it 10-9 in the eighth from leftfielder Kade Snell’s double down the right field line that scored two.
In the ninth, Alabama ended the scoring exactly how it started it. The Crimson Tide’s fourth inning consisted of a groundout, two walks and three-run home run. The final inning began with a Lebron groundout and back-to-back walks.
Ohio State turned to righthander Nik Copenhaver to stop the bleeding, but it only worsened. Hodo, the first and only batter Copenhaver faced, blasted Alabama’s third home run of the afternoon on the fifth pitch of the at bat to right-center — the same spot as Lebron’s two homers.
The walk-off win moved the Crimson Tide to 8-0, while Ohio State fell to 1-5.
