TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama's first crack at hosting a regional came with plenty of theatrics on Friday. Like any great postseason baseball game, the Crimson Tide's matchup with Nicholls State featured solid starting pitching and a late barrage of offense by both teams kept the game close past the seventh inning.

The game stayed tied into the bottom of the ninth inning as Alabama's Jim Jarvis walked the game off with an RBI single to down Nicholls 4-3.

Here are a few takeaways from the Crimson Tide's first home regional game since 2006.

The team that scored 58 runs during the final 10 games of the season was limited to just four against the Colonels on Friday. Despite struggling to score runs through the first five innings, the Crimson Tide finally figured out Nicholls State's starter Jacob Mayers.

The Southland Pitcher of the Year used his 96 mph fastball and his 81 mph curveball to keep Alabama's hitters off balance. That lasted until the sixth inning as after a Drew Williamson RBI double tied the game, back-to-back walks loaded the bases for Ed Johnson with two outs in the inning. With a rare opportunity to break the game open, Johnson rolled over on a pitch as he grounded out to the second basemen.

"I was feeling amazing," Mayers said. " I mean we live for these moments to come out here and compete against teams like Alabama. It was a great opportunity to come out here and play and pitch against them. I thought I had everything working from the jump. I thought I could compete with anybody."

Alabama's missed opportunity would cost them in the next half inning as a solo home run by Wes Toups gave the Colonels the lead for the third time. However, the Crimson Tide got the last laugh in the bottom of the ninth as Jarvis poked a ball through the middle of the infield to win the game.

"I just tried to stay on the fastball like every at-bat," Jarvis said. "He threw the first one so I got a look at it. The main thing was to stay in rhythm, not let the moment speed me up and I got lucky."

Friday's game featured a battle of strengths, Alabama's bullpen versus Nicholls' offense. On paper, the Crimson Tide garnered a slight advantage recording the eighth-lowest team ERA in the country with a 3.98. While it was facing a Colonels offense that hit .288 and was ranked the No. 105 offense in the nation, it tallied five or more runs in five of its last nine games to end the season en route to a Southland Conference Tournament title.

Through the majority of Friday's game, Nicholls' bats dominated as solo home runs by MaCrae Kendrick and Wes Toups were the teams' 37th and 38th long balls of the season, a small number compared to Alabama's 103 home runs this season. Kendrick's solo home run in the second inning was the first one he's given up since the SEC Championship Tournament against Florida on May 24.

"We really felt like if we played well, we'd have an opportunity tonight and we did. It just didn't go our way," Nicholls' head coach Mike Silva said. "A couple of weeks ago we won in 14 innings on a ball that went up the middle kind of like that. It just it's part of baseball sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn't."

While the long ball was the first run of the ballgame, it also opened up the offense as the Colonels scored two runs against Alabama's ace Luke Holman. However, the sophomore didn't let the game get away from him, especially when the ball left the yard. Holman was still able to go six innings allowing just five hits while striking out five. After Holman's start, Alabama turned to its trusted bullpen where Kade Woods and Alton Davis II combined to allow one run on two hits in the final 2 1/3 innings.

Davis' 1 1/3 innings of perfection in relief proved to be crucial allowing just one walk and striking out the remaining three batters to set Jarvis up to win the game in the bottom of the third. For Alabama head coach Jason Jackson, he had no hesitation in going to the relief pitcher after he allowed three runs on three hits against the Gators in the SEC Championship Tournament.

"He's always been a guy to trust his stuff and pound the strike zone," Jackson said. "That's been him, but I think as he's had success that really helps with your confidence. It helps with your growth and he's gotten used to pitching in big moments and in front of great crowds."

Alabama will be back in action on Saturday when it faces Troy in its second game of the Tuscaloosa Regional. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN+.