Alabama
McNeese State
McNeese Upsets Alabama on Final Day of Bama Bash
2/23/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 23, 2014
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Ninth-ranked Alabama was denied a perfect weekend at the Easton Bama Bash, as McNeese upset the Crimson Tide, 5-3, in the tournament finale.
The loss is Alabama's (12-2) first non-SEC loss at Rhoads Stadium since April 17, 2012 when the Tide fell to Georgia State, 5-1. McNeese (9-7) made the most opportunities, scoring five runs off seven hits while Alabama scored three off nine hits and left 11 runners on base. Kaila Hunt was the Tide's leader on offense, going 3-4, including her 49th career home run. Jaclyn Traina (3-2) suffers her second loss of the season, throwing 6.0 innings while surrendering five runs, four earned, off seven hits. Jamie Allred (6-3) earns the win in the circle for the Cowgirls, going this distance with 141 pitches thrown.
McNeese got on the board first in the top of the second thanks to an RBI double and a passed ball with a runner on third as the Cowgirls pulled ahead 2-0. Alabama cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the second with a long solo homer by Leona Lafaele. The Cowgirls added another pair of runs in the top of the fourth and Alabama chipped away at the lead in the bottom of the fifth off a solo homer by Hunt.
Leading 4-2 in the top of the sixth, McNeese added some insurance with an RBI double to make it 5-2. With two on and one out, Danielle Richard drove in the lead runner off an RBI double but the trail runner was tagged out at third. With the potential tying run at the plate, Allred struck her out swinging as McNeese took the 5-3 victory.
The Crimson Tide makes a quick turnaround with a midweek road game on Tuesday, Feb. 25 as they travel to Birmingham, Ala., to face UAB (3-7) at 6 p.m. CT.
2014 EASTON BAMA BASH ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Kylie McGoldrick - IF - Virginia Tech
Vanessa Gonzalez - OF - Virginia Tech
Brittany Solis - IF - UCF
Mackenzie Audas - P - UCF
Lauren Langner - OF - McNeese
Ashley Modzelewski - C - McNeese
Kaila Hunt - IF - Alabama
Kallie Case - OF - Alabama
Leslie Jury - P - Alabama
