Alabama
#11 Tennessee
Softball Evens Series With 3-1 Win Over Tennessee
4/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama overcame an early one run deficit, scoring three unanswered runs to defeat Tennessee, 3-1, Friday night and even the weekend series at 1-1.
Alabama (37-11, 13-7 SEC) fell behind early on a second inning solo homer by Tennessee (36-12, 12-8 SEC) but a pair of runs in the fourth and some insurance in the sixth was all the Crimson Tide needed to come away with a narrow victory. Danielle Richard went 2-3 batting ninth, including an RBI single to score Alabama's first run of the game in the fourth inning. Demi Turner tallied the lone other RBI for the Tide with a groundout in the fourth as the third run scored on a sixth-inning wild pitch. Leslie Jury (9-3) limited the Lady Vols to just one run and stranded nine baserunners, throwing 6.2 innings for the win as Sydney Littlejohn entered in the bottom of the seventh to secure the final out and earn the five-pitch save, her first of the season.
Tennessee (36-12, 12-8 SEC) stranded a total of 11 runners on base, seven of which were in scoring position. Taylor Koenig went 2-3, scoring the lone run of the day for the Lady Vols on the solo home run. Starter Cheyanne Tarango (4-3) went the distance in the loss, allowing three earned runs on six hits and seven walks.
Koenig put Tennessee on the board in the top of the second, launching a leadoff solo homer to left field. Alabama would go scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, as a Chaunsey Bell sacrifice bunt moved two into scoring position to set up Richard for an RBI single through the left side to tie the game at 1-1 and put runners at the corners with one out. A grounder to the right side by Turner allowed Leona Lafaele to score from third as Tennessee could not turn the double play to end the inning, giving Alabama a 2-1 lead with a runner at second and two outs. A popup stranded the runner at second but Alabama was now on top, 2-1, heading to the fifth inning.
Alabama held onto its lead and added a little breathing room in the bottom of the sixth, scoring one run on a wild pitch on the first pitch of an intentional walk attempt to make it 3-1 heading to the seventh inning. In the top of the seventh, a pair of base hits quickly brought the potential go-ahead run to the plate for Tennessee with nobody out. A groundout moved both runners into scoring position but another groundout to the left side forced them to hold up, bringing the Lady Vols down to their final out. Alabama made a pitching change to secure the final out as Littlejohn entered in the save situation with two on and two out, leading 3-1. Littejohn threw five pitches to force a groundout to secure the 3-1 win and even the series at 1-1.
The series finale is set for a 2 p.m. CT start on Saturday, April 25.
