Alabama
#11 Kentucky
Alabama Softball Falls in Close 3-2 Decision to Kentucky
4/22/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Fourth-ranked Alabama softball dropped its series opener to 11th-ranked Kentucky Friday night at Rhoads Stadium, as the Wildcats edged out the Crimson Tide, 3-2, and held off a seventh-inning rally stranding the bases loaded.
"I think just another hit or two at any point in the game could have made the difference," head coach Patrick Murphy said. "We hit the ball hard, they just made every play on defense. We did a lot of things right but we just didn't win the game. It was a well-played game. Kentucky is a great team."
Alabama (39-9, 10-6 SEC) fell behind early to Kentucky (39-9, 14-5 SEC) before rallying back to tie it in the fourth inning. The Wildcats moved ahead by one on an RBI double in the fifth inning, which ultimately proved final as the Tide failed to capitalize on a bases-loaded opportunity in the bottom of the seventh. Reagan Dykes accounted for the entire run output for the Tide, blasting a two-run home run in the fourth inning, her team-leading 10th long ball of the season. Haylie McCleney went 1-3 with a walk, tying Cassie Reilly-Boccia's career record at Alabama with 180 walks.
Sydney Littlejohn (18-4) pitched 5.0 innings in the loss while Alexis Osorio threw 2.0 perfect innings behind her, holding the Wildcats off the base paths and throwing four strikeouts over her seven batters faced. Kelsey Nunley (18-4) earned the win in the start, lasting 6.2 innings before Meagan Prince entered in the bottom of the seventh to secure the final out for her second save of the season.
The two teams cruised through the opening two innings before Kentucky pushed the first runs across on a two-run home run by Nikki Sagermann in the top of the third. Dykes responded with a two-run homer of her own in the bottom of the fourth, tying the game at 2-2. With one out in the top of the fifth, a fielding error put the go-ahead run on base and, following a single and a strikeout, an RBI double by Katie Reed that fell just past the outstretched glove of a running Chandler Dare plated the run to give Kentucky a 3-2 lead.
Trailing by one in the bottom of the seventh with two outs, Peyton Grantham drew a walk and Kallie Case followed with a hard-hit single to second. Both runners were able to advance into scoring position on a throwing error on the play, putting the potential go-ahead run at second before McCleney drew a walk to load the bases. A groundout to second ended the game as Kentucky held on to claim the one-run lead.
The series continues tomorrow, with game two set for a 5 p.m. CT start live on the SEC Network.
