Alabama Evens Weekend Series with 10-2 Run Rule Victory over Arkansas

Saturday, March 7

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

2 p.m. CT

Alabama

13-8, 1-1

Arkansas

17-5, 1-1

Arkansas

Alabama

Photo by: Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

Alabama Evens Weekend Series with 10-2 Run Rule Victory over Arkansas

3/7/2020 5:52:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The series rubber match is set for a 1:30 p.m. CT start on Sunday, March 8

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama softball evened its weekend series with Arkansas with a decisive 10-2 run rule victory Saturday afternoon at Rhoads Stadium.

After being shut out in Friday's series opener, the Alabama (13-8, 1-1 SEC) offense came out in full force in game two against Arkansas (17-5, 1-1 SEC), scoring 10 runs on 12 hits to end the game in six innings. Every batter in the Crimson Tide lineup reached base safely at least once, including multi-hit games from senior Alexis Mack, juniors KB Sides and Maddie Morgan and freshman Jenna Johnson. Morgan and Johnson combined for four of the team's seven RBIs, with Johnson's second of the day coming on a solo home run, the first long ball of her career. Celebrating her senior day, Mack went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, her third three-hit game of the season. In the circle, freshman Lexi Kilfoyl (5-4) went the distance with two runs allowed on four hits with six strikeouts.

From Head Coach Patrick Murphy

"It starts at the top. Mack was on three times, KB had three runs. We put the ball in play and made things happen. You can feel a defense get tense when our speed kids come up because they know if you bobble a ball, our kid is going to be safe. Especially one like Mack. Everyone in the park knows she is going to bunt and she still is going to beat it out.

"I wanted to take a little pressure off of her (Mack) on her senior day. She worried about possibly being out of the box. As the leadoff and her senior day I wanted her to take it easy and I think moving her to second in the lineup helped."

Karla Hice caps the run-rule victory in the 6th inning#Team24 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/YikXPHR6Cb
— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) March 7, 2020

Highlights

The win marked Alabama's eighth run-rule victory of the season, six of which have come at home. It was the Tide's second such victory over a ranked team, previously defeating then-No. 1 Washington, 8-0, in five innings on Feb. 13
The three-hit performance was Mack's third of the season, which leads the team and gives her seven multi-hit games
Every senior has had a multi-hit performance on their senior day so far, as Mack joins Taylor Clark and Bailey Hemphill who each had two hits on their senior days
Saturday's game was Morgan's fifth game this season with at least two RBIs, which is tied with Sides for the team lead
Johnson's home run was the first of her career and makes her the eighth Alabama player this season to hit a home run
Kilfoyl finished the day with six strikeouts, one off her season high and her seventh game with five or more Ks

pic.twitter.com/VTgXBgnmHy
— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) March 7, 2020

Scoring Summary

T1st | An RBI double from Danielle Gibson gave Arkansas the first lead of the game (Alabama 0, Arkansas 1)
T1st | A sacrifice fly to right field doubled the Razorbacks' lead (Alabama 0, Arkansas 2)
B1st | After a bunt single, Mack was caught between first and second in a rundown but that allowed sophomore Skylar Wallace to come home and score on the play (Alabama 1, Arkansas 2)
B1st | After Sides advanced to second on a wild pitch with two out, Morgan dropped a single into shallow left to drive her in and tie the game (Alabama 2, Arkansas 2)
B3rd | With the bases loaded and nobody out, Morgan drew a walk to move everyone up 60 feet and give the Tide the lead (Alabama 3, Arkansas 2)
B3rd | A deep fly ball to right from freshman Savannah Woodard allowed Sides to tag up and score from third on the sacrifice fly (Alabama 4, Arkansas 2)
B3rd | A bloop hit into shallow right fell in front of a sliding right fielder, going as an RBI double for Johnson (Alabama 5, Arkansas 2)
B6th | Johnson led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run to left field (Alabama 6, Arkansas 2)
B6th | An errant throw after a bunt single by Mack allowed freshman Abby Doerr to score from second (Alabama 7, Arkansas 2)
B6th | After moving to third on a passed ball, Mack came home on an RBI single from Sides (Alabama 8, Arkansas 2)
B6th | A failed force out attempt at second allowed Sides to hustle home and score (Alabama 9, Arkansas 2)
B6th | Freshman Karla Hice stepped in to pinch hit and poked one into shallow right to drive in the game-ending run (Alabama 10, Arkansas 2)

Up Next

The series rubber match is set for a 1:30 p.m. CT first pitch on Sunday, March 8 at Rhoads Stadium

For the latest information on the team, follow @AlabamaSB on Twitter, BamaSB on Instagram and Alabama Softball on Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.