Alabama Softball Falls in Series Finale to Kentucky Sunday

Sunday, March 20

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

1:30 p.m. CT

Alabama

24-4, 3-3

Kentucky

20-5, 1-2

Kentucky

Alabama

Alabama Softball Falls in Series Finale to Kentucky Sunday

3/20/2022 5:21:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery

The Crimson Tide had a 3-1 lead before allowing eight unanswered runs

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama softball fell in Sunday's series finale to Kentucky, 9-4.

Alabama (24-4, 3-3 SEC) trailed after a second-inning solo home run from Kentucky (20-5, 1-2 SEC) but responded right back in the bottom half of the inning with three runs, including a homer from Bailey Dowling. The Wildcats quickly moved back ahead with four in the top of the third and went on to score four more unanswered runs to build a 9-3 lead. The Crimson Tide's first two batters got on base in the bottom of the seventh and Kali Heivilin drove one in with an RBI groundout but a pair of groundouts ended the inning and the game at 9-4.

Dowling's solo homer was her fourth long ball of the season, one shy of the team lead. Ashley Prange hit a second-inning RBI double to extend her hitting streak to five games and give her a 4-for-7 line for the weekend including two doubles, a triple and a home run. Montana Fouts (13-1) took her first loss of the season but also tallied her 700th career strikeout, becoming the sixth pitcher in program history to hit the mark.

From Head Coach Patrick Murphy

"First off, I just want to say that we absolutely need a safety base in college softball. The collision that happened today could have been way worse for both sides. We've had some season-ending injuries because of collisions at first base and could have had two more today. In softball, the bases are 60 feet apart and these athletes are incredible, fast and powerful. There is no reason why we shouldn't have a safety base at first. International play has it, high schools have it, we should have it.

"Anytime you go into the third game after winning the first two, you know the other team is doing everything humanly possible to win that game. I know their coaching staff and their players are very competitive. You have to match that intensity. We had a lead and then just didn't make enough good pitches and plays. Credit to Kentucky, they scored in every single inning after that and we just couldn't find a way to stop them today."

Highlights

Alabama is now 54-11 all-time vs. Kentucky, including a 27-6 mark in Tuscaloosa, and today's loss snapped a five-game win streak for the Tide in the series
Today's game was just the fifth time the opponent scored first and was the first time Alabama lost when the opponent scores first
Ashley Prange is now on a five-game hit streak, going 7-for-14 with five runs scored and four RBIs over that stretch
Montana Fouts earned her 700th strikeout to end the second inning, becoming the sixth player in program history to hit the mark

Scoring Summary

T2 | Miranda Stoddard hit a solo home run (0-1, 1 Out)
B2 | Bailey Dowling answered back in the bottom half with a solo home run to tie it (1-1, 0 Out)
B2 | Kat Grill scored from second on a throwing error (2-1,1 Out)
B2 | Ashley Prange drove in Dallis Goodnight with an RBI double (3-1, 2 Out)
T3 | Kentucky tied it up with a ground-rule double with the bases loaded (3-3, 1 Out)
T3 | The Wildcats tacked on two more with a single up the middle (3-5, 1 Out)
T4 | Kayla Kowalik bounced an RBI double off the warning track in center (3-6, 1 Out)
T5 | An Emma Blane RBI single added to Kentucky's lead (3-7, 2 Out)
T5 | A fielding error extended the inning as a run scored (3-8, 2 Out)
T6 | Tatum Spangler pulled an RBI single through the right side (3-9, 2 Out)

Up Next: at UAB (Birmingham, Ala.)

Wednesday, March 23 – 6 p.m. CT

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.