Alabama
Missouri
Alabama Falls to Missouri Thursday at 2022 SEC Softball Tournament
5/12/2022 6:30:00 PM | Softball
The Crimson Tide awaits Sunday’s NCAA Tournament selection show
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Alabama softball fell in its opening game at the 2022 SEC Softball Tournament Thursday afternoon, dropping a 3-0 decision to Missouri.
It is Alabama's (41-11) first opening-round loss at the SEC Softball Tournament since 1999 and just its third opening-round loss overall. The two teams were scoreless until Missouri (35-19) broke through with three runs in the sixth. The Crimson Tide offense couldn't break through, leaving each of its five hits on base in the shutout loss. Ashley Prange went 2-for-3 at the leadoff spot, her 11th multi-hit game of the season. Montana Fouts (22-6) went the distance in the complete game loss, with only one of her three runs going as earned, with five strikeouts.
The two teams combined for seven hits over five scoreless innings to start the game until a single, intentional walk and error loaded the bases for Missouri with nobody out in the top of the sixth. A deep fly ball to center allowed the first run to score on a sacrifice fly before a two-out single and another fielding error added a pair of unearned runs to make it 3-0 Tigers. Alabama got a runner on in the sixth but could not score and went down in order in the seventh to end the game.
From Head Coach Patrick Murphy
"I just wanted to say thanks to everybody at Florida for hosting. I know this is a bear of a time especially when they hosted this weekend on Friday and Saturday. So I know it stretches a staff then but I want to give a shout out to Will Kraus and the game day ops. He did a great job this week and of course everybody at the SEC.
"We had ball four like three times I think and we swung at it and either struck out or popped up. Then we had a lot of first pitch pop ups that just didn't go anywhere. So obviously her (Lauren Krings) ball was moving and you know it was an old-fashioned pitcher's duel for five innings. Then they got the double and then I think two mistakes in that inning by us, but you can't give a good hitting team like Missouri extra outs because they're going to take advantage of it obviously. We just didn't hit enough."
Highlights
- Alabama is now 44-27 all-time at SEC Tournament
- The loss was the Tide's first opening-round loss at the SEC Tournament since 1999
- Thursday marked the first meeting in the SEC Tournament between Alabama and Missouri, with the Tide now having faced every team at least once
- Ashley Prange went 2-for-3 for her 11th multi-hit game of the season
- Bailey Dowling's hit streak ended at a career-best six games
Scoring Summary
- T6 | A fly ball to center with the bases loaded drove in a run on a sac fly RBI (0-1, 0 Out)
- T6 | An RBI single tacked on an unearned run (0-2, 2 Out)
- T6 | A fielding error allowed a run to score (0-3, 2 Out)
Up Next: NCAA Tournament (TBA)
- NCAA Selection Show – Sunday, May 15 – 6 p.m. CT – ESPN2
- NCAA Regionals – Thursday, May 19-Sunday, May 22
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.
