Alabama Wins 4-3 Marathon over Texas in 11 Innings to Cap Saturday Split in Austin

Saturday, March 11

Austin, Texas

12:30 p.m. CT

Alabama

19-5

Texas State

17-6

Texas State

Alabama

Alabama Wins 4-3 Marathon over Texas in 11 Innings to Cap Saturday Split in Austin

3/11/2023 11:59:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score vs. Texas State (PDF)Box Score vs. Texas (PDF)Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

Montana Fouts throws a career-high 11.0 innings, Kenleigh Cahalan gets the go-ahead RBI

AUSTIN, Texas – Alabama softball split a Saturday doubleheader in Austin, falling to Texas State in the afternoon before gutting out a marathon 4-3 win over No. 9 Texas in 11 innings in the nightcap.

In the first game of the day, Alabama (20-5) faced an early deficit after a Texas State (17-6) solo home run in the top of the second and the Bobcats plated another on a two-out fielding error in the third to lead 2-0. The Crimson Tide got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth to keep it a two-run game but Texas State added some insurance in the seventh with an RBI single to stretch the lead to 3-0. Ally Shipman led off the bottom of the seventh with a double, advanced to third on a fly out and came home on a sacrifice fly but a strikeout ended the game as Alabama fell, 3-1.

In the nightcap against Texas (21-3-1), the Tide got on the board immediately in the first inning on an RBI single from Shipman and tacked on two more in the second with a two-run single from Jenna Johnson. Texas got one back on a sac fly RBI in the third and took advantage of Alabama fielding errors in the fourth, scoring two unearned runs to tie it at 3-3. The two teams couldn't break the tie in regulation, playing all the way to the 11th with the same score before Kenleigh Cahalan came through with the big RBI, dropping a single into left to drive in Larissa Preuitt and put the Tide ahead 4-3. Texas got a runner into scoring position in the bottom half but a strikeout ended it as Alabama held on to win.

Montana Fouts (10-2) threw a career-high 11.0 innings and 162 pitches in the win over the Longhorns, striking out 14. She is now just seven away from becoming the fifth player in program history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts. Cahalan, Kristen White and Jenna Johnson each had two hits in the win, while Larissa Preuitt scored two runs including the go-ahead in the 11th.

Highlights

The extra-inning game was Alabama's second of the season, previously defeating UCF in eight innings on Feb. 18
The game was the Tide's longest since going 13 innings against Kentucky on April 28, 2019
The 11 innings pitched and 162 pitches are both career highs for Montana Fouts
With 14 strikeouts tonight, Fouts now has 993 for her career, just seven away from becoming the fifth Tide player to reach 1,000 career strikeouts

Scoring Summary vs. Texas State

T2 | Sara Vanderford gave the Bobcats the lead with a solo home run (0-1, 1 Out)
T3 | A two-out fielding error extended the inning and allowed an unearned run to score (0-2, 2 Out)
T7 | An RBI single added some insurance to the Bobcats' lead (0-3, 2 Out)
B7 | Ally Shipman came home on a sac fly RBI (1-3, 1 Out)

Scoring Summary vs. Texas

T1 | Ally Shipman pulled an RBI single through the left side, driving in Kenleigh Cahalan from second (1-0, 2 Out)
T2 | Jenna Johnson drove in a pair with a single up the middle (3-0, 1 Out)
B3 | A sac fly RBI to left field drove in a run for the Longhorns (3-1, 1 Out)
B4 | An errant throw on a forceout attempt allowed a Texas run to score (3-2, 1 Out)
B4 | A Texas runner at third scored on a ground ball to the right side (3-3, 1 Out)
T11 | Kenleigh Cahalan dropped a single into right, scoring Larissa Preuitt (4-3, 2 Out)

Up Next: at Bevo Classic (Austin, Texas)

Sunday, March 12 vs. Wisconsin – 9:30 a.m. CT

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