Alabama Holds Off Seventh-Inning Rally to Defeat Georgia, 5-4, Sunday in Athens

Sunday, March 17

Athens, Ga.

11 a.m. CT

Alabama

22-5, 2-4

Georgia

23-4, 2-1

Alabama

Georgia

Alabama Holds Off Seventh-Inning Rally to Defeat Georgia, 5-4, Sunday in Athens

3/17/2024 2:35:00 PM | Softball

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Kayla Beaver strikes out the final batter with the bases loaded to win the game

ATHENS, Ga. – Looking to avoid a series sweep Sunday afternoon in Athens, Alabama held off a seventh-inning Georgia rally to win game three, 5-4, as a strikeout stranded the bases loaded and the potential winning run in scoring position.

Alabama (22-5, 2-4 SEC) fell behind after an RBI double from Lyndi Rae Davis put Georgia (23-4, 2-1 SEC) up 1-0 in the third but the Crimson Tide quickly tied it back up with a solo home run from Jenna Johnson to lead off the top of the fourth. A base hit and back-to-back walks loaded the bases for the Tide before a sac fly, RBI double and two-run single quickly put four more runs on the board, making it a 5-1 ballgame before a groundout ended the frame.

The Bulldogs got the first two batters on base in the bottom of the fifth with the top of the order due up, but a 6-4-3 double play quickly put two outs on the board with the lead runner now at third. A throwing error on the next at-bat extended the inning as the unearned run came home, making it 5-2, and Georgia got another run back with a sixth-inning RBI double to make it 5-3.

It remained a two-run game in the bottom of the seventh and the first two Bulldog batters reached safely to quickly bring the potential winning run to the plate. Later with runners at the corners and two outs, a passed ball plated the runner from third to make it 5-4 and back-to-back walks loaded the bases, moving the tying run 60 feet away and the potential winning run in scoring position. The batter drew a 3-0 count before taking back-to-back strikes to bring it full before Kayla Beaver (9-2) got her swinging to strand the bases loaded and win the ballgame.

Beaver earned the complete-game win in the circle, her seventh complete-game effort of the season. Kali Heivilin was 2-for-4 batting second, her third multi-hit game of the season and first in SEC play. Emma Broadfoot had two of the Tide's five RBIs while Johnson added another with her solo home run, her second homer of the year.

Highlights

Alabama is now 52-23 all-time vs. Georgia, including a 21-13 mark in Athens
The win avoided what would have been the Bulldogs' first sweep over the Crimson Tide and Alabama's first SEC sweep loss since 2013
The game was the Tide's third win when the opponent scores first, holding a 3-4 mark in those games this season
Alabama is 5-4 vs. ranked teams this season, with today's win over No. 5 Georgia as its highest-ranked victory so far
Jenna Johnson's home run was her second of the season and she has now reached base safely in 20 of her 24 starts
The game was Emma Broadfoot's second multi-RBI game this season and Kali Heivilin's third multi-hit game
The complete game was Kayla Beaver's seventh this season, three of which have come against ranked opponents

Scoring Summary

B3 | Lyndi Rae Davis hit an RBI double down the right field line (0-1, 1 Out)
T4 | Jenna Johnson led off the inning with a home run down the left field line (1-1, 0 Out)
T4 | Kali Heivilin tagged up and scored on a sac fly RBI (2-1, 0 Out)
T4 | Bailey Dowling bounced an RBI double off the wall in right (3-1, 1 Out)
T4 | Emma Broadfoot drove in two with a single to left (5-1, 2 Out)
B5 | A throwing error brought home an unearned run for Georgia (5-2, 2 Out)
B6 | Jaydyn Goodwin hit an RBI double (5-3, 0 Out)
B7 | A run scored from third on a passed ball (5-4, 2 Out)

Up Next

Tuesday, March 19 vs. Samford – Tuscaloosa, Ala. – 6 p.m. CT
Wednesday, March 20 vs. UAB – Tuscaloosa, Ala. – 6 p.m. CT

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