Home Runs Push Alabama to 9-4 Win Friday, Evens Weekend Series with Kentucky

Friday, March 29

Lexington, KY

5:30 p.m. CT

Alabama

26-7, 3-5

Kentucky

22-12, 1-7

Alabama

Kentucky

Home Runs Push Alabama to 9-4 Win Friday, Evens Weekend Series with Kentucky

3/29/2024 9:49:00 PM | Softball

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The series rubber match is set for a 1 p.m. CT first pitch on Saturday

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A trio of home runs helped push Alabama softball to a 9-4 win over Kentucky Friday night, evening the weekend series heading into game three on Saturday.

After two scoreless innings, Alabama (26-7, 3-5 SEC) took the first lead over Kentucky (22-12, 1-7 SEC) with a solo home run from Kali Heivilin and a sac fly RBI from Jenna Johnson later in the inning made it a 2-0 game. A solo home run from Marlie Giles in the fourth and an RBI double from Kenleigh Cahalan in the fifth doubled the lead to 4-0. With two out in the bottom of the fifth, a hit-by-pitch and walk extended the inning and Erin Coffel capitalized with a three-run home run to draw back within one, down 4-3.

With one out in the top of the sixth, a walk, hit-by-pitch and single loaded the bases for the Tide and pinch hitter Lauren Johnson came through with a single to drive in two, making it 6-3. Her older sister Jenna followed that up in the next at-bat with a three-run home run down the left field line to swell the lead to 9-3. The Wildcats got a run back in the bottom of the sixth with a sac fly RBI and started the bottom of the seventh with a walk and an error to put two in scoring position with nobody out. The Alabama defense and relief pitcher Alea Johnson buckled down, inducing a groundout, popup and strikeout to strand the runners and end the game.

The Tide's nine runs came on 11 hits, including three from Cahalan, which ties her career high for hits. Heivilin was 2-for-3 with two runs scored including her fifth home run of the season. Giles hit her second home run of the weekend, marking the second time this season she's homered in back-to-back games. Jenna Johnson's three-run homer was her fourth of the year and her four RBIs ties her previous career high set against Miami Ohio on March 6, 2022. After taking the loss in the circle yesterday, Kayla Beaver (11-3) bounced back with a win Friday over 6.0 innings pitched with Alea Johnson closing it out with a shutout seventh inning in relief.

From Head Coach Patrick Murphy

"It was awesome to come back today with a performance like that after last night's performance. I'm really proud of the team. Offensively, one through nine had four at-bats each which means that they're getting on base, which is great. Lauren Johnson came through with a big pinch hit and her older sister [Jenna] came through even bigger behind her. Getting 11 hits on the road against a good SEC team isn't easy. We needed that. To keep the momentum going tomorrow, we need a good start in the circle and continue to pass the bats down offensively."

Highlights

Alabama improves to 55-13 all-time vs. Kentucky, including a 25-7 mark in Lexington
The Crimson Tide is 22-2 this season when scoring first
The nine runs scored are the most for Alabama in an SEC game this year and its most in conference play since a 9-0 win over Ole Miss last season (May 5, 2023)
The nine runs are the most for the Tide vs. the Wildcats since scoring 11 on March 27, 2021
Tonight's game was the Alabama's eighth this season with double-digit hits, its first since Feb. 25 against UAB in the final game of the Green & Gold Classic in Birmingham
Friday was Tide's ninth multi-homer game and the third time this season the Tide has done so in back-to-back games
Marlie Giles' home run was her second in as many games, marking the second time this season she has hit homers in back-to-back games, previously doing so against North Alabama (Feb. 24) and UAB (Feb. 25)
Giles last three home runs have led off an inning
Kali Heivilin's fourth-inning triple was the second of her career, last doing so vs. Robert Morris on March 3, 2023
Jenna Johnson's four RBIs are a season high and ties her previous career best set against Miami Ohio on March 6, 2022

Scoring Summary

T3 | Kali Heivilin led off the inning with a solo home run to center (1-0, 0 Out)
T3 | Riley Valentine scored from third on a sac fly RBI from Jenna Johnson (2-0, 0 Out)
T4 | Marlie Giles blasted a leadoff home run to left center (3-0, 0 Out)
T5 | Kenleigh Cahalan roped an RBI double down the left field line (4-0, 1 Out)
B5 | Erin Coffel slugged a three-run home run to center (4-3, 2 Out)
T6 | Pinch hitter Lauren Johnson hit a bases-loaded single to drive in two (6-3, 1 Out)
T6 | Jenna Johnson smashed a three-run home run down the left field line (9-3, 1 Out)
B6 | Kentucky got a run back on a sac fly RBI (9-4, 1 Out)

Up Next: at Kentucky (Lexington, Ky.)

Saturday, March 30 – 1 p.m. CT

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