Alabama
LSU
Alabama Softball Ends Weekend Series at LSU with 8-5 Sunday Win
4/6/2025 7:22:00 PM | Softball
Marlie Giles and Lauren Johnson go a combined 6-for-7 at the bottom of the order
BATON ROUGE, La. – Alabama softball ended its weekend road series at LSU with an 8-5 win Sunday afternoon at Tiger Park.
Alabama (28-15, 5-7 SEC) and LSU (34-5, 8-4 SEC) traded runs to start, with the Tigers taking advantage of a first inning error to eventually plate an unearned run on a sac fly RBI before Lauren Johnson answered in the next half-inning with a two-out RBI single to tie the game at 1-1.
The Crimson Tide leadoff in the top of the fourth reached on a fielding error with a sac bunt and single behind that putting runners at the corners with one out. Johnson's second hit of the day gave Alabama the lead, bouncing a two-run double off the wall in left center to make it 3-1. She later scored after a wild pitch and a fielding error to make it 4-1. Johnson came up with another key at-bat in the top of the fifth, sending a two-out single up the middle to drive in Kendal Clark from second and make it a 5-1 game.
The first two batters reached safely for LSU in the bottom of the sixth, setting up Savanna Bedell for an RBI single through the right side. Another RBI single drove in a second run but the trailing runner was tagged out trying to score for the first out of the inning with the score now 5-3. A walk brought the potential go-ahead run to the plate before a lineout and groundout ended the threat.
With two on and two out in the top of the seventh, Audrey Vandagriff secured some crucial insurance runs on a three-run home run to center field, swelling the Tide's lead to 8-3. LSU moved back within three in the home half of the seventh with a two-run home run, but Alabama ultimately held on for the 8-5 win to avoid the series sweep.
From Head Coach Patrick Murphy
"That was one of the grittiest wins we've ever had here. Our backs were against the wall and nobody gave up. The at-bats got better as the weekend went along. Marlie Giles and Lauren Johnson were huge at the bottom of the lineup today and then Audrey [Vandagriff] provided some big insurance at the end there and we needed every bit of it. Catelyn Riley gave us some good innings this weekend, she's picked it up tremendously over the last couple weeks."
Highlights
- Alabama has not been swept in an SEC series since April 25-27, 2013 at LSU
- The Tide defense turned its 25th double play of the season, putting it one shy of tying the single-season school record set in 2003
- Marlie Giles reached base safely four times, drawing a walk while tying her career high mark with three hits
- Lauren Johnson tied her career-best marks with three hits and four RBIs
Scoring Summary
- B1 | LSU scored an unearned run on a sac fly RBI (0-1, 1 Out)
- T2 | Lauren Johnson drove in Salen Hawkins with an RBI single up the middle (1-1, 2 Out)
- T4 | Johnson bounced a two-run double off the wall in left center (3-1, 1 Out)
- T4 | Johnson scored from third on a fielding error (4-1, 1 Out)
- T5 | Johnson hit an RBI single up the middle (5-1, 2 Out)
- B6 | Savanna Bedell hit an RBI single through the right side (5-2, 0 Out)
- B6 | Maddox McKee bounced an infield single to second base, plating a run (5-3, 0 Out)
- T7 | Audrey Vandagriff crushed a three-run home run to center field (8-3, 2 Out)
- B7 | Tori Edwards pulled a two-run home run down the left field line (8-5, 1 Out)
Up Next: vs. #2/3 Oklahoma (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
- Saturday, April 12 – 3 p.m. CT – ESPN2
- Sunday, April 13 – 5 p.m. CT – SEC Network
- Monday, April 14 – 6 p.m. CT – SEC Network
