LEXINGTON, Ky. – Alabama softball held the lead in Monday’s series rubber match against Kentucky before the Wildcats rallied to tie it in the seventh and then walk it off in the eighth, taking the 5-4 decision over the Crimson Tide.
Alabama (26-4, 6-3 SEC) took the first lead of the game on an RBI double from Maddie Morgan in the second inning and then tacked on three more in the top of the sixth. Kentucky (25-4, 3-4 SEC) cut the lead in half with a two-run home run in the sixth and then, down to its last three outs, blasted a pair of solo home runs in the seventh to tie it at 4-4. In the bottom of the eighth, the bases were loaded with one out to set up the force at any base but a bang-bang throw at home went in favor of Kentucky as the Wildcats came away victorious, 5-4.
Savannah Woodard earned a career-best three hits in the game and Maddie Morgan drove in two of the Tide’s four runs, marking her second multi-RBI game of the season. Lexi Kilfoyl (10-2) took the loss in relief while Autumn Humes (12-2) earned the win in relief for Kentucky.
Highlights
- Alabama is now 49-11 all-time vs. Kentucky, including a 24-6 mark on road
- It was Alabama’s first extra-inning game of the season
- Savannah Woodard earned a career-best three hits, her third multi-hit game of the season
- Maddie Morgan tallied her second multi-RBI game of the season
- The game was Montana Fouts’ sixth this season without giving up a walk
- Bailey Hemphill had a pair of RBIs, improving her career total to 211, just four shy of second-place Kaila Hunt in the UA record books
- Hemphill also drew her 198th career walk, putting her one shy of Haylie McCleney’s school record
Scoring Summary
- T2 | Maddie Morgan poked an RBI double down the left field line to drive in Savannah Woodard from first (1-0, 2 Out)
- T6 | Morgan drove in her second of the day on a sacrifice fly to left (2-0, 0 Out)
- T6 | With the bases loaded, a double down the line from Bailey Hemphill drove in two (4-0, 2 Out)
- B6 | Erin Coffel cut the deficit in half with a two-run home run (4-2, 1 Out)
- B7 | Renee Abernathy hit a leadoff solo home run (4-3, 0 Out)
- B7 | Rylea Smith hit a solo home run to tie the game (4-4, 0 Out)
- B8 | A bang-bang play at the plate with the bases-loaded was not in time as the fielder’s choice scored the game-winning run (4-5, 1 Out)
Up Next – Alabama vs. Texas A&M (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
- Thursday, April 1 – 5 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
- Friday, April 2 – 5 p.m. CT
- Saturday, April 3 – 11 a.m. CT (SEC Network)
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