Alabama Walks Off Mizzou on Error to Secure Series

The Crimson Tide blew a five-run lead in the sixth and seventh innings, but rallied for a comeback in the bottom of the seventh to win the series over the Tigers.

The University of Alabama softball team celebrates after a home run against Mizzou at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL on Saturday, Apr 26, 2025. / Alabama Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— It seemed like it was going to be another one of those late blown-lead losses for Alabama softball as the Crimson Tide pitching staff gave up five runs over the final two innings to give up the five-run lead.

Sometimes all you need is a little chaos. With runners on first and second, senior Kendal Clark put the ball in play to the third base side, and the Missouri infielder's throw took the first baseman off the bag as pinch runner Kinley Pate came around to score to give No. 15 Alabama the 7-6, walk-off win over Mizzou at Rhoads Stadium on Saturday night.

"I'll take an ugly win any time," Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said after the game.

Alabama starter Catelyn Riley gave up a leadoff home run to Julia Crenshaw to start the game, but then Riley seemed to get in a groove until the sixth inning when things started to fall apart. Riley had five runs to work with, but after giving up a two-run home run to Madison Walker and a two-out double to cut the lead to 6-3, she was lifted for Alea Johnson.

"Catelyn pitched really well," Murphy said. "She gutted it out. Leadoff batter got a home run, and she could've folded right then and there. She puts up zeroes four innings in a row I believe. It was just one pitch, and if she executed that pitch, who knows?"

Johnson had the Tigers down to their final out in the top of the seventh, but then Crenshaw came through with her second home run of the night to tie the game at 6-6.

That's when a little Rhoads magic came into play, and Alabama rallied in the seventh inning starting with Brooke Ellestad's third hit of the day. Abby Duchscher moved the winning run to second base on a single through the left side, and Pate scored on the Missouri error to win the game.

After Mizzou's leadoff home run, Alabama quickly reclaimed the lead as Ellestad had a bases-clearing double for the second game in a row, this time down the left field line to give Alabama the 3-1 lead. The Tide added two more in the third on Kali Heivilin's 13th home run of the year, and tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth when Marlie Giles scored from second on an infield single to give the Tide a 6-1 lead.

Alabama has been on the losing end of so many late-game comebacks this season, and Saturday night the Crimson Tide got to be the team ending the night in celebration, winning its third straight SEC home series.

"It takes strong people to learn from stuff like that," Heivilin said after the game. "Our team, the way that we're built, we took every single loss that we could've won, or should've won and took it to heart. And we knew eventually it would work out in our way.

"There's a lot of games where we did everything pretty much perfect, and it never worked out. And then tonight, everything wasn't perfect, and it worked out. I think just as long as we stay the course and believe in one another, we'll be OK."

The Tide (34-18, 10-10 SEC) will be going for the sweep over Missouri (23-28, 4-16 SEC) on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.

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