Ashley Prange's Legendary Moment Staves Off Elimination for Alabama Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama's not done yet.
Patrick Murphy predicted that someone would step up as a legend for the Crimson Tide in Saturday night's Super Regional game. And with elimination and her Alabama career on the line, that legend was Ashley Prange.
The fifth-year senior ripped a single up the middle to score Larissa Preuitt from second base and give Alabama the 2-1 lead over Northwestern in the top of the seventh.
That score would hold as Montana Fouts slammed the door on the Wildcats in the bottom of the seventh inning with back-to-back strikeouts to end the game as No. 5 Alabama beat No. 12 Northwestern 2-1 in game two of the Tuscaloosa Super Regional to force another game.
"The only thing I had said to the coaches before that at-bat was, 'I'm gonna get this ball out front' because I'd gotten jammed on an inside pitch my last at-bat," Prange said. "So I was kind of hunting that pitch... I just wanted to hit something up the middle and try to at least give us a chance to score a run."
Preuitt, an Alabama native who grew up less than two hours up the road in Hartselle, said it was a full-circle moment as she was rounding the bases to score the game-winning run.
"I've dreamt about it," the freshman said. "It's super surreal just to see everybody here."
The win marks the second straight weekend that Alabama has been on the brink of elimination and scored the winning run in the top of the seventh inning.
Prange's game-winning hit came off Northwestern ace Danielle Williams, who came in from the bullpen in the fourth inning. It was just the second loss on the season for the four-time Big Ten Pitcher of the Year.
With Preuitt on second base and first base open, Northwestern could've intentionally walked Alabama's best hitter with one out. But Wildcats head coach Kate Drohan said they wanted to challenge Prange with good pitches. Prange won the battle.
Before the first pitch of Saturday night's game, the Rhoads crowd was roaring in anticipation of the Supers matchup– the loudest it had been all year. And right away, Prange gave them something to cheer about.
"I cannot tell you how awesome that crowd is," Murphy said after the game. "It is an unbelievable feeling to coach in an atmosphere like this. I just credit the fans for coming out. It's a late-night, Saturday night, and magic at the Rhoads House happened."
Prange, who was moved back up to the leadoff spot, opened the game with a line-drive double off the left field wall. She came in to score two plays later after a sacrifice bunt from Jenna Johnson and RBI sac fly from Bailey Dowling for the Crimson Tide to grab the early 1-0 lead.
Northwestern tied it up in the fifth inning, which was the first run allowed by Alabama starter Jaala Torrence since the NCAA Tournament began. Skyler Shellmyer led off the inning with a single, and she moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Jordyn Rudd delivered for the Wildcats with a one-out single up the middle to tie the game at 1-1.
Torrence's biggest moment came in the third inning, when she got the Wildcats' home run leader to strike out looking with the bases loaded, which preserved the Alabama lead at the time.
Fouts came in to relive Torrence with two runners on in the fifth inning. She got two flyouts to strand the runners. Torrence put Alabama in a position to win with her start, and Fouts handled the rest. The injured fifth-year senior, who Murphy said is operating at around 70 percent, did not allow a hit in 2.2 innings of relief work with three strikeouts.
"I said it last night, and I'll say it again tonight, Fouts is a competitor," Drohan said after the game. "She wants the ball, and she wants to fight for her team."
Alabama had multiples runners on in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, but as it has been for most of the season, couldn't get anyone to come through with the timely hit to give the Alabama pitchers any breathing room before the final inning. But Prange ultimately gave the Crimson Tide the clutch hit it so desperately needed.
With the win, the Crimson Tide forces the winner-take-all game three Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. on ESPN with a spot in the Women's College World Series on the line.
