No. 25 Alabama Softball Bites Back and Beats Bulldogs in Game Two

A pair of home runs backed up solid pitching to even the series against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Larissa Preuitt / Alabama Athleti

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- No. 25 Alabama softball's backs were against the wall Saturday after dropping the opening game of its home series against the No. 17 Georgia Bulldogs on Friday. The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide are both searching for their first series victory in conference play and Georgia's Thursday victory put them in the driver's seat to check off the accomplishment first.

Alabama responded Saturday by defeating the Bulldogs 5-4 and evening the series at a game a piece.

"It's a good win," Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said. "We needed one. I thought Catelyn [Riley] really gave us a good start. Riley Valentine was a really good spot in the lineup, two-run home run obviously. Kali Heivilin and then the other hero is Lojo [Lauren Johnson] who had the double in the gap and then the insurance run there in the sixth inning."

Alabama responded to leaving nine batters on base in Thursday's loss by hitting two two-run home runs and utilizing small-ball to score enough to send the home fans home happy.

Larissa Preuitt singled in the second inning for the Crimson Tide's first hit of the game and wasted no time smacking a two-run home run into straightaway center to give Alabama an early 2-0 lead.

Georgia responded with a run of its own in the fourth inning after Emily Digby singled to score a pinch running Emma Castorri and draw back to 2-1.

Lauren Johnson led off the fifth inning with a double to the warning track bringing Alabama's Kali Heivilin into the batter's box after striking out three times on Thursday and flying out in her two previous at-bats. Heivilin smashed a two-run home run over the left field fence to lift the home crowd and extend Alabama's lead to 4-1.

The Crimson Tide scraped together the game winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning after Kennedy Marceaux reached via a throwing error and Preuitt laid down a successful bunt a pitch hit Salen Hawkins to load the bases. Johnson hit a ball into centerfield to score a pinch running Kinley Pate and make the game 5-1 before ending the inning.

However it couldn't be an Alabama softball game without late drama as the Bulldogs put runners on first and second to open the seventh inning. Jocelyn Briski got Dallis Goodnight to fly out but Tyler Ellison followed up with a three-run home run to bring the game back into doubt. Luckily, Briski kept a lid on the remainder of the inning to escape with a much-needed win.

The rubber match between the two programs starts at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday at Rhoads Stadium.

---

Alabama Crimson Tide On SI

feed