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No. 5 Alabama Rallies from Early Deficit to Even Series Against No. 1 Texas

Rhoads Magic was on full display as the Crimson Tide scored 11 runs to beat the defending national champions in Game 2.
Katie Windham|
Alabama infielder Ambrey Taylor celebrates a base hit in the second game of the series against Texas on Apr. 3, 2026
Alabama infielder Ambrey Taylor celebrates a base hit in the second game of the series against Texas on Apr. 3, 2026 | Sarah Munzenmaier/Alabama Crimson Tide on SI

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— You could hear a pin drop in Rhoads Stadium after the first inning of Friday night's game between No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Alabama, but the silence didn't last very long.

Despite trailing by four runs after the top of the second inning, the Crimson Tide rallied for five two-out runs in the bottom half of the frame and kept it going with an 11-4 win to even the series against the Longhorns.

"Before you look up, it's 4-0, and it's like, 'Uh oh, here we go again,'" Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said after the game. "And then in the bottom of the second, the hitters took over

Freshman Vic Moten could not find the strike zone for Alabama to start the game. She was lifted for Jocelyn Briski after facing just eight batters, but five of those batter drew walks, and the Longhorns scored three runs. Moten had previously not allowed more than three walks in any of her previous starts.

The Alabama pitcher showed ultimate grit when she re-entered for Briski with bases loaded and one out in the third inning. She got out of the jam unscathed and did not allow another run for the remainder of the game.

"I knew my stuff was moving today, it was just a matter of finding the strike zone and executing timely pitches," Moten said. "I just went out and worked on the pitch that wasn't working, and I came back in, and it worked."

Pitching coach Lance McMahon told Moten that she would eventually be coming back into the game right after she exited. She took a deep breath and went to work in the bullpen. Moten threw 46 pitches in the first inning alone and only 61 pitches over the final 5.1 innings she threw. She finished with six strikeouts, including the final out of the game.

Texas had its own issues throwing strikes as Alabama drew four free passes in that second inning. Brooke Wells provided the big blow with her bases-clearing double that gave the Tide its first lead of the series at 5-4.

"We had our best hitter up to bat with the bases loaded, and that's what you want," Murphy said. "She comes through in the clutch."

Freshman Ambrey Taylor continued to prove why she belongs in the lineup with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fourth inning absolutley crushed out to dead center. She followed it up the next inning with a two-RBI single to make it 10-4 Tide. Taylor wasn't even a starter when conference play began, but she already has four home runs and 10 RBIs in SEC play.

"When the one went over tonight, I was like, 'Damn, this kid is a gamer,'" Murphy said of Taylor. "I mean, there's no other way around it... She worked her way into the lineup for sure. She showed me. She absolutely showed me, 'You gotta put my name in the lineup.' And she continues to do it. That's what you want as a coach."

Audrey Vandagriff added on the final run with an RBI single in what was a two-hit day for her down in the six spot.

The Crimson Tide easily could've folded after facing a four-run deficit to the defending national champions and top-ranked team in the nation, especially after losing the first game of the series by eight runs. Instead Alabama rallied in Rhoads for an important win that can be a building block for the rest of the season.

"Our biggest thing on the season this year is just not getting beat back to back, and we really take pride in that," Moten said. "So today we knew we were coming out with a dog-fight mentality."

Alabama (34-3, 8-3 SEC) will be going for its fourth straight SEC series win while trying to hand Texas (32-3, 9-2 SEC) its first conference series loss in the finale on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

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Katie Windham
KATIE WINDHAM

Katie Windham is the assistant editor for BamaCentral, primarily covering football, basketball, gymnastics and softball. She is a two-time graduate of the University of Alabama and has covered a variety of Crimson Tide athletics since 2019 for outlets like The Tuscaloosa News, The Crimson White and the Associated Press before joining BamaCentral full time in 2021. Windham has covered College Football Playoff games, the Women's College World Series, NCAA March Madness, SEC Tournaments and championships in multiple sports.

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