Bama Central

Staying Alive in Supers: Alabama Softball Outlasts Tennessee in 14 Innings

Behind 10 scoreless innings of relief work from Kayla Beaver, the Crimson Tide forces a decisive Game 3 in the Knoxville Super Regional.

Katie Windham

Alabama softball has played in a 14-inning game before. It didn't end in the Crimson Tide's favor.

The team was able to flip the script on Saturday as No. 14 Alabama walked off No. 3 Tennessee in the 14th inning on a hard chopper by Kristen White to beat the Lady Vols, 3-2 and force a winner-take-all Game 3 in the super regional.

The 14th-inning rally started with a patented Patrick Murphy pinch hit move. Freshman and Tennessee native Lauren Johnson led off the inning with a pinch hit single to left field on the first pitch. Riley Valentine followed it up with a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third with no outs.

Tennessee intentionally walked Kali Heivilin to create a force out at every base. And for the second time this season, White was able to walk off Tennessee with an infield chopper.

"That was a great game all the way around," Murphy said. "They made play after play. When Riley [Valentine] hit that ball in the last inning down the line, I assumed it would be an amazing diving catch. The time before, she hit a ball of the wall and they made a perfect throw to get her out at second. The catcher sailed one into center field on a stolen base, so I tried to steal another one at third and she made a perfect throw to get her out. What a game. Kayla Beaver was so gritty today. It’s amazing to see what she’s done this year.”

For the second game in a row, Alabama jumped out to the early lead in the first inning. Tennessee took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning on a home run from Sophia Nugent, but the Tide answered right back with a solo home run off the bat of Bailey Dowling.

The score would stay knotted at 2-2 for the next 10 innings. Both teams had their chances throughout the game with a combined 28 runners left on base.

Kayla Beaver was phenomenal in relief for the Crimson Tide, throwing 10 scoreless innings and getting out of a bases-loaded jam of her own in the top of the 14th inning. She threw 165 pitches on Saturday in front of her home state.

Alabama and Tennessee will meet on Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPN with a trip to the Women's College World Series on the line.

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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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