No. 15 Alabama walks off No. 20 UCF, run rules Indiana
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Fifteenth-ranked Alabama softball took home a pair of wins Saturday at the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational, opening with a 6-5 walk-off win in extra innings over No. 20 UCF before posting a dominant 10-0 run rule win over Indiana.
In the opening game of the doubleheader, Alabama (5-2) fell behind after UCF (4-5) took a 4-0 lead before the Crimson Tide scored five in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead. The Knights responded immediately with a solo homer in the top of the fifth to even it up at 5-5 and neither team could break the tie in regulation, sending it to extra innings. UCF stranded the potential go-ahead runner at third in the top of the eighth and in the bottom of the inning with Jenna Johnson at third, Kristen White chopped a single up the middle to complete the 6-5 walk-off win.
In the second game of the day, the Tide jumped on Indiana (3-5) to the tune of 10 runs on 14 hits in the five-inning run rule victory. Alabama scored in four of the five innings it came to the plate, with a four-run fifth inning putting the Tide in run-rule territory with solid pitching and defense holding the Hoosiers scoreless.
White's walk-off single against the Knights was part of a three-RBI day for the freshman, which was the most on the team. Ally Shipman was 4-for-7 with two doubles while Jenna Johnson and Marlie Giles each had three hits on the day. Montana Fouts (3-1) got the win in relief against UCF, going 11-up 11-down over 3.2 perfect innings with seven strikeouts and Lauren Esman (1-0) allowed just three hits and one walk in the complete-game shutout over the Hoosiers.
Highlights
- The game vs. UCF was Alabama's first extra-inning contest of the season and its first since the opening game of last year's Missouri series on May 6, a 3-2 loss, and the Tide's first extra-inning win since April 10 earlier that season at Florida, a 2-1 win in nine innings.
- The win over Indiana was the Tide's second run-rule victory of the season, previously defeating Georgia Southern 13-1 in five innings last weekend in Tuscaloosa Seven different players had a hit against UCF and nine against Indiana
- Ally Shipman had two hits in both games, giving her three multi-hit games this season and 45 for her career
- Freshman Abby Duchscherer earned her first career hit, a pinch-hit RBI double vs. Indiana
- Marlie Giles' three-hit game vs. the Hoosiers is the freshman's first career three-hit performance and the first for any Tide player this season
- Jordan Stephens' two hits against Indiana are a new career high
Scoring Summary vs. UCF
T3 | UCF's first hit of the game got them in a run column with an Olivia Elliott solo home run (0-1, 2 Out)
T3 | Kennedy Searcy drove in another run for the Knights with an RBI single (0-2, 2 Out)
T4 | A solo shot from Savannah Adams made it a three-run game (0-3, 0 Out)
T4 | A close play at the plate went as an RBI fielder's choice for UCF (0-4, 1 Out)
B4 | Kali Heivilin cut the deficit in half with a two-run home run (2-4, 2 Out)
B4 | Ashley Prange was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded (3-4, 2 Out)
B4 | With the bases loaded, Ally Shipman drove in two with a single up the middle (5-4, 2 Out)
T5 | Jada Cody tied the game back up with a solo home run (5-5, 1 Out)
B8 | Kristen White chopped an RBI single up the middle for the walk-off win (6-5, 1 Out)
Scoring Summary vs. Indiana
T1 | Jenna Johnson hit a two-out RBI single up the middle (1-0, 2 Out)
T2 | With two on base, Kenleigh Cahalan dropped a two-run double to right (3-0, 2 Out)
T3 | Emma Broadfoot lifted a fly ball to left as Ally Shipman tagged up and scored on the sac fly (4-0, 0 Out)
T3 | Jordan Stephens smacked an RBI single up the middle (5-0, 2 Out)
T3 | Marlie Giles drove in Stephens with another RBI single (6-0, 2 Out)
T5 | Abby Duchscherer drove in a run on a pinch-hit double (7-0, 1 Out)
T5 | Stephens dropped an RBI double into the right field gap (8-0, 1 Out)
T5 | Kristen White knocked in a pair of runs with a single to right (10-0, 1 Out)
Up Next: TaxAct Clearwater Invitational (Clearwater, Fla.)
- Sunday, Feb. 19 vs. #6/7 Florida State - 4 p.m. CT