With the defeat, Patrick Murphy’s squad has now dropped their third consecutive series matchup to open up conference play in the SEC.
In a nail-biting game that stretched into extra innings, No. 14 Alabama Softball (26-8, 3-6 SEC) faced a devastating defeat against Kentucky on Saturday, with the Wildcats clinching a 4-3 victory courtesy of a walk-off double in the bottom of the eighth inning from Rylea Smith.
The game began with both teams showing their defensive might, with the Crimson Tide and Wildcats keeping each other off the scoreboard in the first inning. However, in the bottom of the second inning, Kentucky struck first, as Erin Coffel capitalized on an Abby Duchscherer fielding error to bring Hallie Mitchell home, taking an early 1-0 lead.
The Wildcats maintained their slim lead until the top of the third inning when Jenna Johnson’s second home run of the series to left field leveled the score at 1-1.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Crimson Tide regained the lead, as a passed ball from Stephanie Schoovner scored Marlie Giles to give Alabama a 2-1 advantage.
Kentucky responded in the bottom of the fourth inning, rallying to take a 3-2 lead thanks to some timely hitting from Karissa Hamilton, who ripped a two-RBI double off of Crimson Tide starter Kayla Beaver. However, Alabama refused to back down, knotting the score at 3-3 in the top of the seventh inning as Kenleigh Cahalan ripped a single through the right side.
With neither team able to break the deadlock, the game headed into extra innings. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Kentucky seized the opportunity to secure the win facing Alabama pitcher Jocelyn Briski, with Smith’s double driving in Alexia Lacatena for the walk-off victory, clinching a 4-3 win for the Wildcats.
Following their disappointing series loss to Kentucky, the Crimson Tide faces a quick turnaround as they prepare to hit the road once again, this time heading to Jacksonville, Ala., for a matchup against Jacksonville State on Tuesday at 6:00 PM.
