Alabama Missing Timely Hit in 5-3 Loss to Georgia

A late home run provided enough insurance for the Bulldogs to take game one of the series from Alabama.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — On a day that was supposed to be full of celebrations for the Crimson Tide, the Georgia Bulldogs were ready to spoil the party. 

No. 18 Georgia came into Tuscaloosa in front of a sellout crowd at Rhoads Stadium that was fired up after honoring the 2012 national champions before the first pitch and took game one of the series 5-3 from No. 4 Alabama Saturday afternoon.

"I think the tale of the game was they had the key hit and we didn't," said Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy. "They had the big home run, and we had the tying run at the plate in the seventh inning and couldn't get the key hit."

Georgia scored three runs in the top of the fourth to jump out to the 3-0 lead. Bulldog starter Madison Kerpics was keeping the Alabama hitters off balance all game, and the Crimson Tide couldn't break through until Ally Shipman crushed a ball to left field for her team-leading sixth home run of the year to cut the deficit to two. 

Get that ship outta here🚀
📺ESPN2 | https://t.co/812BlGcgQO#Team26 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/ADbwqL8SL1

— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) April 2, 2022

Alabama starter Montana Fouts quickly got the Bulldogs to go three up, three down in the fifth, and that's when the Party at Rhoads really started cranking up. A single and two walks loaded the bases for Shipman with two outs.

Known for swinging early in the count, Shipman appeared to hold up on the first pitch of the at bat. The Georgia catcher appealed to the umpire who then appealed to the third base umpire who called it a strike. Murphy did not understand why the appeal was made to third and went to ask the home plate umpire about it. He was ejected from the game.

"I just went up and said, 'Can I ask you why you asked the guy behind me?'" Murphy said about his ejection. "And then I said it again. 'Can I ask you why didn't you ask the guy in front of you?' And that was it."

Shipman struck out looking two pitches later to strand the bases loaded. For the senior catcher and Alabama's RBI leader, she would've traded her earlier home run for a single in that situation.

"I think that you know, I also had the opportunity to come up with runners in scoring position quite a bit, and I managed to get the one hit when there was nobody on when I think I really should have when there was people on," Shipman said. "So if I could take back that home run for a single with the bases loaded, I think I would."

Like Murphy mentioned, the big hit came for Georgia with the two-run home run from Sydney Kuma in the top of the sixth to give the Bulldogs the 5-1 lead. It was the sixth home run given up by Fouts this season. 

Alabama finally got a timely hit in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run double from freshman Megan Bloodworth to cut the Georgia lead to 5-3. Shipman got a two-out single in the seventh to bring the tying run to the plate, but a groundout on the first pitch ended any comeback hopes for the Crimson Tide. 

Alabama falls to 29-5 (6-4 SEC) and will still have two more games against the Bulldogs (31-5, 5-2 SEC) Sunday and Monday with Lexi Kilfoyl scheduled to start for the Crimson Tide on Sunday. 

"Just play better tomorrow," Murphy said. "Kilfoyl will give us a good start, and I think our hitters are ready to go. Now's the time to get it going and prove a point."