Alabama Softball Wins on Walk-off Wild Pitch

Seven strong innings from Montana Fouts paired with timely hitting in the final two innings lifted Alabama to the series opening victory over Mississippi State.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The home run, strikeout or double play might be more flashy, and there were all those things in Thursday night's matchup between Alabama and Mississippi State, but sometimes it just comes down to good base running. 

In a tie game in the bottom of the seventh inning, Savannah Woodard pinch ran for Bailey Dowling after Dowling led off the inning with a single. Woodard moved to third on a base hit from Kaylee Tow, and then came in to score the game-winning run on a walk-off wild pitch as No. 2 Alabama took the series opener from Mississippi State 2-1 at Rhoads Stadium.

"In the bottom of the seventh, it was a great at-bat by Dowling, good at-bat by Tow, but the key to the whole thing though was Savannah’s base running, and she’s the best baserunner on the team," said Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy. 

The Tide takes the game on a wild pitch
📺SEC Network | https://t.co/Srr9rOQtlb#Team26 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/skmEaFl4GI

— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) April 15, 2022

It was Alabama's first non-run-rule walk-off win since June 2, 2019 against Oklahoma at the Women's College World Series. 

The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs were locked in a scoreless battle through five innings with just one hit from each team. Starters Montana Fouts and Aspen Wesley were keeping hitters from both sides off balance. 

Then Mississippi State led off the sixth with a single from nine-hole hitter Riley Hull. Fouts got a groundout for the next out, but the Bulldog runner moved into scoring position for the SEC's home run leader Mia Davidson. Alabama chose to intentionally walk Davidson because Murphy said they weren't going to let Davidson be the one to beat them. After another single, the Bulldogs scored the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly to get the 1-0 lead. 

Alabama freshman Megan Bloodworth said the team knew they needed to score in the sixth anyway since it was 0-0 heading into the inning, but the Mississippi State run created a sense of urgency, and Bloodworth responded. She hit her first home run in SEC play deep over the left field wall to tie the game at 1-1.

"I was just looking for something I could handle, and then once I got two strikes, obviously anything that could be a strike, you have to battle," Bloodworth said. "So she just threw the changeup, and I hit it.”

Bloodworth with the Solo Bomb🩸
📺SEC Network | https://t.co/Srr9rOyStD#Team26 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/EQCpY12y8J

— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) April 14, 2022

It was Bloodworth's sixth home run on the season, but just the third since opening weekend. She moves into second place on the team in home runs. 

Even though Fouts wasn't getting any run support for the majority of the game, it did not cause her to feel any pressure because of the confidence she has in her teammates. 

"I know that they're eventually going to get it done," Fouts said. "And I think that they want it so bad, and I know that. They’re going to have my back on defense. I just gotta do my thing, and they’ve got to do theirs, and they always do.”

Fouts also did her thing Thursday night. She delivered one of her best starts in SEC play this season with the complete game, 11-strikeout, two-walk performance while only giving up three hits and the one earned run.

"I thought she controlled their offense," Murphy said. "I think 11 Ks, and one of the walks was intentional, so she was within the strike zone a lot. I thought velocity was good, so typical performance by her."

Against a team with the power potential that Mississippi State has, Fouts said she has to focus more on movement rather than velocity. 

The Crimson Tide (34-6, 11-5 SEC) and Bulldogs (26-15, 7-6 SEC) will meet again Friday at 6 p.m on SEC Network+.

"We need to hit some more early in the game," Murphy said. "We need to put pressure on them. They've got to feel it."

Alabama Athletics

Alabama Athletics