Live Updates: Alabama Softball vs. Kentucky in Game Two of the 2021 Super Regionals
It came down to the very last pitch with bases loaded, but Alabama came away with a 4-3 win in game on of Friday's super regional between the Crimson Tide and Kentucky Wildcats.
What is at stake for Saturday's matchup? If Alabama wins, the Tide punches their ticket to the Women's College World Series, and Kentucky's season comes to an end. If the Wildcats win, they live to see another day and force a winner-take-all game three on Sunday.
Lexi Kilfoyl will be in the circle for the Crimson Tide making her first start against an SEC team since April 10. For the Wildcats, Grace Baalman gets the ball. Baalman pitched two innings in the matchup between the two teams in the SEC tournament and gave up two runs including a home run to Bailey Hemphill.
Fans started lining up outside the stadium four hours prior to first pitch, and it's another packed house at Rhoads Stadium for another all-SEC Supers matchup between No. 3 Alabama and No. 14 Kentucky.
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Here are the starting lineups:
No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide (49-7, 18-6)*
1. Alexis Mack- CF
2. Bailey Hemphill- C
3. Kaylee Tow- 1B
4. Jenna Johnson- DP
5. KB Sides- RF
6. Savannah Woodard- 2B
7. Maddie Morgan- 3B
8. Taylor Clark- SS
9. Elissa Brown
Lexi Kilfoyl- P
*Alabama is the designated visiting team in game two.
No. 14 Kentucky Wildcats (43-15, 13-11)
1. Kayla Kowalik- C
2. Tatum Spangler- RF
3. Lauren Johnson- LF
4. Erin Coffel- SS
5. Mallory Peyton- 1B
6. Renee Abernathy- CF
7. Autumn Humes- DP
8. Grace Baalman- P
9. Miranda Stoddard- 3B
Emmy Blane- 2B
LIVE UPDATES:
TOP of 1- Alabama batting
- Mack leads off the game with an infield slap single for the Crimson Tide.
- Hemphill walks on five pitches. Runners on first and second with no outs.
- Tow doubles off the left field wall to score Mack and Hemphill. Alabama takes the early lead 2-0.
- The large Rhoads crowd already with plenty of reasons to get loud.
- Wild pitch allows Tow to advance to third with no outs, Jenna Johnson at the plate.
- Johnson walks. Runners on the corners, still no outs.
- Johnson steals second to put both runners in scoring position for Alabama.
- Sides hits a hard grounder to the shortstop. Tow out at the plate attempting to score. Johnson out at third trying to advance. Sides reaches second base during all the commotion. Two outs.
- Woodard strikes out swinging to end the eventful half of the inning. Three outs.
- Alabama gets on the board early with the two-RBI double from Tow, but may have potentially run themselves out of more runs with the base running miscues on the Sides ground ball.
- MID 1- Alabama 2, Kentucky 0
BOTTOM of 1- Kentucky batting
- Kowalik walks to start the day on offense for the Wildcats.
- Spangler strikes out for Kilfoyl's first strikeout of the day. One out.
- Hemphill throws out Kowalik trying to steal second. Bases empty, two outs.
- Johnson grounds out to end the inning. Kilfoyl faces the minimum in the first
- END 1- Alabama 2, Kentucky 0
TOP of 2- Alabama batting
- Morgan grounds out to second to start the inning. One out.
- Clark strikes out swinging. Two outs.
- Brown slaps the ball to the left side for a two-out infield single.
- Brown steals second on the first pitch.
- Mack out on a bunt attempt back to the pitcher. Three outs.
- MID 2- Alabama 2, Kentucky 0
BOTTOM of 2- Kentucky batting
- Coffel singles up the middle for Kentucky's first hit of the game.
- Peyton singles through the left side, and Coffel's speedy pinch runner advances to third on the hit. Runners on the corners with no outs for Kentucky.
- Another Kentucky pinch runner steals second on a ball in the dirt. Runners on second and third with no outs.
- Abernathy grounds back to the pitcher. The runner at third gets in a rundown, but she manages to score. The runner from second gets out at third, and Abernathy advances to second. One out. Alabama 2, Kentucky 1.
- Humes grounds out to the pitcher. Runner advances to third. Two outs.
- Baalman lines out to second. Three outs.
- END 2- Alabama 2, Kentucky 1
TOP of 3- Alabama batting
- Hemphill walks on four pitches to leadoff the inning. Kat Grill in to pinch run.
- Tow hits it hard, but lines into a double play. Grill out at first. Two outs.
- Jenna Johnson draws a two-out walk.
- Johnson is called for leaving the base early for the final out of the inning
- MID 3- Alabama 2, Kentucky 1
BOTTOM of 3- Kentucky batting
- Stoddard leads off the bottom half of the inning with a bloop single to shallow left.
- Kowalik strikes out looking. One out.
- Spangler strikes out for the second time in as many at bats. Two outs.
- Lauren Johnson singles through the right side, and Stoddard moves to third on the hit. Runners on the corners with two outs.
- Johnson advances to second on a wild pitch.
- Coffel pops out to Woodard to end the inning, stranding two runners for Kentucky.
- END 3- Alabama 2, Kentucky 1
TOP of 4- Alabama batting
- Jenna Johnson was called out for leaving early during Sides' at bat in the third, so Sides will leadoff the fourth.
- Sides lines out to left field. One out.
- Woodard bloops a single to shallow center to give Alabama a one-out baserunner.
- Woodard steals second on the first pitch.
- Two-run home run Maddie Morgan, her first of the year. 4-1 Alabama.
- We have a pitching change for Kentucky after the home run. Baalman comes out, and yesterday's starting Autumn Humes moves into the circle.
- Clark strikes out looking. Two outs.
- Brown grounds out to the pitcher to end the inning. Three outs.
- Morgan's big blast highlights the fourth inning for the Crimson Tide as Alabama pads its lead.
- MID 4- Alabama 4, Kentucky 1
BOTTOM of 4- Kentucky batting
- Peyton grounds out to third. One out.
- Abernathy grounds out to first. Two outs.
- And Humes grounds out to short stop. Three outs.
- First inning of the day without a Kentucky baserunner.
- END 4- Alabama 4, Kentucky 1
TOP of 5- Alabama batting
- Alabama will be starting off the fifth inning with the top of the lineup.
- Mack slaps out to short on the first pitch. One out.
- Hemphill walks for the third time today.
- Tow singles up the middle. Runners on first and second with one out.
- Johnson lines out to right field and Tow is doubled off at first. Inning over.
- MID 5- Alabama 4, Kentucky 1
BOTTOM of 5- Kentucky batting
- Rylea Smith became the designated player when Humes entered the circle and will lead off the fifth for Kentucky.
- Smith strikes out swinging for Kilfoyl's fourth strikeout of the day. One out.
- Stoddard goes down swinging. Back-to-back strikeouts for Kilfoyl. Two outs.
- Kowalik lays down a successful bunt for a two-out single.
- Spangler grounds out to end the inning.
- END 5- Alabama 4, Kentucky 1
TOP of 6- Alabama batting
- Sides lines out to second. One out.
- Woodard out on a bunt attempt. Two outs.
- Morgan lines out to third. Three up, three down for Alabama in the sixth.
- MID 6- Alabama 4, Kentucky 1
BOTTOM of 6- Kentucky batting
- Lauren Johnson grounds out to short. One out.
- Coffel strikes out swinging. Two outs.
- Popup to Woodard ends the inning for Kentucky. Three up, three down.
- END 6- Alabama 4, Kentucky 1
TOP of 7- Alabama batting
- Abby Doerr is pinch hitting for Taylor Clark to start off the seventh.
- Doerr sends a drive out to deep left center, but it is caught just shy of the warning track. One out.
- Brown singles to left field for her second hit of the day.
- Mack grounds out, but Brown advances to second. Two outs.
- Hemphill pops out in foul territory. Three outs
- MID 7- Alabama 4, Kentucky 1
BOTTOM of 7- Kentucky batting
- Last chance for Kentucky at the plate.
- Abernathy grounds out on the first pitch. One out.
- Humes grounds out to the short stop. Two down. Alabama is one out away from OKC.
- Smith strikes out swinging, and that's the ball game. Alabama wins.
