Live Updates: Alabama Softball vs. Kentucky in the 2021 Super Regionals
Alabama and Kentucky are meeting for the fifth time this season. This time there's something a little bigger on the line: a trip to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
It all starts with game one of the super regional at Rhoads Stadium on Friday afternoon.
Alabama is coming off a regionals weekend where they did not give up a run in three games against Alabama State and Clemson. Kentucky fought their way out of the loser's bracket in the Lexington regional and beat Notre Dame twice on Sunday to advance to the super regionals.
Stay here at BamaCentral for updates and analysis as No.3 Alabama takes on No. 14 Kentucky.
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Here are the starting lineups:
No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide (48-7, 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- CF
Montana Fouts- P
No. 14 Kentucky Wildcats (43-14, 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- P
8. Rylea Smith- DP
9. Miranda Stoddard- 3B
Emmy Blane- 2B
LIVE UPDATES:
TOP of 1- Kentucky batting
- SEC batting leader Kowalik starts off the game with a single up the middle for the Wildcats.
- Spangler becomes Fouts' first strikeout victim of the day. One out.
- Kowalik steals second with one out.
- Johnson grounds out back to the pitcher. Kowalik moves to third with two outs.
- Coffel pops out to end the half inning, stranding Kowalik at third.
- MID 1- Kentucky 0, Alabama 0
BOTTOM of 1- Alabama batting
- Mack grounds out to start the day on offense for the Crimson Tide. One out.
- Hemphill pops out to the pitcher. Two outs.
- Tow strikes out chasing the rise ball. Three up, three down for Alabama.
- END 1- Kentucky 0, Alabama 0
TOP of 2- Kentucky batting
- Peyton strikes out looking. Second strikeout of the day for Fouts. One out.
- Abernathy grounds out back to the pitcher. Two outs.
- Humes strikes out swinging at the rise ball, third strikeout for Fouts. Side retired. Three outs.
- MID 2- Kentucky 0, Alabama 0
BOTTOM of 2- Alabama batting
- Johnson strikes out swinging to leadoff the second for the Crimson Tide. One out.
- Sides strikes out swinging. Third strikeout for Humes so far. Two outs.
- Humes strikes out the side as Woodard goes down swinging. Another three up, three down inning on offense for Alabama.
- END 2- Kentucky 0, Alabama 0
TOP of 3- Kentucky batting
- Smith reaches base with a bunt single to start off the third for the Wildcats.
- Stoddard hits into a fielder's choice to second. Smith out at second. One out.
- Kowalik strikes out swinging. Stoddard steals second on the swing. Two outs.
- Spangler singles up the middle, driving in Stoddard from second. 1-0 Kentucky. Spangler advances to second on the thrown in.
- Johnson strikes out to end the inning for Fouts fifth strikeout of the day, but the Wildcats are the first on the board with the RBI single from Tatum Spangler.
- MID 3- Kentucky 1, Alabama 0
BOTTOM of 3- Alabama batting
- Morgan pops out to shallow center field. One out.
- Clark makes the best contact of the day for Alabama so far, but her ball is caught on the warning track in right field. Two outs.
- Brown grounds out to end the inning. Three up, three down for the third straight inning. No Crimson Tide baserunners through the first three innings.
- END 3- Kentucky 1, Alabama 0
TOP of 4- Kentucky batting
- Coffel strikes out to begin the fourth. One out.
- Peyton grounds out to third on the second pitch. Two outs.
- After an appeal to third on a check swing third strike, Abernathy sends one deep over the center field wall for a home run. 2-0 Kentucky.
- Humes strikes out for the second time to end the top of the fourth, but Kentucky adds one more on the board with the Abernathy home run.
- MID 4- Kentucky 2, Alabama 0
BOTTOM of 4- Alabama batting
- Alabama comes to the plate looking for its first baserunner and hit of the day.
- Mack grounds out to second. One out.
- Hemphill singles to left field for Alabama's first hit of the game. Kat Grill in to pinch run.
- Infield single for Tow. Runners on first and second with one out for the Crimson Tide.
- Johnson singles up the middle on the first pitch. Bases loaded with one out. KB Sides coming up to bat.
- Bases-clearing triple for Sides. Crimson Tide takes the lead. 3-2 Alabama.
- Woodard strikes out looking. Runner still at third with two outs.
- Morgan singles through the right side to score sides. 4-2 Alabama.
- Clark fouls out to the first baseman to end the fourth inning.
- Alabama breaks up the perfect game and puts four runs up on the board in the fourth inning highlighted by the three-RBI triple from KB Sides.
- END 4- Alabama 4, Kentucky 2
TOP of 5- Kentucky batting
- Smith pops out in foul territory outside left field. One out.
- Stoddard goes down swinging for Fouts' eighth strikeout of the day. Two outs.
- Kowalik flies out to center on the first pitch. Side retired in order for the first time since the second inning.
- MID 5- Alabama 4, Kentucky 2
BOTTOM of 5- Alabama batting
- Brown strikes out swinging to leadoff the bottom of the fifth. One out.
- Mack lines out to shortstop. Two outs.
- Two-out walk for Bailey Hemphill.
- Tow struck out swinging. Three outs.
- END 5- Alabama 4, Kentucky 2
TOP of 6- Kentucky batting
- Spangler grounds out on first pitch. One out.
- Johnson grounds out to third. Two outs
- Coffel strikes out to end the half inning. Fouts has at least one strikeout in every inning.
- MID 6- Alabama 4, Kentucky 2
BOTTOM of 6- Alabama batting
- Johnson reaches base with a leadoff single on a hard-hit ball to the shortstop.
- Sides puts a charge into a ball, but it is caught up against the left field wall. One out.
- Abby Doerr pinch hitting for Savannah Woodard.
- Johnson steals second base with one out.
- Doerr strikes out swinging. Two outs.
- Morgan draws a two-out walk. Kayla Davis in to pinch run for Morgan.
- Clark strikes out to end the inning. Three outs.
- END 6- Alabama 4, Kentucky 2
TOP of 7- Kentucky batting
- Peyton strikes out swinging. Tenth strikeout for Fouts. One out.
- Abernathy hits a home run out to center field on the first pitch, her second of the day. She is the first Kentucky batter to reach since her home run in the fourth inning. Alabama still up 4-3.
- Humes singles up the middle to put the tying run aboard with one out.
- Smith reaches on infield single. Runners on first and second with one out for Kentucky.
- Stoddard flies out to center on the first pitch. Two outs.
- Kowalik is intentionally walked to load the bases.
- Spangler strikes out looking to strand the bases loaded and end the game. Alabama wins.
- MID 7- Alabama 4, Kentucky 3
FINAL: Alabama 4, Kentucky 3
