Live Updates: No. 2 Alabama Softball vs. Texas

Updates, stats and analysis from Rhoads Stadium as Alabama opens the Crimson Classic against the Longhorns.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — After a four-day trip to Louisiana, Alabama softball is back home at Rhoads Stadium for four games at the T-Mobile Crimson Classic with Texas and Miami of Ohio. 

First up, the No. 2 Crimson Tide (16-0) take on the Longhorns (10-7) Friday night at 6. Texas came into the season as a preseason top-10 team, but have dropped out of the polls after going 0-5 at the St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational in Florida.

The Crimson Tide and Longhorns last met in the 2019 Super Regionals in Tuscaloosa when Alabama won two of three to advance to the Women's College World Series. Alabama leads the all-time series 5-3 over Texas. 

Alabama pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl hurt her foot at the plate last weekend during an at-bat at the Mardi Gras Mambo. Head coach Patrick Murphy said she will not be available for any of the games this weekend. Outside of the Crimson Classic, Alabama also faces Eastern Illinois on Monday which leaves five games in four days to be split between the rest of the pitchers Montana Fouts, Jaala Torrence and Alex Salter. Torrence started Wednesday's game against UAB in the 7-0 win, so Fouts will likely get the start in the circle Friday night. 

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Live Updates

Top 7

FINAL: No. 2 Alabama 5, Texas 4

• Fouts strikes out the first two batters she faces, and a groundout ends the game. Alabama wins 5-4. 

• Fouts and Alabama need three outs here to get the win. 

Bottom 6

END 6: Alabama 5, Texas 4

• Thanks to the home run from Bloodworth, Alabama holds a 5-4 lead after the 6th. 

• Megan. Bloodworth. The freshman hits her fifth home run of the year to deep left field to give Alabama the 5-4 lead. 

Top 6

MID 6: Alabama 4, Texas 4

• The top of the 6th ends with Fouts' seventh strikeout. 

• A double play erases the leadoff single for Texas. 

Bottom 5

END 5: Alabama 4, Texas 4

• A groundout to first ends the inning, and Alabama strands two.

• Ally Shipman with her third hit of the night to put two on with two outs for Tow. Shipman and Goodnight have combined for five of Alabama's six hits. 

• Goodnight flashes her speed with an infield single and reaches base for the third time.

• Alabama with only one hit since the first inning, and that was the RBI double from Shipman in the 3rd. 

Top 5

MID 5: Alabama 4, Texas 4

• A two-out walk is all given up by Fouts in the 5th. 

Bottom 4

END 4: Alabama 4, Texas 4

• Alabama goes three up, three down in the bottom of the fourth for the first time. 

Top 4

MID 4: Alabama 4, Texas 4

• After a one-out single, Fouts bounces back with a strikeout and popup. We're all tied up in Tuscaloosa at 4-4 after 3.5 

• An error by Bloodworth at second opens the inning, and Texas makes Alabama pay. Katie Cimuusz follows the error with a home run out to deep center to tie the game at 4-4. Alabama 4, Texas 4
• Fouts had only given up 2 earned runs on the season coming into the game, she already has 3 tonight. 

Bottom 3

END 3: Alabama 4, Texas 2

• A strikeout and ground end the inning, but Alabama adds one in the 3rd with the RBI double from Shipman. 

• Shipman adds on to her RBI total with a hard liner to the right center gap on the first pitch she sees. Goodnight scores from first. Alabama leads 4-2. 
• Shipman is up to 23 RBIs on the season. She's third in the SEC in RBIs. 

Top 3

MID 3: Alabama 3, Texas 2

• The hit is quickly erased by a double play turned by Prange, who also gets the final out of the inning. 

• The Longhorns open the third with an infield single, their fifth hit of the game. Coming into the matchup, Fouts had only given up 14 hits all season with a season-high of three in four different games. 

Bottom 2

END 2: Alabama 3, Texas 2

• Alabama gets a two-out walk from Kat Grill, and that's all in the bottom of the 2nd. 

Top 2

MID 2: Alabama 3, Texas 2

• Texas gets a single after the home run, but the runner is called out for leaving early when trying to steal second, and Fouts ends the inning with her fourth strikeout. 

• Alyssa Washington crushes a two-run home run to left field for a big response by the Longhorns. Alabama 3, Texas 2
• It's the second home run allowed by Fouts this season, and the first since her first start against Oregon State on Feb. 12.

Bottom 1

END 1: Alabama 3, Texas 0

RBI single and an error puts the Tide on top early!

📺: https://t.co/KcA9PApTH7 (@SECNetwork)#Team26 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/fYaW6gWBwX

— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) March 5, 2022

• A caught stealing and strikeout end the inning, but Alabama jumps on the board with 3 in the first. 

• Kaylee Tow singles up the middle to scores Shipman. Alabama leads 3-0. 

• After a walk to Ashley Prange, Ally Shipman singles through the left side, and Goodnight scores from second. Prange comes around to score, and Shipman advances to third on an error at second. Alabama leads 2-0

• Dallis Goodnight slaps a one-out single through the right side and steals second on the next pitch. 

Top 1

MID 1: Alabama 0, Texas 0

• Janae Jefferson crushes a double to the right center gap for a one-out double, and Fouts falls behind the next batter 3-0 before coming back to strike her out. A nice defensive play by Bloodworth ends the half inning.

• The first pitch from Montana Fouts is a strike on the outside corner of the plate, and we are underway from Rhoads Stadium.

Pregame

• Texas Starters:
• 1. Mia Scott- 3B
• 2. Janae Jefferson- 2B
• 3. McKenzie Parker- DP
• 4. Mary Iakopo- C
• 5. Katie Cimusz- 1B
• 6. Lauren Burke- LF
• 7. Alyssa Washington- SS
• 8. Bella Dayton- RF
• 9. Alyssa Popelka- CF
• Starting Pitcher- Sophia Simpson (3-1, 1.67 ERA)

• As previously reported, Kilfoyl is seen in a walking boot. 

• Hundreds of Alabama fans were lined up outside the stadium before the gates opened an hour to first pitch at 5 p.m.

Alabama Starting Lineup

Alabama Athletics

1. Jenna Johnson- LF

.371, 3 RBIs

Alabama Athletics

2. Dallis Goodnight- CF

.477, 1 HR, 5 RBIs

Alabama Athletics

3. Ashley Prange- 3B

.342, 3 HRs, 11 RBIs

Alabama Athletics

4. Ally Shipman- C

.381, 4 HRs, 21 RBIs

Alabama Softball Twitter

5. Kaylee Tow- 1B

.278, 1 HR, 12 RBIs

Alabama Athletics

6. Abby Doerr- DP

.312, 1 HR, 10 RBIs

Alabama Athletics

7. Megan Bloodworth- 2B

.355, 4 HRs, 13 RBIs

Alabama Athletics

8. Bailey Dowling- SS

.263, 1 HR, 10 RBIs

Alabama Athletics

9. Kat Grill

.381, 3 RBIs

Alabama Athletics

Starting pitcher- Montana Fouts

6-0, 0.38 ERA, 66 Ks