No. 7 Alabama Softball Drops Stunner to Kennesaw State in Weekend Finale

The Crimson Tide only mustered three runs on four hits against a team that was previously winless on the weekend.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — After a power surge on Saturday with 25 hits and seven home runs, the battery on the Alabama looked to be unplugged Sunday afternoon against Kennesaw State. 

With just four hits against a struggling Kennesaw State team, No. 7 Alabama fell 5-3 to the Owls in the final game of the Easton Bama Bash at Rhoads Stadium. 

"Nothing went right today," said Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy. "It was bad all the way around. I take full responsibility of that crap performance."

Coming into Sunday's matchup, the Owls were 3-10 on the season, averaging 1.3 runs per game over their last 10 games and only 1.0 run per game in the Easton Bama Bash. But Kennesaw State had already scored two runs in the first inning off Alabama starter Jaala Torrence. Then Lauren Esman came in to relieve Torrence and gave up an inherited runner and another run of her own for Alabama to fall behind 4-0.

"They have to give us a good start," Murphy said about his other pitchers behind fifth-year Montana Fouts. "We can't be behind 4-0 nothing constantly, to start the game. Immediately it's 2-0 before we even turn around.

"So whoever does start has to give us a chance to win. Period. And that's all we ask  for is give us a chance to win, which means one run is OK, but not four. If they put up big numbers, it's putting a lot of pressure on the hitters. You can't do that every other game, and I'm not going to pitch Montana every game."

Alabama didn’t get on the board until the fifth inning when freshman Kenleigh Cahalan extended her hitting streak to 14 games with a leadoff double. She came in to score on a sacrifice fly from Larissa Preuitt to cut the deficit to three. 

Alex Salter came in to pitch the sixth inning and gave up a home run to the first batter she faced, immediately pushing the deficit back to four runs. Torrence re-entered in the sixth and did not allow any more runs, but after a leadoff walk and sac bunt in the seventh, Montana Fouts entered and got the final two outs. 

Ashley Prange’s two-run home run in the sixth gave Alabama some life, but three quick outs in the bottom of the seventh fizzled the chances of a comeback.Murphy wanted to see more competitive at-bats and the offense do a better job of passing the bat down. 

The Crimson Tide finished the weekend with a 4-1 record, the same as last weekend. But despite the same win/loss total as Clearwater, Alabama leaves the weekend on a sour note instead of the triumphant feeling after the win over Florida State last Sunday. Alabama drops to 11-3 on the season. 

How it happened

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Bottom 7

FINAL: Kennesaw State 5, Alabama 3

• Hensley puts a charge in one, but it's caught in center field for the final out. Alabama loses. 

• Nice snag by the pitcher to grab one hit back up the middle from Shipman. Alabama down to its final out. 

• Preuitt pops up. One out.

• Preuitt, Shipman and Hensley due up for Alabama in the seventh, needing two to tie the game, three to win. Crimson Tide down to its final three outs. 

Top 7

MID 7: Kennesaw State 5, Alabama 3

• Fouts only needs seven pitches to get the two strikeouts to end the inning. 

• Montana Fouts enters the circle as Alabama's fifth pitcher of the game with the runner on second.

• Sac bunt moves the runner to second with one out.

• Leadoff walk for Kennesaw State.

Bottom 6

END 6: Kennesaw State 5, Alabama 3

• A groundout and flyout end the inning. The popped-up bunt killed the momentum of the inning after the home run.

• Johnson pops up on the first pitch trying to lay down a bunt. Kat Grill comes in to pinch hit for Stephens.

• Ashley Prange comes through with her fifth home run of the season, pulls Alabama within two. Kennesaw State 5, Alabama 3
• Second walk of the day for Broadfoot. Alabama has the leadoff runner aboard for the fourth time.

• Broadfoot, Prange, Johnson due up for Alabama in the sixth.

Top 6

MID 6: Kennesaw State 5, Alabama 1

• A swinging strikeout leaves the bases loaded for Kennesaw State.

• Torrence gets a groundball to shortstop, and Cahalan makes the throw home for the second out. Bases still loaded.

• An error by Broadfoot at first loads the bases with one out. Torrence will re-enter in the circle after Salter could only retire one batter.

• Infield single puts two on with one out.

• Johnson makes a diving catch in left field for the first out.

• A single for the Owls follows up the home run. 

• Salter gives up a home run to the first batter she faces. Kennesaw State extends its lead to 5-1

• Alex Salter is in the circle for the Crimson Tide to start the sixth. 

Bottom 5

END 5: Kennesaw State 4, Alabama 1

• Duchscherer watches strike three down the middle to end the inning. Third time an Alabama inning has ended on a strikeout.

• Hensley reaches on a bunt single with two outs.

• A sac fly from Preuitt gives Alabama its first run of the day as Cahalan comes in to score. Kennesaw State 4, Alabama 1

• Cahalan moves to third on a passed ball.

• Leadoff double for Cahalan to extend her hitting streak to 14 games.

• Alabama has the top of the lineup coming up in the fifth, trying to get on the board for the first time. 

Top 5

MID 5: Kennesaw State 4, Alabama 0

• Groundball to shortstop ends the half inning.

• A HBP extends the inning for KSU. The Owls have two runners on with two outs.

• After two quick outs, a hard grounder up the middle gives the Owls a hit in the inning. 

Bottom 4

END 4: Kennesaw State 4, Alabama 0

• Stephens' second strikeout of the game strands the runners. Alabama still has just one hit through four innings.

• Johnson is hit by a pitch. Two on, two out for Stephens

• Broadfoot draws a one-out walk. 

Top 4

MID 4: Kennesaw State 4, Alabama 0

• Esman's first strikeout ends the inning and strands the runner at second.

• Runner steals second base to put a runner in scoring position with two outs.

• An 11-pitch at-bat ends in a flyout to shallow center for the second out.

• One-out single for the Owls.

• Alabama has made a change in the field. Larissa Preuitt enters for White in centerfield. 

Bottom 3

END 3: Kennesaw State 4, Alabama 0

• Nothing doing for Alabama after the walk. Just one hit for Alabama through the first three innings.

• Another leadoff walk for Cahalan. 

Top 3

MID 3: Kennesaw State 4, Alabama 0

• A flyout ends the frame, but the Owls put two more runs on the board in the third.

• Pitching coach Lance McMahon calls a meeting in the circle after the latest hit.

• Another liner up the middle scores the runner from second with two outs. Kennesaw State 4, Alabama 0
• Kennesaw State hadn't scored more than two runs in any game this weekend. The Owls already have four runs through three innings today. 

• Cates lines one over White's head in centerfield, and another KSU runner comes in to score. Kennesaw State 3, Alabama 0

• Esman induces a groundout to the first batter she faces, but the runners moves to second with one out.

• Leadoff walk for the Owls, and Patrick Murphy will make a change in the circle. Lauren Esman enters for the Crimson Tide. 

Bottom 2

END 2: Kennesaw State 2, Alabama 0

• Back-to-back strikeouts strand the two runners. Alabama is scoreless through two. 

• Prange walks to put two on with one out. 

• One-out single for Broadfoot goes for Alabama's first hit.

Top 2

MID 2: Kennesaw State 2, Alabama 0

• Three up, three down for Torrence in the second.

• Torrence opens the second inning with her first strikeout. 

Bottom 1- Alabama batting

END 1: Kennesaw State 2, Alabama 0

• Alabama can't do anything with the leadoff walk.

• Shipman sends one to the warning track for a loud second out.

• Leadoff walk for Cahalan. 

Top 1- Kennesaw State batting

MID 1: Kennesaw State 2, Alabama 0

• Popup ends the half inning, but Kennesaw State gets on the board first.

• Hard single up the middle scores another run for the Owls. Kennesaw State 2, Alabama 0

• Groundball to the right side gets the second out, but a runner comes in to score. Kennesaw State 1, Alabama 0

• Sac fly moves both runners into scoring position with one out.

• A single slapped through the left side puts two runners on with no outs.

• Leadoff single for the Owls. 

• Jaala Torrence in the circle for the Crimson Tide. 

Starting Lineups

Pregame

• Alabama is wearing the all-white uniforms today with the script 'Bama.

• Southeastern Louisiana beats Indiana State 6-2 at 12:41, which means the Alabama game will start at approximately 1:10. 

See also:

Alabama Softball Uses Faith to Sweep Doubleheader at Bama Bash

Shipman, Fouts Shine in Alabama Softball’s Doubleheader Sweep on Day One of Easton Bama Bash