re: Bama Softball 39-20 (10-14) (2023-24)

quote:

---

Looking to avoid a series sweep Sunday afternoon in Athens, Alabama held off a seventh-inning Georgia rally to win game three, 5-4, as a strikeout stranded the bases loaded and the potential winning run in scoring position.

Alabama (22-5, 2-4 SEC) fell behind after an RBI double from Lyndi Rae Davis put Georgia (23-4, 2-1 SEC) up 1-0 in the third but the Crimson Tide quickly tied it back up with a solo home run from Jenna Johnson to lead off the top of the fourth. A base hit and back-to-back walks loaded the bases for the Tide before a sac fly, RBI double and two-run single quickly put four more runs on the board, making it a 5-1 ballgame before a groundout ended the frame.

The Bulldogs got the first two batters on base in the bottom of the fifth with the top of the order due up, but a 6-4-3 double play quickly put two outs on the board with the lead runner now at third. A throwing error on the next at-bat extended the inning as the unearned run came home, making it 5-2, and Georgia got another run back with a sixth-inning RBI double to make it 5-3.

It remained a two-run game in the bottom of the seventh and the first two Bulldog batters reached safely to quickly bring the potential winning run to the plate. Later with runners at the corners and two outs, a passed ball plated the runner from third to make it 5-4 and back-to-back walks loaded the bases, moving the tying run 60 feet away and the potential winning run in scoring position. The batter drew a 3-0 count before taking back-to-back strikes to bring it full before Kayla Beaver (9-2) got her swinging to strand the bases loaded and win the ballgame.

Beaver earned the complete-game win in the circle, her seventh complete-game effort of the season. Kali Heivilin was 2-for-4 batting second, her third multi-hit game of the season and first in SEC play. Emma Broadfoot had two of the Tide's five RBIs while Johnson added another with her solo home run, her second homer of the year.

---