re: Bama Softball 45-22 (16-11) (2022-23)

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Kenleigh Cahalan came through with the clutch hit Alabama's extra-inning win over South Carolina, with her ninth-inning RBI single giving the Crimson Tide the 2-1 win in Thursday's series opener over the Gamecocks.

Alabama (27-11, 5-5 SEC) capitalized on a South Carolina (26-10, 3-7 SEC) error in the bottom of the third to score the first run of the day on an Ashley Prange RBI single. The Crimson Tide loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth but left them stranded, unable to extend the one-run lead. The Gamecocks broke up Montana Fouts' (14-6) no-hit bid with a leadoff single in the fifth and went on to load the bases with nobody out. A strikeout and forceout put two outs on the board, but a passed ball on a third strike in the next at-bat plated the game-tying run from third before a foul popup ended the inning.

South Carolina loaded the bases again in the sixth before a strikeout ended the half-inning with it still tied at 1-1. The teams went down in order for the remainder of regulation, sending the game to extras. Neither team got a runner on until Jenna Johnson led off the home half of the ninth with a single. A bunt single from Larissa Preuitt put two on base and then, after a force out at third, Cahalan came up with Preuitt at second base and laced a single into center field as Preuitt rounded third and slid into home as the Tide earned the 2-1 walk-off win.

Cahalan was 2-for-4 at the leadoff spot, tallying her ninth multi-hit game of the season and extending her hitting streak to six games. Prange and Johnson also had two hits each in the winning effort, their ninth and fifth multi-hit games of the season, respectively. Fouts struck out 15 in the complete-game win, allowing just three hits and two walks, one intentional, with the lone run allowed as unearned.

From Head Coach Patrick Murphy
"We didn't get enough leadoff batters on all night, and that was the key. We have to get more leadoff runners on base. That makes it harder on the other team's defense and pitching. Overall though, I think it was an extremely well-played game. Only one error between the two teams during a nine-inning game is impressive. Montana [Fouts] and our defense took care of the rest. Pitching and defense is usually what you want and eventually you'll come up with a key hit. That's what we did in the nine-inning game last weekend against Missouri and tonight it so happened again."

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