TUCSON, Ariz. – Alabama softball split its two contests on day two of the Hillenbrand Invitational, defeating New Mexico 9-1 in the opener before suffering its first loss of the season to No. 24 Arizona, 3-0.
Alabama (8-1) made quick work of New Mexico (1-7) in Saturday’s opener, earning its fifth run-rule win of the season with a five-inning victory over the Lobos. No. 24 Arizona (7-0) gave the Tide all it could handle, with a combination of good pitching and timely hitting ultimately serving Alabama its first loss of the season. Kaila Hunt and Danielle Richard led the Tide at the plate Saturday, each earning a pair of hits between the two games. Kallie Case led the team with three RBI, making the most of her only hit of the day by launching a three-run homer, the first long-ball of her career.
GAME ONE: #4 ALABAMA 9, NEW MEXICO 1 (5 INNINGS)
The Alabama offense had another explosive performance, with six of the team’s nine starters earning at least one hit. For the second time this weekend, the Crimson Tide blasted multiple home runs, including a two-run shot by Kallie Case, her first long ball of the season. Sydney Littlejohn (3-0) had another stellar outing in the circle, allowing just one unearned run and three hits with four strikeouts.
New Mexico suffers its seventh-straight loss, with starter Tess McPherson (0-2) taking the loss after throwing just 0.1 innings with six runs allowed.
The Lobos scored first, giving the Tide its first deficit of the season. With runners at the corners in the top of the first, the Alabama defense caught the runner at third in a rundown but the ball was dropped on the tag attempt, allowing her to score off the fielding error. The Tide limited the damage to one run, stranding a runner at third to escape the half-inning trailing 1-0.
The Lobos’ lead didn’t last long, as Haylie McCleney led off the bottom of the first with a solo homer to tie the game at 1-1. Kaila Hunt gave Alabama the lead with an RBI double and later in the inning with the bases loaded, a throwing error allowed three to score and Case to stretch all the way to third as the lead swelled to 5-1. Case came home off a dropped third strike as the Tide ended the first inning with a 6-1 lead.
Danae Hays stretched Alabama’s lead to 7-1 in the third inning with a solo home run off the batter’s eye in center field. Marisa Runyon followed that with a single to set up Case for a high opposite-field homer that stretched the Tide’s lead to 9-1. Littlejohn would hold the Tide’s lead in the remaining two innings, as Alabama earned its fifth run-rule victory of the young season.
GAME TWO: #24 ARIZONA 3, #4 ALABAMA 0
Alabama’s first ranked opponent of the season proved to be a formidable one, as No. 24 Arizona handed the fourth-ranked Tide its first loss of the young season, 3-0.
A potent Alabama lineup was limited to just three hits, their fewest this season, as the Arizona pitchers kept the Tide batters off-balance. Jaclyn Traina (2-1) took the loss in the circle, though she pitched a strong second-half of the game as all of Arizona’s runs and hits came in the first three innings. Estela Pinon (2-0) earned the win for Arizona throwing 5.0 innings with nine strikeouts.
Arizona struck first, as Hallie Wilson led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run that sailed just past the reach of a leaping McCleney’s glove at the left-center wall. The Wildcats would load the bases with two outs but a fly ball would hang up just long enough for Case to post up under it to strand the bases loaded as Alabama escaped the first inning with just a one-run deficit.
The Wildcats loaded the bases again in the bottom of the second with one away, as a walk pushed Arizona ahead 2-0. An infield popup to Hunt at second and a fly ball in foul territory to Andrea Hawkins allowed the Tide to escape another bases-loaded jam, limiting the damage to just one run in the second inning.
With two Alabama runners on base and two out in the top of the third, Arizona made an early pitching change to their ace, Kenzie Fowler, as she got the Wildcats out of the inning with a high popup into shallow left. Arizona stretched their lead in the bottom of the third as Lauren Young hit a one-out solo homer to make it 3-0.
Pinon reentered to pitch for Arizona in the top of the fifth after a scary at-bat with Fowler taking a hard shot off the head, though she walked it off immediately after. Alabama had an opportunity late in the half-inning with a pair of runners in scoring position, but they were ultimately left stranded as Arizona held onto its 3-0 lead.
Alabama went down in order in the top of the sixth and kept it within reach with a scoreless bottom of the sixth. The Tide couldn’t mount a rally in the final half-inning however, as they went down in order to give Alabama its first loss of the season.
Alabama has a chance at redemption tomorrow with a second game against No. 24 Arizona Sunday at Noon CT.
