Last weekend Alabama fell in two out of three at home to Texas A&M, and its SEC record fell to 7-8. The Crimson Tide’s quest to avoid the program’s first-ever losing record in SEC play looked bleak as this weekend Alabama went to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to face the No. 14 Razorbacks.
In Game 1 of the series, the Razorbacks scraped across a run in the bottom of the ninth to walk off the first game 1-0 and put Alabama at 7-9 in the SEC.
But Team 28 woke back up Saturday determined to not let that happen. It took five innings for the offense to break through in Game 2, but once it did, the game was decided.
In Game 2, Arkansas put up a run in the first on a wild pitch, and it was do-or-die time for the Crimson Tide. A pair of hits from right fielder Kendal Clark and first baseman Emma Broadfoot put runners on first and third with no outs.
Clark and Broadfoot found ways to get on base, but it was second baseman Kali Heivilin and center fielder Lauren Johnson who delivered two RBIs to give Alabama its first lead of the series at 2-1.
The dugout knew it couldn’t sit on just two runs, so when left fielder Jenna Johnson walked up to the plate with two runners on and two outs, everyone was up against the fence anxiously waiting to see their leader capitalize on this golden opportunity.
Jenna Johnson worked her way into a 3-1 count. In Game 1 the Crimson Tide was consistently behind in the count, and Arkansas’ Morgan Leinstock was able to stay ahead of hitters and throw her pitch, but Jenna Johnson flipped that script Saturday night. Knowing that she was about to get a perfect pitch to hit, Jenna Johnson loaded up and launched the 3-1 pitch over the center field wall to send the dugout into a frenzy.
A four-run cushion was all freshman pitcher Jocelyn Briski needed as she allowed just two runners to reach base in the final three innings en route to her seventh victory of the season. Briski only struck out three but worked around the strike zone well, inducing weak contact a number of times.
Coming to the field Sunday, Alabama was full of hope coming off its gritty win Saturday. Just one more victory and the Crimson Tide could escape Bogle Park with a series victory.
All that hope was dashed in the first inning of Game 3 as the Razorbacks scored seven runs to all but wrap things up.
Graduate student Kayla Beaver started in the circle and tried to replicate her Game 1 performance, in which she held Arkansas scoreless for eight straight innings. Beaver failed to make it out of the first inning of Game 3 as she recorded just two outs and allowed seven earned runs.
The Razorbacks added one in the bottom of the fourth to make it 8-0 as the Crimson Tide was shut out for the second time in this series.
The loss drops Alabama to 8-10 in conference play with just six games remaining. Three of those six will be played next weekend at Rhoads Stadium against the SEC-leading Tennessee Volunteers, who are ranked No. 4 in the country.
