No. 23 Alabama softball started conference play with a home series against No. 19 Mississippi State, going 1-2.
Game 1: Mississippi State 9, Alabama 1
Pitcher Jocelyn Briski started the first game of the series on the mound for Alabama. However, her outing lasted just two innings, giving up three runs on four hits.
Senior Catelyn Riley came in for relief but could not muster much help out of the bullpen. Riley pitched 3.1 innings of relief, allowing 5 runs on four Mississippi State hits. Relief pitcher Braya Hodges came in for Riley to finish the sixth inning, but the Bulldogs scored an additional run and put the run-ahead rule into effect.
Offensively, Alabama could not get anything going at the plate. While the Crimson Tide managed to get eight hits in the game, the team was only able to put up 1 run, which came off of an infield hit from second baseman Kali Heivilin that later scored right fielder Larissa Preuitt after a Mississippi State fielding error.
Preuitt and center fielder Kristen White were the only players to record multiple hits, as they went 2/4 and 2/3, respectively. Alabama left 11 runners on base, going 1/11 with runners in scoring position.
Game 2: Alabama 7, Mississippi State 4
After throwing just two innings in the first game, Briski got the green light to start the second game of the series. Briski’s second start went much better, as she threw for four innings and gave up four runs on five hits.
It was a back-and-forth game all game long. Mississippi State scored first off an RBI single from third baseman Nadia Barbary, but Alabama answered with 3 runs in the bottom of the first, including a 2-RBI triple from third baseman Brooke Ellestad.
In the fourth inning, there were two more lead changes. The Bulldogs took a 4-3 lead off a 2-RBI double from second baseman Morgan Stiles and an RBI single from center fielder Sierra Sacco.
The Crimson Tide responded quickly, loading the bases after catcher Marlie Giles and Preuitt singled and left fielder Audrey Vandagriff drew a walk. Alabama took the lead back as designated hitter Alexis Pupillo and first baseman Abby Duchscherer both forced RBI walks with the bases loaded.
The Alabama offense was not done. Duchscherer helped the Crimson Tide add 2 more runs with a home run to left field that scored Vandagriff.
Relief pitcher Alea Johnson replaced Briski in the fifth inning and finished the job, throwing three shutout innings and only giving up one hit.
Alabama got 12 hits off the Mississippi State defense and hit .364 with runners in scoring positions, and it only stranded seven runners.
Game 3: Mississippi State 4, Alabama 3
In the rubber match of the weekend, pitcher Emily Winstead got the nod on the mound. Winstead pitched 2.1 innings, three walks and two hits on 3 runs surrendered. Briski and Johnson came in for Winstead and pitched the final 4.2 innings. The two of them allowed three hits and just 1 run,
The final game of the weekend was another tight one. Alabama struck first in the bottom of the first inning, as Heivilin hit an RBI single up the middle on her Senior Day and scored Preuitt.
But Mississippi State put up a strong third inning. In the top, the Bulldogs scored their first run off a fielder error after catcher Jessie Blaine reached on a fielder’s choice infield hit.
Mississippi State then put up 2 more off another fielding error. Third baseman Nadia Barbary took the lead as she scored off a throwing error from Alabama catcher Marlie Giles, and center fielder Sierra Sacco made it a 3-1 game as she scored off an Alabama wild pitch.
Alabama, however, did not quit. In the bottom of the third inning, third baseman Brooke Ellestad tied the game with a 2-RBI double that scored Heivilin and Pupillo.
Alabama and Mississippi State were in a gridlock until the top of the sixth inning, when Barbary singled to left field and scored Bulldogs pinch runner Gretta Grassel.
The Crimson Tide went three up and three down in the bottom of the seventh and could not come up with a last-minute comeback.
“We did not do enough to win. We had six walks and three errors — we basically gave them the game. We have to do more defensively and with our pitching,” Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said.
Up next, Alabama will stay home for a Wednesday game against No. 10 Florida State, which will start at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
