The Alabama softball team pulled out a 7-6 slugfest against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Saturday afternoon in a thrilling back-and-forth effort capped by a controversial call at the last at-bat. Both teams had critical opportunities with the bases loaded at various times throughout the game, giving way to explosive scoring plays.

Unlike the slow start the Crimson Tide displayed in the opening round against Jacksonville State, the team wasted no time Saturday with stud senior left fielder Kayla Braud getting things going by singling and then stealing both second and third base. A base hit by sophomore Jadyn Spencer later in the inning brought home freshman Hailey McCleney and Braud to take a 2-0 lead after one frame.

Head coach Patrick Murphy commended Braud’s spark to the team’s offense. “Just a great game. We came out with two runs in the first inning on speed alone,” Murphy said.

Western Kentucky quickly responded, adding two runs of their own with a home run by senior outfielder Katrina Metoyer. The scoring by the Hilltoppers was far from over, however.

Through a crafty offensive scheme that loaded the bases for Western Kentucky, senior Katrina Metoyer struck again with a triple that gave her squad a 5-2 lead in the third inning. Alabama got out of the inning and added four runs of its own in the same frame, powered by freshman Andrea Hawkins’ crucial single to tie the game. The Crimson Tide eventually got another score to take a one-run lead.

“I have been preparing all week,” Hawkins said. “I have been working so hard on hitting away…The opportunity came and I was like, ‘I’m about to get it right now.’ I just took advantage of hitting right away.”

After trading a pair of runs in the sixth inning, Western Kentucky entered the seventh and final inning trailing by one score. After relief pitcher Leslie Jury retired the first two batters, in trotted Metoyer, who had given Alabama headaches all day.

With two strikes on her, Metoyer swung at an inside toss, at which point she advanced to first base with the thought that she had been hit. The umpire called a strikeout and the end of the game, which was followed by a lengthy discussion between Hilltopper coach Tyra Perry and the officials.

When asked about the call later, Perry paused. “I’ll try to be politically correct here,” Perry said. “I saw my batter get hit in the box and move to first base. In my opinion, the game should still be going on [now].”

With the win, the Crimson Tide will face either Western Kentucky or the winner of the S.C. Upstate/Jacksonville State game on Sunday in the regional finals.