The Alabama softball team almost pulled out needed runs in the seventh inning, but it couldn’t capitalize on missed opportunities in the 5-3 loss to McNeese State.
There wasn’t a walk-off error that could save No. 7 Alabama in the final game of the Easton Bama Bash, and the Crimson Tide’s four-game winning streak came to an end Sunday afternoon.
Alabama (12-3) stranded 11 on base to McNeese State’s three.
“That’s tough to win a game when you do that,” coach Patrick Murphy said. “And it seemed like I don’t know if both home runs were with two outs, and we just didn’t continue an inning, and then when we did get people on, we didn’t get that key hit.”
(See also “UA softball to play first ranked team“)
First baseman Leona Lafaele and second baseman Kaila Hunt contributed two runs for Alabama with two solo home runs in the second and fourth innings, respectively.
“We just couldn’t get the hit when we needed it,” Hunt said. “They took advantage of their opportunities, and … we just didn’t get the hit when there were runners in scoring position when we needed them.”
Senior Jaclyn Traina earned her second loss of the year after six innings pitched. Traina is 3-2 on the season with a 2.35 ERA.
“I expected a little bit more,” Murphy said. “At least, let us score first. And Leslie [Jury], that was a prime example of that last night, where she holds them for seven innings. If she has to do it for 12, we have to do it for 12.”
Lafaele was thrown out at third in the bottom of the seventh on third baseman Danielle Richard’s RBI double for the second out of the inning.
(See also “Alabama softball team gets pair of wins“)
“Just trying to be too aggressive when I should’ve known that it was the seventh inning, not to be so aggressive but to be smart on the bases,” Lafaele said.
The Crimson Tide had nine hits to the Cowgirls’ seven.
“The key was the 11 left on base I think,” Murphy said. “Regardless of whether it was 7-7 hits going into the seventh inning, one error apiece and the only key for them was they got the two-out hit, and we hadn’t, and that’s made the difference.”
Alabama had no trouble getting the bat on the ball. The team hit 10 fly balls for easy outs in the loss. The team wasn’t trying too hard to knock the ball out of the park, Lafaele said.
“All of us are hitters,” Lafaele said. “We want to hit the ball. We’re not going to get cheated on our cuts. That’s why we take good cuts. That’s why we’re here, because he wants us to hit, and so we just have to make better adjustments.”
The loss is the team’s first at home.
“It just fuels the fire,” Lafaele said. “Just onto the next game. We can’t dwell on this because if we bring this to the UAB game, it’s just going to kill us. We’ve just got to learn from it.”
Alabama will travel to UAB on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. game.
(See also “Softball team wins big in home opener“)
