The space between third base and home may as well have been a canyon for No. 6 Alabama softball with the amount of success the team had in crossing it.
The Crimson Tide loaded the bases twice and didn’t score in the 3-2 loss to No. 12 Tennessee.
“As good as we hit in Auburn is as bad as we hit tonight,” Alabama coach Patrick Murphy said. “It’s the complete opposite, and it’s unfortunate that sometimes it happens, but man, not one person wanted to be the hero. That drives me nuts.”
Alabama’s first run of the night came on a wild pitch. The Crimson Tide then loaded the bases. Three straight infield popups ended the inning.
“We didn’t get a hit with a runner in scoring position,” Murphy said. “I mean, the home run [in the sixth inning], there’s nobody on base. Shoot, I wish she [senior Jadyn Spencer] would’ve got up with bases loaded. She’s the only one that hit the ball. She had a rocket in one inning, single up the middle and home run.”
Spencer, who went 3-for-4 on the night, started the comeback in the bottom of the seventh. Down 3-1 with one out, she hit a solo home run over left to put Alabama within one. Senior catcher Chaunsey Bell walked, but the next two batters struck out to end the rally.
Bell was the 13th runner left on base for Alabama in a night with eight hits and two runs to Tennessee’s four hits and three runs.
Tennessee scored in the first inning on an RBI double and added two in the top of sixth on a two-run home run.
Alabama freshman right-hander Alexis Osorio (14-7) took the loss after seven innings pitched. She walked four and struck out nine. She gave up four hits.
“I thought Lexi pitched good enough to win. I mean, one mistake to a good hitter, and it’s easier to come from behind 1-0 than it is [3-0] but we had two innings to go and we had the bases loaded no outs in the sixth and only scored one run on a passed ball/wild pitch, still no RBI so it’s just frustrating.”
Alabama (36-11, 12-7 SEC) hosts Tennessee (36-11, 12-7 SEC) on Friday at 6:30 p.m. for the second game of the series.
