In softball, something as small as a hit, a walk or a run can mean life or death in a close game.

In Alabama’s first two games of the Easton Crimson Classic, the offense was able to produce that hit, walk or run against UT Arlington in an 11-3 drubbing against the Mavericks. Against No. 7 Arizona however, the team couldn’t find it as the Crimson Tide fell, 2-1.

“That was the big thing is, we had four runners at second base with one out, and didn’t get anything after that,” coach Patrick Murphy said. “It was either [a strikeout] or flyouts. We just gotta get a hit one of those times because we out hit them.”

It was the second time this season that the Wildcats produced less than six hits and left the ballpark victorious. Despite the small number of hits, when the Wildcats made contact, it produced results as the team went 2 for 7 (.286) with runners in scoring position.

The opposite occurred for Alabama, as it went 1 for 11 (.111) with runners in scoring position despite tallying seven hits in the game. The one hit with runners in scoring position came at the bottom of the first, as a double by junior KB Sides plated sophomore Skylar Wallace. The hit extended Sides’ hitting streak to eight games, the longest of her career, and tied the game as the Wildcats scored a run while making freshman Lexi Kilfoyl throw 26 pitches.

“It definitely was a tough game going into it, I had to mentally prepare myself a lot but I did go in there thinking a little bit too much and instead of trusting myself, I kind of held up a little bit,” Kilfoyl said.

Kilfoyl also noted that the run in the first and the run in the seventh is when she second-guessed herself.

After getting a quick out, Kilfoyl allowed a walk. A steal and then a ground out would move that walk to third with two away in the inning as Arizona’s leader in RBIs, Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza, came to the plate. Palomino-Cardoza came through as she lifted a single out to shallow left field, the second Kilfoyl pitch to be lifted into the air all game.

“That the only mistake to me was the walk,” Murphy said. “She pitched a really good game. I don’t think they had one flyout the whole game which is the name of her game.”

Despite Kilfoyl tying a career-high in strikeouts with seven, the offense could not pull through in the bottom of the seventh as Wallace flew out to left field with the tying run on first base.

“We fought back, we punched, but I think we should be a little bit more gritty at the plate, make adjustments here and there…and come through for sure,” Wallace said.

Alabama will rematch the same two teams again on Saturday as it plans to face UT Arlington at 1:30 p.m. and No. 7 Arizona at 4 p.m.

“I’d take my lineup over anybody’s any day,” Murphy said. “I think it’s just going to be fun as we get down the stretch and more people start to contribute and you see the things that they can bring to the team on a daily basis can be a lot of fun.”