Sluggish Alabama Play Dooms the SEC Softball Championship versus Texas

May 9, 2024; Auburn, AL, USA; The championship trophy at the SEC Softball Championship game at Jane B. Moore Field. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images

TEXAS 7, ALABAMA 1

Alexis Pupillo got the Tide going in the 1st inning with a monster bomb over the right field fence. I must confess, I did not watch every game in this tournament but Beth Mowins has.

Despite the hope of that big bop, Pup’s teammates were not doing much of anything at the plate. Texas’s Teagan Kavan had 6 strikeouts through the first three innings with only Pupillo as the lone baserunner allowed.

Jocelyn Briski was not very sharp. She gave up a single in the 1st inning and two in the 3rd, though they did not score. In the top of the 2nd inning, the Longhorns scored two runs with a hit-by-pitch and three singles – although two of which did not even leave the infield. Even so, they were some hard hit balls. Following that third frame, Briski was justifiably subbed out in favor of Vic Moten. Sadly, she was not much better. A single, a wild pitch and another single plated a third run for UT. An ensuing walk and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases. That was followed by a high pop to left field that should have been an easy out, but the ball bounced out of Audrey Vandagriff’s glove and two more Cow runs scored.

Alabama loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the 4th, but Vandagriff and Ambrey Taylor both struck out.

In the top of the 6th, SEC POY Katie Stewart added some insurance with a solo homer. As if things weren’t going bad enough for the Crimson Tide, Moten was drilled a by a batted ball and had to be taken out of the game. It is never good news to be hurt, but the ball appeared to hit Vic on the inner wrist of her catching hand. She did not leave the dugout.

Kaitlyn Pallozzi entered the circle and gave up a noisy sac fly to deep left field that pushed the score to 7-1.