Alabama Softball Stuns Southeastern With Five-Run Ninth Inning, Wins 6-3, What Are The Key Point Here?
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – Alabama and Southeastern battled into extra innings on Saturday morning at Rhoads Stadium with a berth in Sunday’s NCAA Regional final on the line. Riley Valentine’s pinch-hit home run started a five-run ninth inning that ultimately helped the Crimson Tide win 6-3.
Marlie Giles scored on a fielding error in the fourth inning to give Alabama (35–17) the lead. Southeastern (46-14) tied it up with a double steal in the bottom of the sixth with the score still 1-0, and neither side was able to break the tie in the eighth, so overtime was used.
Valentine pinch hit after Jenna Johnson drew a walk with one out in the top of the ninth, and she promptly launched the fourth pitch of her at-bat off the scoreboard to give the Crimson Tide a 3-1 lead.
After adding two more runs on an RBI single by Kristen White and some baserunning mayhem on a single by Kenleigh Cahalan, Alabama led 6-1 going into the bottom of the ninth. Alabama prevailed 6-3 despite the Lady Lions scoring two runs in their half of the inning.
In the game, seven different players recorded a hit, with Bailey Dowling recording her second multi-hit game of the weekend with a 2-for-4 day. With 10 strikeouts in her 14th complete game of the season, Kayla Beaver (17-8) achieved a perfect record.
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The Tide’s victory moves them on to Sunday at 1 p.m. CT for the NCAA Regional championship game. The winner of tonight’s game five elimination match will face Alabama. TV classifications are still pending.
We often talk of grit and ugly, bending but not breaking, and today that was exemplified. Naturally, things didn’t go as planned in the sixth inning, but Kayla Beaver held them down.
Riley Valentine then produced her greatest hit of the season against Alabama, and things kind of went out of control. Against a top-tier Southeastern squad, it was an excellent victory. Everyone can, in my opinion, see that they can play with anyone.
KEY POINTS
- After the current postseason system was implemented in 2005, Alabama has now finished 70-12 all-time in NCAA Regional play, with this year marking its 17th consecutive 2-0 start.
- The Tide, who now have a 2-4 record in those meetings, were playing in their sixth extra-inning game of the season.
- 3. Riley Valentine’s home run was Alabama’s first in postseason play since Marlie Giles vs. Tennessee in the 2023 Women’s College World Series (June 1, 2023) and its second pinch-hit home run of the season (Kendal Clark at UAB, Feb. 25, 2024).
- This season, Kayla Beaver has thrown 14 complete games and has had three games with at least ten strikeouts.
- With two more multi-hit games this weekend, Bailey Dowling now has eight for the season.
- Marlie Giles started at Kentucky for the first time since she was hurt on March 30.