TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth propelled second-seeded Alabama into the SEC Tournament Championship game over seventh-seeded Tennessee Friday night at Rhoads Stadium as the Tide won, 6-5.
Tennessee (41-13) scored five times on seven hits, including pushing across the game’s first run in the top of the first. After a Kiki Milloy leadoff triple to right, Amanda Ayala stepped to the plate and hit a grounder to second to drive home Milloy and give Tennessee the early, 1-0, lead.
Alabama (44-7) struck back in the bottom half of the inning, plating two runs on one hit and a pair of Tennessee errors. With two away and the bases loaded, two Tennessee errors on a Savannah Woodard chopper back to the pitcher allowed a pair of runs to score for the Tide.
Taylor Clark extended the Alabama lead in the third on a two-run homer as the Crimson Tide took a, 4-1, lead into the fourth.
The Lady Vols got a run back in the fourth on three singles from Ally Shipman, Madison Webber and Chelsea Seggern. Shipman led off the inning, reaching base on a single through the left side, and was pinch run for by Treasuary Poindexter.
Another single through the left side by Webber advanced Poindexter to third and she was brought home by Seggern on a single down the left field line.
Down two runs in the sixth, Tennessee rallied and pushed three runs across the plate. With two-out in the inning and runners in scoring position, Ivy Davis scored Shipman on a high chopper to third as Webber advanced to third on the play. A wild pitch then allowed Webber to score, tying the game, and Davis to go first to third.
Cailin Hannon singled up the middle to score Davis and give the Lady Vols a, 5-4, lead.
In the bottom half of the sixth, Bailey Hemphill smacked a two-run home run over the wall in center as Alabama retook the lead in what proved to be the game’s final margin at, 6-5.
Callie Turner got the start in the circle for Tennessee and threw 1.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits. Samantha Bender tossed 4.2 innings in relief, surrendering six hits and giving up four runs. Bender suffered the loss and falls to 1-2 on the year.
Montana Fouts started for Alabama, throwing 6.2 innings, striking out 13 and giving up three runs on five hits. Lexi Kilfoyl was brought in briefly in relief but gave up a pair of runs on two hits, before Fouts reentered the game.
Fouts picked up the victory and is now 21-3 this season.
UP NEXT
The Orange & White will await their selection for the NCAA Tournament. The selection show is slated for Sunday, May 16 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
-UT Athletics
