No. 9 Softball drops opener of the NCAA Tuscaloosa Super Regional, 3-0

Thursday, May 23

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

8 p.m. CT

University of Texas

45-16

#5/4 Alabama

56-7

Texas

Alabama

No. 9 Softball drops opener of the NCAA Tuscaloosa Super Regional, 3-0

05.23.2019 | Softball

Box Score

The Longhorns and No. 8-seed Alabama will contest game two on Fri. at 8 p.m. CT live on ESPN

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – On Thursday night in front of a packed house of 2,887 fans at Rhoads Stadium, No. 8-national seed Alabama (56-7) used a strong pitching performance from freshman starter Montana Fouts to take the opener of the NCAA Tuscaloosa Super Regional from No. 9-national seed Texas (45-16), 3-0.

Important Notes

Game two of the NCAA Tuscaloosa Super Regional is scheduled for Friday at 8 p.m. CT live on ESPN.
Texas' pitching staff has now allowed three runs-or-less in 43 contests this season. UT is 40-3 in those instances after tonight's 3-0 defeat.
Texas is now 7-3 all-time in NCAA Super Regional play, while tonight's game was the Longhorns' first-ever Super Regional road match-up.
With a sixth-inning single, redshirt junior center fielder Reagan Hathaway extended her hitting streak to a season-high-tying five games.

Major Players

Sophomore second baseman Janae Jefferson, sophomore catcher Mary Iakopo and Hathaway all went 1-for-3 at the plate against Fouts.

In the Circle

Elish (18-10) took the loss in the circle after allowing two earned runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout over 4.0 innings of work. In relief, senior Brooke Bolinger permitted just one hit and walked one in 2.0 scoreless frames.

The Details

After Texas left the first base runner of the game for either team stranded in scoring position during the top of the third, the Crimson Tide broke up the budding pitcher's duel in the bottom half. With UA third baseman Maddie Morgan stationed at third on a combination of a leadoff hit-by-pitch, a failed pick-off attempt and a sac bunt, left fielder Merris Schroder drove a two-run HR over the wall in right to make it 2-0.

The Longhorns tried to answer right back in the top of the fourth. Jefferson opened the frame with a perfect bunt single and was replaced on the base paths on a Hathaway fielder's choice. With one down, Iakopo stepped into the box and blooped a single to right center as Texas put the tying run on base. Unfortunately for UT, a swinging strikeout and a fly out to left stranded the pair as the Horns missed a huge scoring opportunity.

The Tide got back in business starting the bottom of the fourth as first baseman Bailey Hemphill opened the frame with a double to the wall in right center. With runners at the corners and one out, Morgan hit a bouncer to second. Jefferson fielded the ball cleanly and fired a strike to the plate where Iakopo made the tag for the second out. With two Tide runners still on and UT close to escaping the jam undamaged, Bama pulled off a double steal. Texas' throw to third got away allowing Alabama to plate an unearned run for a 3-0 advantage.

Bolinger proved very effective out of the bullpen, working around a one-out single in the fifth with the assistance of an Iakopo caught stealing. She also got some defensive help after issuing a leadoff walk in the sixth as the Horns defense immediately turned a 6-4-3 double play.

Over the last two frames, Texas got a two-out Hathaway single in the sixth but nothing else against Fouts as the Alabama hurler retired the last four Longhorns she faced to close things out.