No. 9 Softball falls just short of WCWS with 8-5 loss at No. 5/4 Alabama

Saturday, May 25

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

1 p.m. CT

University of Texas

46-17

#5/4 Alabama (if necessary)

57-8

Texas

Alabama

No. 9 Softball falls just short of WCWS with 8-5 loss at No. 5/4 Alabama

05.25.2019 | Softball

Box Score

The Longhorns brought the potential tying run to the plate during the top of the seventh

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – On Saturday afternoon in game three of the NCAA Tuscaloosa Super Regional, No. 9 Texas softball (46-17) nearly fought its way back from another deficit, bringing the tying run to the plate before coming up just short of a WCWS berth with an 8-5 loss to No. 5/4 Alabama (57-8).

Important Notes

Texas' 46 wins were the most for the Longhorns since registering 51 during the 2013 campaign.
Texas is now 8-4 all-time in NCAA Super Regional contests and is 1-2 in road match-ups

Major Players

Junior third baseman Shannon Rhodes led the offense by going a perfect 3-for-3 with a grand slam and four RBIs, while sophomore catcher Mary Iakopo added a 1-for-2 effort with two walks and a RBI. Sophomore second baseman Janae Jefferson added a 2-for-4 performance with a run, while sophomore first baseman Lauren Burke was 1-for-3 with two runs scored.

In the Circle

Freshman Shealyn O'Leary (14-3) suffered the loss in relief, allowing just one earned run on four hits with a walk in 1.1 innings. Senior Brooke Bolinger started the contest and permitted an earned run while walking three and allowing two hits over 1.1 frames. Out of the pen, sophomore Ariana Adams allowed two earned runs on four hits with a walk and a K in 3.1 innings.

The Details

Texas threatened right from the start in the top of the first as the Longhorns got a base knock from Jefferson and an Iakopo walk to put two aboard with two outs. Rhodes stepped in the box and ripped a single up the middle. Alabama center fielder Elissa Brown charged the ball and fired a strike to the plate as Jefferson was called out to end the frame.

The Crimson Tide put together their own scoring chance in the bottom half of the first, loading the bases with two outs on a trio of walks. Bolinger managed to escape the jam by getting Merris Schroder to fly out harmlessly to left as Alabama missed an opportunity by leaving the bags packed.

A Maddie Morgan leadoff double was cashed in by the Crimson Tide in the bottom of the second. After a UT fielding error put runners at the corners, right fielder KB Sides blooped a RBI single to right to push UA in front, 1-0.

Burke kicked off a game-tying rally for the Longhorns in the top of the third by driving a leadoff single the other way down the left field line. With the Eugene, Ore., native standing at third following a stolen base and a grounder, Iakopo stepped up and drove a RBI single to right to tie the contest at 1-1.

Alabama grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the third as a Skylar Wallace lead-off double, an advance on a fly ball and a Morgan sacrifice fly combined to plate Wallace for a 2-1 advantage. With two down in the frame, a dropped fly ball crucially extended the Crimson Tide's inning. That came back to hurt the Longhorns in a big way as Sides eventually blasted a three-run HR to center and first baseman Bailey Hemphill followed with a solo shot to left to make it 6-1 on four unearned tallies.

A leadoff Reagan Dykes single in the bottom of the fourth led to another Bama run as Morgan soon followed by blooping a two-out single down the left field line to expand the lead to 7-1.

Despite the deficit, Texas continued to fight as Burke was hit by a pitch, Jefferson followed with an infield single and Iakopo walked to load the bases with just one out. Facing a huge opportunity to cut into the deficit, Rhodes stepped up and launched a grand slam the opposite way to right center to claw Texas back within 7-5.

A two-out bloop single from Morgan added an insurance run for the Crimson Tide in the bottom of the sixth to make it 8-5.

Down to Texas' final three outs, redshirt junior center fielder Reagan Hathaway managed a walk and Rhodes beat out an infield single to bring the potential tying run to the plate. Unfortunately for the Longhorns, a fly out to right ended the contest.