Alabama Softball’s Season Ends With 6-0 Loss to Washington Saturday in Seattle
Alabama softball’s season ended Saturday in Seattle, as Washington won game two of the Super Regional series, 6-0, to eliminate the Crimson Tide from postseason play.
With the loss, Alabama concludes the 2018 season with a 36-20 record, making it to the NCAA Super Regional round for an NCAA-record 14-straight years. The Tide’s six-member senior class of Rachel Bobo, Sydney Booker, Carrigan Fain, Peyton Grantham, Alexis Osorio and Demi Turner conclude their collegiate careers with four NCAA Tournament appearances, four NCAA Regional titles and a pair of Women’s College World Series berths.
Alabama fell behind early to Washington (48-8), who scored a pair of runs in the first inning on a solo home run and RBI single. The Huskies added some cushion with a run in the fourth and three in the fifth, as the Tide offense could only muster three hits in the losing effort.
Washington took the first lead just two pitches into the game on a leadoff solo home run from Taylor Van Zee in the top of the first. Sis Bates kept the pressure on, reaching on a bunt single before advancing to second on a passed ball and third on a sacrifice bunt. Cleanup hitter Kirstyn Thomas drove Bates in with an RBI single up the middle and, after a popup, Noelle Hee dropped a single into right field to put runners at the corners. Junior Courtney Gettins bounced back with a strikeout to end the half-inning and limit the damage to two runs.
Alabama caught a break with one out and a Washington runner on first in the top of the third, as some miscommunication in the outfield led to a dropped ball but it was quickly collected and thrown to second for the forceout as the batter reached on a fielder’s choice. Junior Reagan Dykes ended the inning with a throw down to second to catch the runner stealing as it remained a 2-0 lead for the Huskies.
Hee’s second hit of the day was a one-out solo home run in the top of the fourth to extend Washington’s lead to 3-0. Three-straight singles quickly loaded the bases with one out and Alabama made a pitching change as freshman Madison Preston inherited the bases-loaded jam. Preston struck out Van Zee on three pitches before inducing a 4-3 groundout to get the Tide out of the jam, now trailing by three.
After a leadoff double by Julia DePonte in the top of the fifth, Thomas drove her in with an RBI single to center field to extend the lead to 4-0. After a strikeout and forceout, a walk and infield single loaded the bases with two away before a single through the left side moved everyone up 60 feet with the score now 5-0. A bases-loaded walk made it a six-run game before a one-hop groundout ended the half-inning.
The 6-0 lead proved final as Alabama had just one baserunner over the final two innings.
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