With Michigan winning the Louisville Regional, the Wolverines will come to Tuscaloosa for a three-game series with the Tide with the winner advancing to the Women’s College World Series.

“It’ll be fun to get to see them again,” Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said about facing Michigan. [Michigan head coach Carol Hutchins] is a hall of fame coach, a legend at Michigan. They won the Big Ten for the fifth straight year, so I know they’ll have a great team.”

Alabama did not play Michigan the last two years, but split the season series in 2010. Now, the Tide will need to win two games for a trip to Oklahoma City.

“It’s been such an incredible ride. To be at a program where we’re in a position to win a regional or win the SEC or be successful every year, that’s such a tribute to where it starts at the top with coach Murphy,” said senior Cassie Reilly-Boccia. “Every year I feel like we’ve gotten better and better since my freshman year. And I thought we were really good my freshman year.”

But the Tide needed to get past the Jaguars for a second straight day to advance and did so behind Traina’s strong pitching performance and a three-run sixth inning.

Traina finished the day allowing just two hits and striking out ten batters in her second appearance in two days. She only seemed to get better as the game went on, not allowing a hit over the final three innings and striking out the side to finish the game in the seventh.

“She was pretty sharp. She wasn’t at her A-Game, but I think her lower level games can still beat a lot of people,” catcher Kendall Dawson said. “She’s just that kind of strong pitcher that no matter what the strike zone is like – he was squeezing her a little bit – she’s still going to find a way to get the outs. That’s what’s amazing about her. She’s so mentally solid.”

Alabama started things off with a run in each of the first three innings. In the first, Kaila Hunt hit her 70th RBI of the season, which moved her into sole possession of third place in the Alabama record books for RBIs in a season.

“She’s had to come through and they’ve gotten on for her,” Murphy said about Hunt’s season. “One of the keys, too, was moving her up to the three spot, because she’s pretty consistent at putting the ball in play.”

In the second inning, freshman Danae Hays continued her strong weekend with an RBI single. In the third, it was Reilly-Boccia, hitting a single up the middle to extend the lead to three and prompt a pitching and catching change for the Jaguars.

But Alabama wasn’t satisfied, and after two scoreless innings, the Tide added three insurance runs in the sixth to put the game away. Jennifer Fenton hit a two-run double, and Traina added an RBI on a single up the middle.

“We weren’t satisfied,” Reilly-Boccia said. “That was a huge inning, just to show that even though it was hot, even though it was the end of a long weekend, we still came ready to hit late in the game.”

Her only two hits allowed were both solo home runs in the second and seventh inning, but the Tide bats more than made up for it in the win.

“It’s not a bad thing,” head coach Patrick Murphy said about falling behind early. “It showed that we could come back. I don’t think anybody panicked in the dugout. Everybody believed that eventually we could do it.”

After a scoreless first inning, the Jaguars got on the board first, when Christin Crocker hit a solo shot to left field that put South Alabama up 1-0.

But Alabama struck back in the third with a three-run inning to gain a lead it wouldn’t surrender. The sequence started when South Alabama right fielder Blair Johnson tripped fielding a routine fly ball from Danae Hays. Hays reached second and eventually was scored on an RBI single by Jennifer Fenton.

Then, senior Kaila Hunt delivered a nine-pitch at-bat that ended with a two-run home run to put Alabama up 3-1.

“I had noticed that early in the count, [pitcher Hannah Campbell] had been coming in, and when she got hits she was going away, so that’s how I approached the at bat,” Hunt said. “When I got two strikes, I was trying to protect and she brought me the pitch. She put it over the plate after I battled.”

Alabama added two runs in the fifth, but it could have been more. Hunt thought she had another home run, but left fielder Alyssa Linn reached over the wall to take it away. The hit was still enough to score the runner from third.

“She made a great play on it,” Hunt said. “At least I got an RBI out of it, I’ll take it. Obviously I’m upset about it, but it’s part of the game, it happens.”

Apart from the two home runs, Traina dominated the game pitching for Alabama. She improved to 34-2 on the year and will be counted on even more as the Tide tries to advance deep in postseason play.

“They just weren’t my best pitches. If you just leave them there, it’s gonna happen,” Traina said about the two home runs. “It was nice to get my body feeling back to as good as it can feel and my legs felt good, I wasn’t sore. It felt good.”

With the win, Alabama advances to the Regional final on Sunday at 1 p.m from Rhoads Stadium. The Tide will play whichever team among Georgia Tech, Tennessee Martin or South Alabama comes out of the loser’s bracket.

“This was the important game,” Murphy said. “You don’t want to keep playing today and then sit back and see who wins. They have to battle it out.”

Georgia jumped onto the scoreboards first, scoring off an RBI single in the top of the first inning. The Bulldogs extended its lead in the third, when Alabama starting pitcher Charley Sullivan gave up two earned runs off three hits to put the score at 3-0.

Alabama was finally able to rebound in the bottom of the fourth inning when Austen Smith got the team’s first hit of the day with an RBI single, scoring Ben Moore from second. Alabama tied the game in the next inning, after a two-RBI double from senior Jared Reaves that scored seniors Jon Kelton and Hunter Gregory.

After a scoreless sixth, Georgia regained the lead in the seventh when Jared Walsh reached base on a fielder’s choice single, scoring teammate Hunter Cole.

Alabama was able to rebound again, this time in the bottom of the eighth. Reaves started the inning with a single, and advanced to second when Moore grounded out to third base. After another single from Smith that advanced Reaves to third, Georgia relief pitcher Pete Nagel walked Brett Booth, loading the bases for the Tide with only one out. After a Josh Rosecrans pop out, senior James Tullidge stepped up to the plate. Nagel threw a wild pitch, scoring Reaves and tying the game at 4. Tullidge walked, and Kelton gave Alabama the permanent lead with a two-RBI single, giving Alabama the win.

Kelton said his game-winning single was one of his all-time favorite hits at Alabama.

“Even though it’s been a bad year, that’s up there with some of the years of getting big hits in regionals,” Kelton said. “That’s just a great moment that I’ll never forget.”

Taylor Dugas said he was happy his teammate could end his career with one more highlight.

“Glad to win the last game, for us seniors, it was just a huge win. We wanted to go out with that winning feeling,” Dugas said. “I was just so excited when I saw Kelton get the big hit right there, and put us ahead. He’s been here longer than me, five years, and I was just real excited for him.”

Redshirt freshman Jay Shaw earned the victory for the Tide, coming in the seventh inning and giving up zero hits, zero runs and walking one batter. He pitched 1.3 innings. Trey Pilkington earned the save.

Head coach Mitch Gaspard said he was happy the seniors could end their careers on a winning note.

“A good way for our seniors to go out,” Gaspard said. “Overall, certainly the last two nights, certainly some good things happened, and I’m just happy for our seniors, we get to leave today on a good note after a win.”

Dugas, who finished the day 0-for-3 with a walk, finished his career as the all-time leader in career hits (334), singles (235), doubles (67), and triples (18). Dugas finished in the top-10 in 14 different statistical categories at Alabama during his four-year career, including third in runs with 232.

Still, Dugas seemed not to mind this final outing too much.

“It would have been nice to get a hit,” Dugas said. “But I’ll take an 0-for-3 with the win today, so that really doesn’t bother me too much.”

“I thought tonight it was really one of our best games all year,” head coach Mitch Gaspard said. “Jon Keller was outstanding. He’s pitched really well, for the most part, all year and tonight he got a little run support, he was able to stretch an extra inning and he got support in the back of the game from Jake Hubbard. I thought it was a clean game and that we played really well all night long.”

The Tide had a shaky start with a mix-up in the batting order that gave the team an automatic out. Prior to the game, Josh Rosecrans, usually fifth on the line up, was switched with Brett Booth who usually bats sixth.

Gaspard said he purposefully switched the two players because Booth had been batting so well for the Tide in recent games. The mix-up, he said, was just a mistake.

A mistake it was – and though it could have cost Alabama the win, the team was unshaken.

In fact, the Tide gained control of the game in the next inning with a triple by Taylor Dugas that allowed Hunter Gregory to score the first run of the game. Dugas then scored run number 232 of his career off a pop fly to centerfield by Jared Reaves.

A double to right centerfield by Gregory allowed Rosecrans and James Tullidge to score two additional runs for the Tide in the fourth bringing the score to 4-0.

Alabama starting pitcher Jon Keller took the Tide through seven innings allowing five hits and no runs. Keller tied his career high for longest outing – he pitched seven innings only one other time against Mississippi State. Also tied was his career high of six strike outs – Auburn and Ole Miss each had six batters struck out by Keller.

“Jon was outstanding,” Gaspard said. “Right now, he doesn’t look like a freshman on the mound.”

Reliever Jake Hubbard came into the game in the eighth inning. Hubbard finished the game for the Tide striking out two Georgia batters before Gregory grabbed the third out from a pop fly to left field.

Keller earned the win for the Tide bringing his record to 2-5 on the season. The win brings Alabama to 20-34 on the season and 8-21 in SEC play. Georgia fell to 31-23 for the season and 14-14 in SEC play.

The Tide and the Bulldogs will face off once more on Saturday, with first pitch set for 1:05 p.m. from Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The completion of its final Southeastern Conference series of the year will round out the season for the Crimson Tide.

The Georgia bats caught fire in the second inning when the team hit four singles in a row to score the game’s first run. Kyle Farmer, the sixth batter of the inning, drove in three more runners with a triple.

The early scoring drive by the Bulldogs left The Tide grappling for run opportunities throughout the game.

“We gave up a big lead to them early on,” catcher Brett Booth said. “It’s hard to come back from an early beginning like that.”

Alabama’s first opportunity came in the bottom of the second when James Tullidge hit the second triple of his career. This allowed Brett Booth to score the Tide’s first run of the game, but a pop fly by Andrew Miller ended the inning stranding Tullidge on base.

Georgia starting pitcher Alex Wood threw eight strike outs through seven innings allowing Alabama five hits and one run. Wood was replaced by Blake Dieterich who allowed one hit in the eight innings to left fielder Andrew Miller. Miller advanced two bases on a ground out by AJ Cole and a pass ball by Wood. He scored on a pop fly by Taylor Dugas.

The Bulldogs led another scoring drive in the ninth inning to bring the score to 8-2. With one out, Levi Hyams hit a double and was able to score on a single by Jared Walsh. A single by Colby May allowed Peter Verdin to make it home. Pinch runner, Nelson Ward and Colby May pulled off a double steal and Ward made it home on a wild pitch. The Tide made it out of the inning, leaving two runners on base.

Josh Rosecrans sent home Ben Moore by hitting a double. Andrew Miller received an RBI with a single that sent catcher, Brett Booth, home. Pinch hitter, Cameron Carlisle grounded out to end the inning for Alabama.

Reliever Justin Kamplain came into the game in the fourth inning and was able to take the Tide into the ninth inning allowing four hits and no runs. He struck out six batters before giving up three runs in the top of the ninth inning.

“Kamplain did a really good job coming in in the middle part of the game and took us into the ninth,” head coach Mitch Gaspard said. “He gave us a shot to make a run.”

Spencer Turnbull recorded the loss for the Tide bringing his record to 1-4 on the season. Alabama falls to 19-34 on the season and 7-21 in SEC play.

The Tide and the Bulldogs will battle again Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 pm in Sewell Thomas Stadium.