Alabama softball played two games on Saturday and collected just three runs on nine hits. That is not a winning formula against a top-10 team, like the No. 7 Tennessee Lady Volunteers.
Tennessee (40-8, 10-7 SEC) won the first ballgame over Alabama (27-15, 7-10 SEC) 1-0 in a pitchers duel.
The Lady Volunteers took it to the Alabama pitching staff in the second game, winning it 13-3.
“I thought Osorio pitched her butt off in the first game,” coach Patrick Murphy said. “We wasted a great performance by her. She was terrific and we have six opportunities to tie the game. We went 0-for-6.”
Tennessee starter Matty Moss and Alabama starter Alexis Osorio limited the bats on both sides. Moss allowed just one hit in her seven complete innings of work, walked a batter and struck out six. It only took her 91 pitches.
Osorio allowed an earned run on just two hits in her seven complete innings. She struck out 14 and walked four.
Osorio ended the Tennessee seventh with a strikeout, her 1,000 strikeout of her Alabama career.
“She’s one of the best we’ve ever had,” Murphy said. “It’s a huge accomplishment for her. It says a lot about her as a kid to be able to do it for four years. She’s just a hell of a pitcher and I’m really proud of her.”
Tennessee scored its lone run in the third inning on an RBI-double. Alabama left five runners on base, including two runners on third base in the third and fifth innings.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Alabama fell behind in the first inning, but was able to bounce back in the bottom of the inning to tie the game on a Gabby Callaway RBI single.
The Crimson Tide took the lead in the bottom of the second inning on a Demi Turner infield single.
Tennessee tied the game at two in the top of the fourth and then blew the game open in the top of the fifth, scoring three runs.
Carrigan Fain hit a solo home run off the left field foul pole in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the Tennessee lead to 6-3. That’s as close as Alabama would get.
The Lady Volunteers scored 12 runs between the third and seventh inning to take a double-digit lead on the Crimson Tide.
The Alabama committed four errors, on a night where the combination of Madison Preston and Courtney Gettins struggled.
The two combined to walk seven hitters in seven innings, striking out just four. They allowed 13 runs (eight earned) on 12 hits.
“I really thought Preston did a good job,” Murphy said. “We didn’t make some plays behind her. For the most part, I thought she pitched pretty good. She makes a couple of plays herself and I think it’s a completely different game.”
The two victories clinched the series victory for Tennessee in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama and Tennessee will return to action on Monday for a 6 p.m. start. The Crimson Tide will look to avoid being swept for the first time this season.
“We’re going to hit a little bit tomorrow,” Murphy said. “We’re obviously putting the tarp on now, it’s going to rain all day tomorrow. We just need to have better at bats, help our pitchers out and make better plays defensively. Learn from this, but just flush it.”
