Déjà vu: Softball splits Saturday doubleheader

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CW / Hannah Saad

James Benedetto | @james_benedetto, Assistant Sports Editor

It felt like a scene out of the movie “Groundhog Day.” The sights, the sounds and even the outcomes felt eerily familiar. Almost like it happened before.

After picking up a 3-2 win against UT Arlington early in the afternoon on Saturday, No. 8 Alabama (11-7) once again held a lead against a ranked opponent. Just when it seemed the Crimson Tide was going to be victorious, it happened again.

Similar to its first matchup against No. 9 Florida State at the Joanne Graf Classic on Feb. 7, Alabama held a lead going into the final frame against a ranked team but it could not close out the game after a two-out rally helped Arizona to a 6-5 win.

“We need to close the door in the seventh inning, simple as that,” coach Patrick Murphy said. “You get two outs, that should be the end of the game. We’ve just done that way too often this year.”

Just like the game on Friday, Alabama battled back to tie the game in sixth inning. With two outs, sophomore Skylar Wallace singled to left field, allowing graduate student Alexis Mack to score. Two pitches later, junior KB Sides gave Alabama its first lead of the game with an RBI single to center field. After an intentional walk to senior Bailey Hemphill, junior Maddie Morgan capped off the rally with the third straight RBI single in the inning.

Morgan said afterwards that she was prepared for the moment after Arizona pitcher, Mariah Lopez, walked her on four pitches in the fifth inning.

“I know the game prior to that [at-bat], she was mostly outside, she would go screwball and then rise ball,” Morgan said. “So I was just at the back of the plate and just sitting on that outside pitch and luckily it was a change up and I love hitting change ups…luckily I was able to come through.”

An inning later, Alabama and Arizona switched roles as the Wildcats were now making a late rally with two outs. After back-to-back singles, Arizona’s Malia Martienz hit a three-run home run off of freshman Lexi Kilfoyl. Kilfoyl was given the loss after a complete-game outing, where she allowed six runs on nine hits.

“The mistake for me was [Arizona’s Marissa Schuld] was 0-2 and [the 0-2 pitch] was not a good pitch,” Murphy said. I think she landed in the right field which that’s not where that pitches supposed to go. Then, I don’t know she got nervous or what but the next, next one was not a good pitch either.”

After six games against teams ranked in the top 10, the Crimson Tide sport a 1-5 record. Alabama will wrap up the Easton Crimson Classic on Sunday as it will take on McNeese. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

“We can only learn from this experience,” Hemphill said. “It sucks that we lost that way but, we just want to keep improving because where we want to be is in [Oklahoma City] at the end of the year.”