Aggie Softball drops third game of series to Alabama in extra innings, 5-4
The No. 9 Aggie softball team (40-15, 13-10 SEC) was swept in walk-off fashion 5-4 by No. 18 Alabama on Sunday afternoon in Tuscaloosa. The Aggies were able to send the game into extra innings with a three-run shot off the bat of Tori Vidales, but they couldn’t hang on in extra innings.
With a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the eighth, Demi Turner hit a walk-off RBI single to center field to give the Tide a win.
The Crimson Tide jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first and kept adding runs. After two straight singles and a walk, Gabby Calloway drove an RBI single into left field to put Alabama on the board.
The Tide would strike again in the third, fourth and again the fifth inning. In the bottom of the third, Reagan Dykes would plate a run with an RBI sac-fly to center field. In the fourth inning, Kaylee Tow notched an RBI single to right-center field. And the Tide would cap off the scoring in the fifth with another RBI sac-fly, this time from Merris Schroder.
The Aggies managed to scratch across a run in the top of the sixth. After Tori Vidales singled and advanced on a groundout, Sam Show plated her with an RBI single to left field.
In the top of the seventh, Vidales launched a three-run shot to left field to tie the game and ultimately send the game into extra innings.
Lexi Smith started in the circle for the Aggies and struggled to keep Alabama off the bases, giving up nine hits, four walks and five earned runs before handing the ball off to Trinity Harrington in relief. Harrington (13-4, 1.81 ERA) worked 2,2 innings in relief before being tagged with the final run to give Alabama the win in the bottom of the eighth.
As it stands now, the Aggies are in fifth place in the conference with the SEC Tournament just around the corner. The Florida Gators are leading the conference and will head into the tournament as a number one seed.
A&M will return to action May 9 in Colombia, MO for the SEC Tournament. Their opponent and first pitch time will be announced soon.