Bama WINS in 10 innings

Alabama softball saw an early 1-0 lead erased by Texas A&M in the bottom of the seventh, forcing the teams to battle for 10 innings with a solo home run by Bailey Hemphill ultimately providing the difference in the Crimson Tide’s 2-1 victory.

Alabama (42-15) held Texas A&M (42-10) hitless through seven innings before a solo home run by Tori Vidales tied it in the bottom of the seventh, sending the game to extra innings. After two more scoreless innings, Hemphill blasted a two-strike pitch over the fence in center field to give the Tide a 2-1 lead, which ultimately proved final. The 10-inning game is tied for the longest game in SEC Tournament history by innings.

Alexis Osorio (21-7) was masterful in the circle for Alabama, throwing a career-high 10.0 innings while limiting the SEC’s leading power team to just one run on two hits along with an SEC Tournament single-game record 15 strikeouts. The Tide’s first run came off the bat of Marisa Runyon, an RBI single in the top of the third, and Hemphill’s solo home run marked the second long ball of the week for the Tide freshman. Elissa Brown went 2-4 at the top of the order to extend her hitting streak to six games and her reached-base streak to 16 games.

Osorio faced the minimum until the bottom of the fifth when Ashley Walters drew a one-out walk for the Aggies’ first baserunner of the day. The threat was erased quickly as a 6-4-3 double play ended the inning and sent it to the sixth with the score still 1-0. Texas A&M got a runner on again in the bottom of the sixth but, after a strikeout, Dykes fired down to Sydney Booker covering second to catch the runner stealing for out number two of the inning. A two-out walk put the potential tying run on base again but Osorio’s ninth strikeout of the day ended the inning and kept it a one-run lead for Alabama.

With the game still tied in the top of the 10th, Hemphill blasted a solo home run to straightaway center to take a 2-1 lead. Alabama would leave a runner stranded on base in the half-inning, taking a one-run lead to the bottom half. Down to its final out, Kristen Cuyos hit a two-out single to right field but a groundout on the fourth pitch of the next at-bat ended it as Alabama held on to win, 2-1.

Next, Alabama will advance to play the winner of Thursday’s Florida (50-5) vs. Ole Miss (37-18) game in the semifinals Friday at 2 p.m. CT on ESPNU.