The Alabama softball team takes on the Tennessee Vols in the final home SEC series of the regular season. First pitch is set for 6 pm
The Crimson Tide (31-12, 8-10 SEC) is coming off another SEC series loss (Arkansas). Alabama has won just one SEC series this season (Ole Miss) and it doesn’t get easier with the Vols (35-8, 14-4) coming to town.
The Vols are led by Kiki Milloy, who is hitting .357 with 46 hits, 10 home runs and 24 RBIs. Zaida Puni is the team leader in homers with 11 and McKenna Gibson leads the way with 37 RBIs.
In the circle, Tennessee boasts a pair of dominating pitchers in Payton Gottshall (17-3, 1.07 ERA, 134 strikeouts) and Karlyn Pickens (16-5, 1.12 ERA, 161 strikeouts).
Alabama’s led by Kendal Clark (.304 avg.), the only Crimson Tide hitter with a .300-plus batting average. Marlie Giles, Jenna Johnson and Abby Duchscherer all have six homers and Duchscherer leads the way with 30 RBIs.
In the circle, Kayla Beaver is 14-6 with a 1.75 ERA with 134 strikeouts.
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FINAL: Tennessee 5, Alabama 0
Bottom 7
• Gottshall gets Cahalan to ground out and Tennessee wins the series opener. Bama shut out for the fifth time this season.
• Speedster Kristen White gets on with a bunt single with one out
Middle 7: Tennessee 5, Alabama 0
Top 7
• Zaida Puni blasts her 12th home run of the year to center field. Tennessee now up 5-0.
• Milloy gets a leadoff double. Great diving catch attempt from Lauren Johnson in center field.
• Jaala Torrence in the circle for Alabama. Kayla Beaver goes six innings, allows three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts.
End 6: Tennessee 3, Alabama 0
Bottom 6
• Pannell makes quick work of Alabama for a 1-2-3 inning. Tennessee outhitting Alabama 8-2.
Top 6
• Bama gets out of the inning without any further damage despite allowing two hits and an error.
• Wild play. Bailey Dowling throws the ball away at first base and Pannell is tagged out at home trying to score from first. Tennessee calls for a review and the call is upheld.
• Nugent leads off the inning with a single.
End 5: Tennessee 3, Alabama 0
Bottom 5
• Alabama leaves a runner on base (its sixth of the night).
Middle 5: Tennessee 3, Alabama 0
Top 5
• Vols get two runs on three hits. This might be too big of a deficit for Alabama to overcome with how well Payton Gottshall is pitching.
• Gibson singles to right field to bring in another Vols run. Tennessee 3-0.
• Fly out puts Tennessee’s Millroy at third with two outs.
• Tennessee runner on third called out for interference and is out. One out with a runner on second. Big break for Bama since Valentine and Bailey Dowling could not make the play on the foul ball.
• Milloy gets an infield single, but a fielding error allows Koutsoyanopulos to score. Tennessee up 2-0.
• Mealer follows with a walk. Alabama in trouble with runners on first and second with the top of the lineup coming up and no outs.
• Koutsoyanopulos gets a double to the right-center gap to lead off the inning.
End 4: Tennessee 1, Alabama 0
Bottom 4
• Pop up ends the inning and Alabama leaves two runners on base.
• Alabama has something cooking again with a walk by Emma Broadfoot. Two runners on base with two outs.
• Bailey Dowling reaches on a fielding error. One on, one out for Alabama
Top 4
• Taylor Pannell gets a one-out single but is left on base and Tennessee comes up empty.
End 3: Tennessee 1, Alabama 0
Bottom 3
• Clark strikes out. It’s that kind of a night for Bama.
• Two outs but now runners on second and third for Kendal Clark.
• Lauren Johnson gets the walk and Alabama has runners on first and second with no outs. Crowd starting to get fired up.
• Kali Heivilin leads off the inning with a single up the middle. It’s Bama’s second hit of the game.
Top 3
• Zaidi Puni gets another hit but she’s left stranded. She has both Vol hits.
End 2: Tennessee 1, Alabama 0
Bottom 2
• Alabama leaves Dowling stranded and comes away empty.
• Bailey Dowling with a one-out single for Alabama’s first hit.
Top 2
• A nice 1-2-3 inning for Beaver.
End 1: Tennessee 1, Alabama 0
Bottom 1
• Nothing for Alabama after two flyouts and a strikeout.
Mid 1: Tennessee 1, Alabama 0
Top 1
• Beaver gets two strikeouts to stop the damage.
• Tennessee strikes first with a leadoff walk, a single and then a sac fly to make it 1-0 with one out.
Tennessee Lineup
CF Kiki Milloy
DP Zaida Puni
3B McKenna Gibson
LF Rylie West
C Sophia Nugent
RF Taylor Pannell
2B Destiny Rodriguez
G. Koutsoyanopoulos
SS Laura Mealer
P Payton Gottshall
Alabama Lineup
SS Kenleigh Cahalan
LF Jenna Johnson
RF Kendall Clark
DP Aby Duschscherer
3B Bailey Dowling
C Riley Valentine
1B Emma Broadfoot
2B Kali Heavilin
CF Lauren Johnson
P Kayla Beaver
Inside the Series
Overall vs. Tennessee: 40-30
In Tuscaloosa: 21-8 | In Knoxville: 13-16 | At Neutral Sites: 6-6
Current Streak: Tennessee +3
Last Meeting: June 1, 2023 – Oklahoma City, Okla. – L, 5-10 (WCWS)
Last Meeting in Tuscaloosa: May 14, 2021 – W, 6-5 (SEC Tournament)
