The No. 14 Alabama softball team struggled on the road against Kentucky, dropping two of three games over the weekend. After losing the series opener, Alabama bounced back to even the series before losing the series finale.
The Crimson Tide are now 26-8 overall with a 3-6 record in the SEC.
In the top of the seventh inning of the series opener, Alabama trailed by three runs but managed to bring the potential tying run to the plate. Despite their efforts, the late comeback attempt fell short, and Kentucky held on for a 6-3 win on Thursday night to start the weekend series.
Three home runs propelled Alabama to a 9-4 victory over Kentucky on Friday night, leveling the weekend series going into the series finale.
Alabama's nine runs were the result of 11 hits, including three from Kenleigh Cahalan, matching her career high. Kali Heivilin also had a big game for the Crimson Tide, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, including her fifth home run of the season. Marlie Giles hit her second home run of the weekend, homering in back-to-back games for the second time this season. Jenna Johnson's three-run homer was her fourth of the year, and her four RBIs matched her previous career high.
Kayla Beaver bounced back with a win on Friday, after suffering a loss in the circle the day before. Alea Johnson closed it out in the seventh with a scoreless inning pitched.
Alabama mounted a seventh-inning rally to push the series finale into extra innings, but the Crimson Tide ultimately fell short as Kentucky walked off in the bottom of the eighth to win 4-3 and secure the weekend series.
Kentucky jumped on the board first due to a fielding error by Alabama. In the third inning, Jenna Johnson hit a solo home run to tie the game up 1-1. The Crimson Tide put another run on the board in the top of the fourth before Kentucky answered with two runs in the bottom half to give the Wildcats a 3-2 lead.
Kenleigh Cahalan tied the game up with an RBI single in the seventh to send the game into extra innings. In the bottom of the eighth, Kentucky walked off the game with an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth to win the game and series.
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