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Alabama softball outlasts Virginia Tech to reach Super Regionals in 3rd straight season
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Alabama is heading back to the Super Regionals, coming up with another gutsy win over Virginia Tech on Sunday evening. It goes down as back-to-back 1-run wins for the Crimson Tide to get out of the regional round.
In the clinching victory, all of the scoring for Alabama came in the 5th inning. A bases-loaded walk by Audrey Vandagriff broke the scoreless tie, and a 2-RBI hit by Lauren Johnson scored the other 2 runs for the Tide.
Johnson’s clutch hit came with 2 outs on an 0-2 count and was not hit particularly hard. However, it fell in front of the left fielder after a slip, leading to 2 runs for Alabama.
Virginia Tech would not go away, even pulling within 3-2 in the bottom of the 7th inning on a 2-run home run by Rachel Castine off of Alabama’s Catelyn Riley. The Crimson Tide would go to Jocelyn Briski out of the bullpen after the late home run, and Briski was quick to slam the door shut by getting the final 2 outs.
Alabama advances out of the regional out of going 3-0, including back-to-back 1-run wins over VT to finish the job. It sends the Crimson Tide to a 3rd straight Super Regional in search of a 3rd straight Women’s College World Series appearance, but it will not be easy.
The Super Regional sends Alabama to Norman to face No. 2 seed Oklahoma, the reigning WCWS champions for 4 years running. In fact, the last year Oklahoma failed to reach the WCWS came in 2015, and the Sooners have appeared in 5 straight WCWS Finals.
We’ll see which SEC squad gets the last laugh and punches a ticket to Oklahoma City this time around.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
