Top overall seed Alabama smothers LSU again, earns spot in Women’s College World Series
Published:
Top overall seed Alabama is heading back to the Women’s College World Series for the 16th time in program history, dispatching SEC rival LSU, 4-1, on Saturday night for a sweep of the Tuscaloosa Super Regional.
It was a long afternoon into night in T-Town, with multiple weather delays making the home fans wait. But the Crimson Tide (54-7) made their wait well worth it, shutting down the Tigers (40-19) for the second straight day after Friday’s 7-0 victory in Game 1.
A deciding Game 3 on Sunday won’t be needed because of it, and now Alabama will set its sights on Oklahoma City and trying to win the program’s first national championship since 2012. That pursuit will begin next week for the Crimson Tide, who’ll start the WCWS with a matchup against the winner of the Los Angeles Super Regional between UCLA and UCF.
Alexis Pupillo gave Bama the lead for good with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning. The shot to center field made it 2-1, but the Tide were just getting started in that game-deciding fourth. A clutch 2-out, 2-run single to left by Salen Hawkins finally gave Alabama some breathing room, providing the final 4-1 margin.
Kristen White gave the Crimson Tide a 1-0 lead in the third inning, scoring on a wild pitch. But LSU scored its first (and only) run of the super regional in the bottom of the third, with an RBI single by Tori Edwards tying the game at 1-1.
Incredibly, it was also the first run Alabama had allowed since the SEC Tournament. But that was it for LSU, as more stellar Tide pitching shut down the Tigers the rest of the way.
Vic Moten pitched the first 4 innings for Bama, allowing 1 run on 5 hits with 1 walk and 7 strikeouts. Star pitcher Jocelyn Briski closed it out by going the final 3 innings, holding LSU off the scoreboard while allowing 2 hits with 1 walk and 5 strikeouts.
The Tigers were going home to Baton Rouge while their SEC rivals were celebrating before heading off to Oklahoma City for a shot at the ultimate prize in softball.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
