Alabama Softball Posts 4-2 Victory Over LSU in Sunday Series Rubber Match

A key two-run double by Marisa Runyon was the difference-maker in a tightly-contested rubber match Sunday at Rhoads Stadium between Alabama and LSU, with the Crimson Tide coming out on top, 4-2, to win the weekend series.

Runyon’s two-run double in the bottom of the fifth broke a 2-2 tie and gives her six RBIs in the last five games, earning at least one hit in four of those five games.

“I felt like Runyon was going to get a hit,” UA Head Coach Patrick Murphy said. “I was going to bunt her, but we called a timeout and I told her I had a good feeling about her. It was a really good at-bat and she has shown signs of breaking out over the last couple of games.”

Alabama (35-7, 10-5 SEC) took the first lead of the day in the bottom of second on an RBI single by Gabby Callaway before LSU (32-9, 8-4 SEC) pulled ahead 2-1 in the next half-inning. A fourth-inning RBI single by Sydney Booker tied the game at 2-2 before Runyon’s fifth-inning double put the Tide on top by two, which ultimately proved final. Six different players earned a hit for Alabama, led by Elissa Brown’s 2-3 day batting second. Alexis Osorio (18-4) gutted out the complete-game victory, holding the Tigers to just two runs, one earned, on five hits and four walks.

The two teams battled it out in front of a sellout crowd of 3,940, Alabama’s second crowd above 3,000 this weekend and its fourth of the season.

After a single and a stolen base put Regan Dykes in scoring position in the bottom of the second, Callaway battled through a 10-pitch at-bat before dropping an RBI single into right field to give Alabama the early 1-0 lead. In the top of the third, a single and two walks loaded the bases for LSU with one out before a passed ball moved everyone up a base and tied the game at 1-1. A squeeze bunt added another run before a strikeout ended the inning with the Tigers now on top 2-1.

An error in the bottom of the fourth allowed the potential tying run to reach base safely for Alabama and a sacrifice bunt moved her to scoring position. After a fly ball went for out number two, Booker laced a single to left as pinch-runner Rachel Bobo slid in safely at home ahead of the tag to tie the game at 2-2.

Alabama led off the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back singles by Chandler Dare and Brown to set up Runyon for a big two-run double into the gap in left-center, putting the Tide ahead 4-2. A scoreless sixth inning for both teams kept it a two-run game heading to the top of the seventh. The first two LSU batters grounded out before a single to deep short and an errant throw moved a runner into scoring position for the Tigers. An intentional walk to Sahvanna Jaquish put two on base but a popup would end the game as Alabama won, 4-2, to clinch the weekend series.

Next up, Alabama hosts UAB on Tuesday, April 11 at 6 p.m. CT before hitting the road for a three-game series at 17th-ranked Tennessee beginning on Saturday, April 15 at 5 p.m. CT. All three games against the Vols will air live on SEC Network.