No. 2 Alabama Scores Three in Bottom of Seventh to Walk Off UK
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide scored three runs off of three different pitchers in the bottom of the seventh inning to turn a 4-2 Kentucky lead into a 5-4 Alabama victory as the Tide secured the series win over Kentucky at Rhoads Stadium.
Sarah Haendiges was magical in the circle for Kentucky going the opening six innings of the game with only two runs allowed at the time of her exit from the game and six strikeouts with five of them looking. With Alabama getting a lead-off double to start the bottom of the seventh, Haendiges was lifted for McKenzie Oslanzi who got an out and allowed one run before Alabama used a replay review overturn of a called catch on the field in RF to score a run and then walked off the game two batters later on an infield single.
Alabama secures the series win with Saturday’s result and moves to 41-4 on the season and now sits 14-3 in the SEC. Kentucky falls to 25-24 overall and is now 1-19 in the SEC.
Game three of the series will be Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET from Rhoads Stadium live on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app with Gray Robertson and Ally Shipman on the call from Tuscaloosa.
Run Recap
Alabama’s Alexis Pupillo hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to score the first runs of the game. ALA 2, UK 0
In the top of the sixth inning, Allie Blum singled into right field to score pinch runner Katie Hirschy from second and Peyton Plotts then followed with a two-run single the other way to push across a three spot for the Wildcats in the inning. UK 3, ALA 2
In the top of the seventh, Maddy Clark hit a lead-off solo home run, her second of the season to double the Kentucky lead. UK 4, ALA 2
In the bottom of the seventh, Alabama hit a lead-off double that induced a Kentucky pitching change. McKenzie Oslanzi entered and got an out thanks to a groundball to the left side for the first out of the inning. After a walk to put runners on the corners, Brooke Wells singled to score a run and put Bama runners on first and second with one out. Abby Hammond then came in to pitch and walked the first batter she faced to load the bases which was followed by a wild sequence involving video review. Alabama’s Marlie Giles hit a ball to right that was called a catch on the field for what would have been the second out of the inning. Alabama challenged the play and after a lengthy review, the call was overturned and the SEC replay office gave each runner and the batter one base, thus scoring the game-tying run off of runner placement. Hammond struck out the next batter to bring Bama down to its last out, but Audrey Vandagriff hit a single to the left side to score the walk-off, game-winning run to end the game. FINAL – Alabama 5, Kentucky 4
Key Player
Allie Blum went 2-for-3 in the game with a run scoring single in the top of the sixth inning and scoring the go-ahead run in the same half inning. Blum is now 4-for-6 in the series with Alabama, the leading hitter for the Kentucky offense.
Key Moment
The replay review overturn and runner placement was the key play in the game, as it gave Alabama the game-tying and go-ahead run for the contest.
Key Stat
- Sarah Haendiges struck out six batters in the game Saturday, her SEC game high for 2026 in one of her best outings as a Wildcat.
Pitching Recap
Haendiges started and went the opening 6.0 innings. McKenzie Oslanzi entered in the seventh and got an out with Abby Hammond also recording an out in the bottom of the seventh before the Crimson Tide walked things off with an infield single.
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