Tide Rolls: No. 4 Alabama Softball Stuns No. 1 Texas
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – After falling behind early, No. 4 Alabama softball unleashed an offensive onslaught to roar back and defeat No. 1 Texas 11-4 on Friday night at Rhoads Stadium. The crucial victory evens the highly anticipated series between the current and future SEC powerhouses, setting the stage for a dramatic rubber match on Saturday.
Texas jumped out to a 4-0 lead by the top of the second inning, quieting the home crowd and putting the Crimson Tide on its heels. However, the deficit was short-lived. Alabama’s offense erupted in the bottom of the second, sending 11 batters to the plate in a six-run inning that completely flipped the script. A bases-loaded, three-run double from Brooke Wells was the inning's key hit, giving Alabama a lead it would not relinquish. The Crimson Tide added five more runs throughout the game, holding the potent Longhorns offense scoreless for the final five frames.
Vic Moten was a standout in the circle for Alabama, pitching 5.1 total innings of relief and allowing only three Texas baserunners after re-entering in the third. Ambrey Taylor provided additional firepower at the plate with a solo home run and a two-run single. The win was a significant response from Alabama after dropping the series opener and demonstrates the team's resilience against the nation's top-ranked squad.
QUICK HITS
- No. 3 Texas WBB's Season Ends in Final Four: The impressive season for No. 3 Texas Women's Basketball came to a close in Phoenix with a 51-44 loss to No. 2 UCLA in the NCAA Final Four. The Longhorns, who finished with a 35-4 record, made back-to-back Final Four appearances for the first time since 1987. It was a tough defensive battle, but the Longhorns struggled offensively, shooting just 31% from the field. Senior Kyla Oldacre led Texas with 11 points.
- King's Dominance Leads No. 21 Florida Past Ole Miss: On the baseball diamond, No. 21 Florida evened its series with Ole Miss thanks to a masterful performance from pitcher Aidan King, who threw seven scoreless innings in a 2-0 victory. King was nearly untouchable, striking out eight batters with zero walks while scattering four hits. The win was Florida's nation-leading seventh shutout of the season.
- No. 2 Texas Baseball Evens Series with South Carolina: The No. 2 Texas Longhorns secured a 5-3 road win against South Carolina to even their series. Junior Carson Tinney powered the offense with two home runs, while pitcher Luke Harrison was effective over 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit to earn the win. The Longhorns outhit the Gamecocks 13-4.
- SEC Athletes Shatter Track & Field Records: At the prestigious Stanford Invitational, several SEC athletes etched their names in their schools' record books. Georgia's Matias Reynaga shattered the men's 10,000-meter school record with a time of 28:25.30. Ole Miss also had a record-breaking night, with Kidus Misgina setting a new 10K school record (28:17.69) and Beth Arentz establishing a new best in the women's 5K (15:51.89).
PORTAL WATCH
Activity across the SEC remains quiet on the transfer portal front. As spring practices conclude across the conference in the coming weeks, the portal is expected to see a significant increase in new entries.
RECRUITING BUZZ
There have been no new football or basketball commitments to report across the Southeastern Conference in the last 12 hours.
GAMES TO WATCH
A full slate of SEC baseball and softball action is on tap for Saturday, April 4th. Here are a few key matchups to keep an eye on:
- Softball: No. 1 Texas at No. 4 Alabama (12:30 PM CT, SEC Network)
- Baseball: No. 2 Texas at South Carolina (1:00 PM CT)
- Baseball: Ole Miss at No. 21 Florida (6:30 PM CT, SEC Network)
- Baseball: LSU at Tennessee (11:00 AM CT, ESPN2)