It was a game no one deserved to lose. Alas.
Arkansas, the SEC Tournament hosts, were knocked out in their first game of the week – in the quarterfinals – late Thursday night against Alabama in nine innings, 3-2. The win lifted the five-seed Alabama to the semifinals where the Crimson Tide will play either No. 1 Tennessee or No. 8 Florida. That game was postponed because of rain.
Alabama scored two in the top of the ninth to break a 1-1 tie. Arkansas pulled one back in the bottom, but Cylie Halvorson struck out with the bases loaded to end the game.
Arkansas was fortunate to be in that position at all, even. The Razorbacks gave up nine hits and walked seven batters, yet allowed just the one run in the normal seven innings. It came in the second to open things. Arkansas responded in the sixth with an RBI single from Halvorson.
The Razorbacks will, undoubtedly, be in the NCAA Tournament when the field is announced on the weekend. Such an early loss in the conference tournament, however, will keep Arkansas from a national seed and could keep them from hosting at all.
The NCAA Tournament selection show is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday. Arkansas will discover its fate then.