Alabama Softball comes up short in semifinal matchup against No. 1 seed Tennessee

The Alabama softball team lost 7-6 on Friday in the semifinals against the No. 1 seed Tennessee. The Tide will now begin to prepare for NCAA Regionals next weekend.

The Alabama softball team dropped Friday’s semifinal matchup against No. 1 seed Tennessee. The Tide lost 7-6 in a tightly-contested matchup with the Volunteers.

Alabama was able to push across four runs in the top of the first inning. A series of walks, wild pitches, and miscues defensively helped the Tide jump out to the early lead.

However, the Volunteers quickly responded with four runs of their own. Tennessee’s Lair Beautae cleared the bases with a grandslam to tie the game up 4-4 after one inning of play.

The Volunteers would take a 7-4 lead after hitting two home runs in the second inning and fourth inning.

Alabama graduate-senior Ashley Prange responded with a two-run home run in the fifth inning to cut the Volunteers lead to 7-6.

Unfortunately, it was not enough for the Tide in the end. Montana Fouts’ absence loomed largely as the Tide pitching staff struggled. Pitchers Alex Salter and Jaala Torrence allowed seven earned runs in 5.1 innings pitched.

Alabama will await to hear its post-season fate on Sunday during the NCAA Selection Show. According to College Sports Madness‘ latest NCAA Tournament projections, the Tide would open up the tournament as the No. 9 overall seed. Meaning, the Tide would host a Regional but not a Super Regional.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama softball program as post-season play continues.

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Karen Weekly, Lair Beautae, Payton Gottshall recap Lady Vols’ win versus Alabama

Karen Weekly, Lair Beautae and Payton Gottshall recap Lady Vols’ win versus Alabama in the SEC Tournament.

No. 1 seed Tennessee (43-8, 19-5 SEC) defeated No. 5 Alabama, 7-6, in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals on Friday at Bogle Field in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The Lady Vols advance to play No. 10 South Carolina in the SEC Tournament championship game on Saturday. First pitch between Tennessee and the Gamecocks is slated for 3 p.m. EDT and ESPN will televise the SEC Tournament championship game.

Lady Vols softball projected as No. 3 overall seed in NCAA Tournament

Following Tennessee’s win versus Alabama in the SEC Tournament, Lady Vols’ head coach Karen Weekly and student-athletes Payton Gottshall and Lair Beautae met with media. Tennessee’s media availability can be watched below.

SEC Tournament: Tennessee softball defeats Alabama, advances to title game

SEC Tournament: Tennessee softball defeats Alabama, advances to championship game

No. 1 seed Tennessee (43-8, 19-5 SEC) defeated No. 5 Alabama (40-18, 14-10), 7-6, in the SEC Tournament semifinals Friday at Bogle Park in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The Lady Vols trailed by four runs in the first inning as SEC Freshman of the Year pitcher Karlyn Pickens did not record an out before being replaced by Payton Gottshall.

Tennessee scored four runs in the first inning. Lair Beautae hit a grand slam, one of three home runs in the game for the Lady Vols.

The Lady Vols led, 5-4, in the second inning after a solo home run Kiki Milloy.

Katie Taylor hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning, extending Tennessee’s lead to 7-4.

Gottshall pitched seven innings, allowing up five hits, two runs and one walk, while recording five strikeouts.

The Lady Vols advance to play No. 10 South Carolina in the SEC Tournament championship game.

First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. EDT and ESPN will televise the contest.

South Carolina bounces Auburn from SEC Softball Tournament with late rally

The No. 10 seeded Gamecocks continue their impressive run by knocking off No. 3 Auburn on Friday.

Regular season records usually hold zero merits in the postseason. The South Carolina Gamecocks are proving that this week in the SEC Softball Tournament.

The No. 10 seeded Gamecocks stunned No. 2 Georgia on Thursday with a late run in extra innings to earn the 2-1 win. On Friday, South Carolina once again scored go-ahead runs in the 7th inning to knock off No. 3 Auburn in the SEC Tournament semi-finals.

Auburn took a 2-1 lead in the bottom half of the 2nd inning, a lead that would remain until the top of the 7th inning when South Carolina’s Jordan Fabian hit a two-run home run with two outs in the frame to take the lead away from the Tigers.

Auburn outhit the Gamecocks, 6-3, but stranded nine runners on base. Despite that, head coach [autotag]Mickey Dean[/autotag] says that he was pleased with his team’s ability to battle.

“Both teams battled well,” Dean said Friday. “It wasn’t the cleanest game. Sometimes that all you ask of your team is to go out there and battle and play. We’ll go back and look at the mistakes and make adjustments before the remainder of the postseason.”

South Carolina kicked off scoring in the 1st inning on a sacrifice fly by Aniyah Black that was deep enough to score Zoe Laneaux from 3rd base. Auburn tied the game in the 1st on a single by [autotag]Makayla Packer[/autotag] that turned into an error to score Skylar Elkins. Packer scored later in the inning on a two-out double to right field by Rose Roach.

Six different players recorded a hit for the Tigers, with Roach being credited with the lone RBI and extra-base hit. Newly named SEC Pitcher of the Year, [autotag]Maddie Penta[/autotag], tossed 3.0 innings in her start. She allowed three walks and struck out four while allowing an unearned run to score. [autotag]Shelby Lowe[/autotag] was credited with the loss after allowing two runs and three hits in 4.0 innings of relief while striking out four.

With the win, South Carolina moves on to the SEC Tournament championship, where they will face the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, Tennessee, on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT. Auburn will learn its’ NCAA Regional fate on Sunday during the tournament selection show that will air at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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SEC Tournament: Twitter reaction to Lady Vols’ win versus Alabama softball

SEC Tournament: A look at social media buzz after the Lady Vols’ win versus Alabama softball

No. 1 seed Tennessee (43-8, 19-5 SEC) defeated No. 5 Alabama, 7-6, in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals on Friday at Bogle Field in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The Lady Vols advance to play No. 10 South Carolina in the SEC Tournament championship game on Saturday. First pitch between Tennessee and the Gamecocks is slated for 3 p.m. EDT and ESPN will televise the championship game.

Tennessee entered postseason-play after winning the Southeastern Conference regular-season championship.

Lady Vols softball projected as No. 3 overall seed in NCAA Tournament

Following Tennessee’s win versus the Crimson Tide in the SEC Tournament semifinals, Vols Wire looks at postgame social media buzz and is listed below.

Oklahoma’s win over Iowa State another statement of their dominance

The Oklahoma Sooners were dominant on both sides of the ball en route to their 9-0 win over Iowa State in the semifinals of the Big 12 softball championships.

That’s how you start postseason play. Oklahoma scored three runs in the first, four in the second, and two in the third to jump out to a 9-0 lead before the Iowa State Cyclones even registered a hit.

After getting a bye from winning the regular season title, the Sooners had to patiently wait their turn to begin their quest to capture the Big 12 tournament title.

As Tom Petty says, “the waiting is the hardest part.”

Oklahoma didn’t wait long to get going offensively against a hot Iowa State team that had won nine of their last 11, including an 8-1 win over the Baylor Bears on Thursday.

The Big 12’s Player of the Year, [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], led off with a double. The Sooners once again found themselves in a familiar place with the bases loaded. But unlike in their series against Oklahoma State, OU came through with an RBI single from [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] and a two-run double from [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] to get off to a hot start in postseason play.

[autotag]Grace Lyon[/autotag]’s three-run home run in the second and Coleman’s two-run bomb put the game completely out of reach for the Cyclones.

The best offense in the nation provided timely hitting and home run power to coast to an impressive run-rule shutout win.

And the pitching was equally effective in their five innings of work. [autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag] allowed just two walks in three innings, true freshman [autotag]Kierston Deal[/autotag] allowed just one hit in 1.1 innings, and [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag] pitched a perfect 0.2 innings of work to close out the combined one-hitter.

It was a strong performance to open postseason play as the No. 1 team in the nation pursues their third straight national championship and seventh overall.

Here are some of the best photos from the Sooners’ win over Iowa State.

Oklahoma Sooners off to roaring postseason start with 9-0 win over Iowa State

Oklahoma’s offense erupted for nine runs in the first three innings and Alex Storako, Kierston Deal, and Jordy Bahl combined to allow 1 hit in the Sooners 9-0 win over Iowa State.

It didn’t take long for the Oklahoma Sooners to announce their presence in the Big 12 championships with a 9-0 run-rule win over the Iowa State Cyclones.

[autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag] made quick work of the Cyclones in the top of the first with a 1-2-3 inning, forcing a trio of groundouts to retire the side.

Then the Sooners’ bats opened strongly with a leadoff double from [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], who advanced to third on a wild pitch. [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] walked and stole second, and [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] walked to load the bases.

[autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag]’ RBI single made it 1-0. [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag] grounded into a fielder’s choice forcing Jennings out at home. Then [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] came through with a two-run double to make it 3-0. Lee attempted to score from first and was initially ruled safe at the plate, but replay review overturned the call.

Storako avoided trouble in the second when she issued back-to-back walks to open the frame by retiring the next three batters, including a pair of strikeouts to keep the Cyclones off the scoreboard.

In the bottom of the second, [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] walked with one out. After a Coleman fly out to left, Boone advanced to second on a passed ball. Jennings drove Boone in to make it 4-0, and Sanders drew her second walk of the day. That’s when the captain put the game out of reach.

With two on and two out, Grace Lyons took the first pitch from Ellie Spelhaug to deep right center for a three-run home run to make the score 7-0.

Oklahoma kept the scoring going in the bottom of the third to put the game in run-rule territory when Jayda Coleman launched her team-leading 14th home run of the season to make it 9-0.

Coleman ended the day 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored. Lyons was 2-for-2 with four RBIs and a pair of runs scored.

Storako threw three innings, allowing no hits and two walks. She recorded three strikeouts before giving way to [autotag]Kierston Deal[/autotag]. Deal, a true freshman, threw 1.1 innings, allowing one hit, before Jordy Bahl closed out the win with a pair of strikeouts in 0.2 innings.

The Oklahoma Sooners (50-1) have won 42 in a row. Oklahoma awaits the winner of the Texas Longhorns and Kansas Jayhawks in the other semifinal game. The Sooners swept both opponents in Big 12 play.

Texas reached the semifinal overcoming a four-run deficit against Texas Tech and the Jayhawks beat the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in a game that required two days to play due to inclement weather.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Karen Weekly named 2023 SEC Coach of the Year

Tennessee softball head coach Karen Weekly named 2023 SEC Coach of the Year.

Tennessee won the 2023 Southeastern Conference regular-season championship.

Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly was named SEC Coach of the Year on Friday.

It is her third time earning coach of the year honors, previously winning the award alongside co-head coach Ralph Weekly in 2004 and 2007.

Tennessee also had four players receive SEC first-team honors, including McKenna Gibson, Kiki Milloy, Ashley Rogers and Zaida Puni.

Pitcher Karlyn Pickens was named SEC Freshman of the Year and also received second-team all-conference honors.

Pickens is the fifth Lady Vol to earn the league’s freshman of the year award, joining Monica Abbott (2005), Ellen Renfroe (2011) and Caylan Arnold (2017). Outfielder Kat Dotson earned the honor in 2010.

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Florida’s Skylar Wallace named SEC Softball Player of the Year

The Florida Gators have the best softball player in the SEC, and now Skylar Wallace has the hardware to prove it.

Gators shortstop [autotag]Skylar Wallace[/autotag] is the best softball player in the Southeastern Conference.

That statement became fact on Friday afternoon when the conference announced its postseason awards and crowned Wallace the SEC Player of the Year.

Wallace is the seventh Gator to win the award and first since Amanda Lorenz did it in 2018. She is slashing .463/.613/1.052 and has belted 19 home runs, drove in 55 runs and stolen 30 bases. Her batting average, slugging percentage, eight triples and 141 total bases lead the SEC as well.

Naturally, the conference player of the year also earned an All-SEC First Team nod, as did teammate Charla Echols for a second-straight season. Kendra Falby and Reagan Walsh were named to the All-SEC Second Team, too.

The Gators were knocked out of the SEC tournament a few hours after Wallace received the good news. A 4-0 loss to top-seeded Tennessee end the conference title run for Florida, but the NCAA Tournament still awaits. Regional placements will be announced on Sunday.

Wallace should get a chance to tie the program record for homers during the tournament. At 19, she sits just three behind Brittany Schutte’s 2011 record of 22 big home runs. Florida is guaranteed at least two more games this season with it being double-elimination, and Wallace has gone deep three times in one game before.

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SEC Tournament: Lady Vols defeat Florida, advances to semifinals

SEC Tournament: Tennessee softball defeats Florida, advances to semifinals versus Alabama

No. 1 seed Tennessee (42-8, 19-5 SEC) defeated No. 8 Florida (36-20, 11-13 SEC), 4-0, in the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals Friday at Bogle Field in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Ashley Rogers pitched a seven-inning complete game shutout for the Lady Vols, recording eight strikeouts.

Kiki Milloy hit a home run in the contest for Tennessee.

Tennessee advances to play Alabama in the semifinals on Friday at 6:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN2).

The winner between the Lady Vols and Crimson Tide on Friday will advance to play either Auburn or South Carolina in the SEC Tournament championship game.

First pitch for the SEC Tournament championship game on Saturday is slated for 5 p.m. EDT (ESPN2).