Defense early, then offense sink UTC

TUSCALOOSA | Three doubles for Brittany Rogers. Two double plays. One major-league pickoff.

The third-ranked University of Alabama softball team counted down to a blastoff Thursday in the opening round of the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional and ignited its postseason run with an 8-0 mercy-rule victory over Tennessee-Chattanooga at the Alabama Softball Complex.

The Crimson Tide (52-6) used its defense to keep UTC off the scoreboard and kept pounding away until it broke the game open and ended it in the sixth inning in front of a rowdy crowd of 1,371.

“It could have been a different story,” Alabama coach Patrick Murphy said. “We made two really good defensive plays.

“We found a way to have a big inning, and I think that took some pressure off us.”

Even before Alabama scored, junior catcher Ashley Holcombe uncorked her big cannon of a right arm to make a defensive statement. Tara Tembey singled to lead off the game for the Lady Mocs and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, but her trip around the base paths ended there when Holcombe caught her leaning and threw from her knees for a clean pickoff.

“I’d like to have her,” UTC coach Frank Reed said. “She picked off my senior out there on second base. That’s one inning she took us out of.”

It wasn’t the last inning Alabama’s defense stopped short.

Shortstop Kellie Eubanks turned a 6-4-3 double play to end the second inning, and third baseman Kelley Montalvo made the play of the game when UTC loaded the bases with one out in the third. Montalvo gobbled up Lauren Flores’ grounder and threw home to Holcombe, who whipped the ball to Alex Blewitt at third for a 5-2-3 double play to completely deflate the Lady Mocs.

“I was looking for the double play,” Montalvo said. “I thought, one bounce to me and I’m throwing to Holcombe. I’m going to throw it high so she can catch it and throw to first.”

Pitcher Charlotte Morgan (16-2) was the beneficiary of Alabama’s defensive gems. She scattered eight hits with six strikeouts in 51⁄3 innings for the shutout.

“The double play and everything like that, I love to pitch for our defense,” Morgan said. “There was probably somebody on base almost every inning. It’s good to work out of it.”

Alabama took a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning. Center fielder Rogers hit the first of her three doubles to lead off, moved to second on Jordan Praytor’s sacrifice and scored on a sacrifice fly by outfielder Dani Woods.

The Tide’s big inning was the third. Rogers hit another double and scored on Praytor’s triple. Morgan then hit a sacrifice fly to deep center to bring in Praytor for her 70th RBI of the season, breaking Ginger Jones’ single-season record set in 2000.

Even with two outs, it didn’t end there. Woods drew a walk and Montalvo banged a two-run homer off the scoreboard in left field to put Alabama up 5-0.

Alabama added a run in the fifth when Morgan drew a one-out walk, Woods singled and Montalvo hit an RBI single up the middle.

The Tide closed out the game with two outs in the sixth. Rogers hit her third double of the game for the first three-double game by a UA player since Montalvo turned the trick in last year’s regional. Praytor followed with an RBI single up the middle to make it 7-0. The final run scored when Morgan was hit by a pitch to advance Praytor to second and Woods hit an RBI single to center field.

Chrissy Owens pitched the final two outs for Alabama. Brooke Loudermilk (18-8) took the loss, giving up five runs on four hits in three innings. Reliever Kandice Irwin struck out six batters in 2 2/3 innings.

Tuscaloosa Regional

At Alabama

Softball Complex

Thursday

Game 1

Jacksonville State 4,

Florida State 3

Game 2

Alabama 8,

Tennessee-Chattanooga 0

Today

2:30 p.m. — Alabama vs. Jacksonville State

5 p.m. — Florida State vs. Tennessee-Chattanooga

7:30 p.m. — Alabama-Jacksonville State loser vs. Florida State-UTC winner

Saturday

7:30 p.m. — Championship game one (ESPN2)

9:30 p.m. — Championship game two, if necessary (ESPN2)

Reach Tommy Deas at tommy.deas@tuscaloosanews.com or at 205-722-0224.

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