… and they just can’t close it out, dropping two.
Aaaaah, when this season ultimately ends — because yes, it will end, and very likely sooner than we are used to— these two games will be ones you look back on and wonder, what if?
GAME ONE: The One that Could’ve Been
MISSOURI 2 — ALABAMA 4
In a game in which Missouri (23-27) outhit the Tide, six hits to four, and left as astounding nine runners stranded, they missed a golden opportunity.
The pitching, like much of this season, hasn’t done the Tigers too many favors this season, as Taylor Pannell allowed three runs on two hits in the bottom of the first inning after allowing a single, a walk, and a hit by pitch to load the bases for Ellestad, who doubled down the right field line to make it 3-0.
The Tigers fired back in the top of the second when Taylor Ebbs led off with a homer to make it 3-1, matching her career-high 10th of the season. But, like so many games before, they couldn’t capitalize after that. Three walks loaded the bases with one out for Claire Cahalan, who reached on fielder’s choice, taking Abby Hay out at home, before Julia Crenshaw grounded out. LOB Count: 3
With a big inning behind her, Pannell, much to her credit, got things under control in the second, going 1-2-3, and only allowing one baserunner in the third.
The Tigers, meanwhile, got two more baserunners in the top half third, as Madison Walker walked and Ebbs singled, making her 2-2 on the night, but Hay grounded into a double play to end it, and in the fourth, Kara Daly reached on a single, but no one could do anything behind her. In the fifth, it was more of the same, as Walker worked a two-out single, but a ground out ended it. A two-out Mya Dodge put another runner on in the sixth, but a strikeout ended it. Running LOB Count: 7
In the bottom of the fifth, Alabama tacked on another run courtesy of a Vandagriff solo home run to make it 4-1.
In the seventh, the Tigers had another really good chance, as Crenshaw hit a one-out double to left, which prompted a pitching change, bringing in Riley for Briski. JC took second on a Stefania Abruscato ground out and then subsequently scored on a wild pitch. Walker then singled for the second consecutive at-bat and Ebbs followed with a walk, but Hay, who had a chance to tie it with just a swing of the bat, popped up to second to end the game. Reminder: she’s playing hurt too, just as Crenshaw & Daly are. While she’s not operating with bone fractures like they are, she does have an L3-L4 injury that she’s told Anderson, per sources, that she will play through. Running LOB Count: 9
Sigh.
GAME TWO: Crenshaw’s Will Not Enough for Win
MISSOURI 6 — ALABAMA 7
Julia Crenshaw tried so hard to will this one to victory. She was everywhere. At the plate, hitting TWO homers, throwing out runners trying to swipe a bag, and diving for foul balls behind the plate. And with a wrist fracture, what can this girl NOT do?
Marissa McCann entered in the third inning after CC Harrison did not have her strongest stuff by any stretch of the imagination. After giving up a leadoff walk and hit by pitch, Madison Walker over-charged a bunt and made contact before it rolled foul, loading the bases for Ellestad, who just like in Game 1, hit a bases-clearing double to give the Tide a 3-1 lead. When she gave up the two-run shot in the bottom of the third against Heivilin, CC’s day was done.
McCann did a nice job in the long reliever role, allowing four hits (one XBH) and one unearned run to go with four strikeouts in four innings of work. In the fourth, after her own fielding error put a runner on, she allowed a stolen base and single to short which made it 6-1 and seemingly put the game out of reach. (side note: shouldn’t it actually have been earned as it was HER error that put the runner on?!)
While I’m not sure if we’ll ever know — 1) because there’s no media after away games, and 2) because LA keeps canceling weekly media — I’m guessing McCann was taken out in the seventh at 60-something pitches so she can still start Sunday’s game.
The struggle for Missouri early on in this one wasn’t leaving massive amounts of runners on base; it was getting them on base in the first place. Hits were few and far between for the Tigers. In the second, Kara Daly singled to left. In the fourth, it was a single by Madison Walker and a Taylor Ebbs fielder’s choice. For five innings, the Tigers did next to nothing offensively and had no answers for Riley.
It wasn’t until the sixth until the Tiger offense started getting going, as Crenshaw reached based on a one-out walk and Madison Walker crushed a two-run shot to center, no. 18 on the season for her, to make it 6-3. Ebbs followed with a stand-up double, taking out the starter Riley for Johnson, who got the final out on a strikeout swinging.
In the seventh, an Abby Hay leadoff walk was followed what first appeared to be a double for Madison Uptegrove, but was ultimately changed to a foul ball, and then she struck out. A foul out left the Tigers down to their final out, but pinch hitter Mya Dodge delivered, singling to left field to put two on for — you guessed it — Julia Crenshaw, who homered to center to tie the game at 6-6.
Everything seemed ripe for a Tiger win, as Lenger’s diving play in center got the first out of the seventh kept the vibes high, but that was erased by an Ellestad (can someone stop this girl, please?!) single up the middle off of new pitcher Taylor Pannell and a Duchscherer single through the left side, which put two on for Clark. She reached on a “rookie mistake” by Uptegrove, whose throwing error to first allowed Pate (PR for Ellestad) to score in walk-off fashion.
Womp-womp. This game ultimately went down in the way we’ve seen so many this season. So close yet so so so very far.
Too bad Julia Crenshaw can’t also play the infield and pitch, eh?
UP NEXT: The Tigers are now 23-28 on the season and have four games left to play of the regular season. In order to qualify for an at-large bid, they’ll need to finish at .500. They’ll finish up this Alabama series today at 2pm.