This is the way the world ends / Not with a bang but a whimper.
The Hollow Men ~ T. S. Eliot
I didn’t want to share this factoid that was sent out to media from the Alabama Softball SID, but it has proved prophetic:
“This year marks the fifth time the Crimson Tide has started 2-0 in WCWS play, previously doing so in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2021.”
ICYMI, Alabama is now 1-4 in those situations. How depressing.
Game 1: TEXA$ TECH 5, ALABAMA 4
Kaitlyn Terry got the start for the Red Raiders and looked solid in a 1-2-3 1st inning. Meanwhile, Alabama coach Patrick Murphy went with Jocelyn Briski who struck out the side in the bottom half of the frame. In the 2nd, Marlie Giles and Ana Roman hit back-to-back singles to lead off the inning with Giles taking third base and Roman moving to second on the throw. That brought a quick hook from Tech who immediately went to NiJaree Canady in the circle. Audrey Vandagriff hit a deep sacrifice fly that scored Giles and moved Roman to third base.
Unfortunately, Ambrey Taylor and Salen Hawkins struck out to end the threat.
The Raiderettes quickly responded with two one-out singles in the bottom of the inning. After a fly out, the number eight hitter hit a double but it scored only one run. A solo homer in the 3rd made it 2-1 TT.
That lead did not last long as Giles unloaded on Canady for a solo homer to start the 4th.
Just as quickly as Terry was yanked, Canady was sent to the bench and Terry returned to the circle. [Terry is also the designated player and batted for the left fielder. Thus she was never taken out of the game.] Following two outs, Taylor singled. Hawkins hit a grounder to third base and Taylor – likely instructed® – never stopped running and was easily thrown out trying to advance to third base.
In the bottom of the 4th, Briski was struggling with her control and Vic Moten relieved her with two runners on base. The freshman came in with a 1-0 count and promptly struck out Canady and fellow hired gun Mia Williams to end the inning. In the bottom of the 5th, Moten got two pretty quick outs and then walked a batter. The next mercenary at the plate hit a home run to re-take the lead.
When things were looking most dire, Alabama go up off the mat in the 7th inning. Mari Hubbard pinch hit for Hawkins and flied out to right field. She will not make any highlight reels but she did her teammates a great service by fouling off several pitches and made Terry work to get her out. Kristen White reached on an infield single. That is when Jena Young tied it at four with a 2-run jack.
It was more musical chairs from Tech as Canady returned to the circle. Alexis Pupillo reached base but the Tide could not cash in.
Mia Williams hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 7th.
GAME 2: TEXAS TECH 2, ALABAMA 0
It was NiJareeCanady vs Jocelyn Briski to start the nightcap. Tech got two hits in the 1st and one in the 2nd. Bama went down in order in both frames. In the 3rd, more crap pitching from Briski as she gave up a single and then hit a batter. ESPN’s concern was on the batter but the ball ricocheted off her and hit Marile Giles in the ribs. Alabama would eventually get out of the inning without any damage.
Salen Hawkins was the first baserunner of the game for Alabama when she singled to lead off the 3rd. Who knew it would be the only hit of the game from Bama?
In the 4th inning, you could see it coming – a solo home run by the Red Raiders. That was all they needed as the Bama wet noodle bats could not do anything.
It doesn’t really matter but in the 7th, Kristen White fielded a single with a runner on base, 1) threw to the wrong base, and 2) threw poorly and a second TT run scored.
Alabama meekly bowed in the bottom of the frame and were eliminated from the 2026 Women’s College World Series.
NOTES:
- I have been meaning to bring up the issue of the re-entry rule is college softball for some time now. The antiquated rule was introduced in the fledgling days of the sport in the 70s when many teams did not have a sufficient number of players on their teams. It seems irrelevant now and I have long believed it needs to go. Now with Texas Tech loopholing the rule for their needs, it may become a point of discussion in the off-season.
- The Crimson Tide finished with 102 home runs for the season, falling short of the single season record of 104 set in 2010. Brooke Wells’s 24 could not catch Bailey Hemphill (26 – 2019) and Kelly Kretschman (25 – 1998).
- Alabama’s final record goes to 56-9.
- Wow. All season it felt like Patrick Murphy had been saying all the right things to his team to get the job done. On this day, he must have gone back into the archives of yesteryear because these two games looked like the wet noodle, no energy, woe-is-me crap from past seasons. I have already gone through the five stages of grief, but I skipped a few steps. I leapfrogged denial – because you could see this coming – and went right into anger. There was no bargaining since we know it is fruitless. Now, I am somewhere between depression and acceptance. I will have a season wrap in the coming days.
UPCOMING ALABAMA SCHEDULE
- If you want to watch billionaire oil magnate a-hole Cody Campbell win his purchased National Championship, have at it. I will not be watching. The best of three against Texas will begin on Wednesday, June 3.
HOW TO WATCH… ALLEGEDLY
- ESPN and Streaming: At least we don’t have to tolerate listening to Beth Mowins on play-by-play with Jessica Mendoza and mumble-mouth Michele Smith.