Peyton Grantham's fourth homer of the year was a game-winner for Alabama.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- After battling back to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh, Alabama and Nebraska battled back and forth for five more innings as a solo home run by Peyton Grantham in the 12th eventually gave the Crimson Tide a 6-5 walk-off victory in the opening game of the Tuscaloosa Super Regional on Thursday.
The game is the longest super regional game for Alabama (49-11) and it is Alabama's longest game since April 8, 2011, when it went 14 innings and 4 1/2 hours against LSU. Thursday's 12-inning marathon win was due in large part to the Tide's four freshmen, as Marisa Runyon's home run tied it in the seventh, a great catch by Chandler Dare in right field saved a hit in extra innings and Grantham came through with the big homer in the 12th, her fourth long ball of the year.
Alabama's fourth freshman, Sydney Littlejohn (11-2) entered in relief in the fifth inning and ended up pitching a career-high eight innings and 115 pitches in the win, limiting Nebraska (44-17) to just three hits and no runs after the Huskers roughed up Alabama starter Jaclyn Traina for five runs off eight hits in the opening four innings. Nebraska starter Tatum Edwards lasted six innings before Emily Lockman (20-5) entered in the save situation, eventually taking the loss after giving up the tying and go-ahead runs.
In the top of the first inning, Hailey Decker got things started with a one-out single and was driven home by a double to the right-field gap, pushing Nebraska up 1-0. After a popup, a two-out single to center field drove another runner home to make it a 2-0 game. MJ Knighten attempted to steal second in the next at-bat but was caught stealing by Kaila Hunt to end the half inning.
Nebraska doubled its lead in the top of the second, as Austen Urness hit a two-run homer into left-center just shy of the scoreboard to make it 4-0. Alabama erased the shutout in the bottom of the second, as Molly Fichtner and Leona Lafaele reached with nobody out, advanced up a base on a passed ball and moved up another on an errant throw attempt down to third, making the score 4-1 with a runner at third. Runyon drove Lafaele home with a single through the right side to make it 4-2 with still nobody out. Runyon moved into scoring position on a groundout but a strikeout and flyout kept her stranded as the Tide could not chip away at the 4-2 deficit.
The Huskers added to its lead in the top of the fourth, as Urness hit a slow chopper up the middle for an infield single, scoring the runner from third to make it 5-2. For the third consecutive inning, Alabama put its first two runners on base in the bottom of the fourth. Ryan Iamurri dropped a successful pinch-hit sacrifice bunt to move the pair into scoring position and Haylie McCleney was intentionally walked to load the bases with one away. A weak grounder to short went for a forceout at home for the second out but an error at third base allowed the runners to move up a base, scoring one to make it 5-3. Jadyn Spencer hit an RBI single up the middle to score the runner from third, making it 5-4, but the trailing runner was caught out at home off a great throw to end the rally.
Decker led off the Husker half of the fifth with a double to center field that ended Traina's outing in the circle as Alabama turned to Littlejohn in relief. Nebraska would eventually load the bases with two away but a high fly ball to center field went for a loud third out to strand the bases loaded and keep Alabama within one.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Runyon looked to start a rally with a single to center field. Danae Hays was hit by a pitch in the following at-bat and Grantham reached on an error to load the bases. The shortstop fielded a grounder and got the force out at second to stop the rally however, as Nebraska held on to its 5-4 lead heading to the sixth inning.
Alabama squandered another opportunity in the sixth inning, stranding a pair on base as it could not take the lead heading to the seventh inning. Nebraska was sat down in order on just four pitches in the top half of the seventh, as Alabama needed just one to tie or two to win in the bottom half. Lockman entered to pitch in the save situation for Nebraska and Runyon made it a tie ball game in the very first at-bat, sending a solo homer to deep center field, making it 5-5. Lockman bounced back to retire the next three Alabama batters, preventing the walk-off as the game was sent to extra innings.
Alabama worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the ninth, as Hays fielded a two-out grounder and stepped on second for the force out, keeping the game tied at 5-5. Alabama could not score in the bottom half of the inning, as the teams headed to the 10th inning still tied at 5. The teams remained knotted up until the bottom of the 12th, when Grantham led off the half inning with a long shot to center field to give Alabama the 6-5 walk-off win.
Grantham ends the game with a solo HOMER!!!! Alabama 5-6!
— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) May 23, 2014
