NCAA Softball Regional liveblog: Alabama vs. Tennessee-Martin

Courtesy UA Athletics

South Alabama and Georgia Tech are currently heading into the seventh inning in the first game of today’s NCAA Softball Regional action from Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa. First pitch for Alabama vs. Tennessee-Martin is scheduled to get underway at 6:00 p.m., but that’s looking less and less likely.

After winning the SEC regular season and tournament titles, the Tide will begin the journey for its first ever Women’s College World Series title tonight. Here are some quick-hitters about this weekend and tonight’s matchup:

• This will be the first ever meeting between Alabama and Tennessee-Martin in softball.
• Alabama has appeared in an NCAA Regional every year under head coach Patrick Murphy. The Tide has won nine Regional titles and have hosted a Regional the last eight years.
• If Alabama wins, it will play the winner of this South Alabama/Georgia Tech game on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Elsewhere around the SEC: On Thursday, BYU beat Mississippi State 4-3 in nine innings. On Friday, Houston beat Auburn 2-1 and LSU beat Texas St. 1-0.

FINAL: 5-1 Alabama

Top 7: Locke finishes her great outing, going 1-2-3 to end the game. Besides that one home run, she was on point today. Alabama will play South Alabama at 1 p.m. tomorrow.

6th inning: 5-1 Alabama

Top: Leah Taylor gets a single to start the inning, but Amanda Locke shuts the door, getting the next three batters out. UT-Martin down to its last three outs.

Bottom: Alabama puts an insurance run on the board as Jennifer Fenton hits an RBI single that extends Alabama’s lead to 5-1.

Alabama is three outs away from advancing to play South Alabama tomorrow.

5th inning: 4-1 Alabama

Top: UT-Martin gets one on the board as Erica Duke hits a solo home run to left field. 4-1 Alabama. That’s the first big mistake for Locke, who’s been rock solid otherwise.

Bottom: Reilly-Boccia singles with two outs and then Jazlyn Lunceford reaches first on an error. But Courtney Conley strikes out to end the inning.

4th inning: 4-0 Alabama

Top: Locke allows her first hit of the game, but gets the next three batters to go down, keeping the shutout intact.

Bottom: Alabama’s bats have cooled off a little bit. After going hitless in the third, the Tide gets a double, but can’t do anything with it.

3rd inning: 4-0 Alabama

Top: Catcher Kendall Dawson is having herself a night. She just threw her second runner out of the night trying to steal second base. Locke hasn’t allowed a hit through three innings.

Bottom: Nothing doing for Alabama in the third, but the Tide is in good shape heading into the fourth up 4-0.

2nd inning: 4-0 Alabama

Top: Locke makes quick work of the second inning, going 1-2-3 to end the inning.

Bottom: Danae Hays hits a solo homerun to extend Alabama’s lead to 4-0.

1st inning: 3-0 Alabama

Top: Amanda Locke is pitching in this one for Alabama. She last pitched in Alabama’s 10-1 win over Florida in the SEC Tournament championship.

A runner reaches second after an error and then a stolen base, but Locke gets the next batter to strike out swinging, and the runner on second is thrown out. After a walk, Locke gets the third out on a groundout.

Bottom: Alabama doesn’t waste any time getting on the board. Braud and Fenton get to third and second and Kaila Hunt bats them home with a line drive single up the middle. 2-0.

Cassie Reilly-Boccia singles to score Hunt from third. 3-0.

Kendall Dawson comes up to bat with two on and two outs, but grounds out to end the inning. Not a bad start for Alabama.

Pre-game:

South Alabama put on a seventh-inning rally, scoring two runs in the seventh inning to take down Georgia Tech 4-3 in the first game. That was USA’s first NCAA Regional victory.

So, Alabama vs. UT-Martin should get underway around 6:45 p.m. Tonight’s game will not be on tv, but you can stream it live right here.