TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – With the series tied heading into Saturday’s rubber match, No. 4 Alabama came out swinging to defeat No. 1 Texas, 7-4, and secure its first series win over a No. 1 ranked team since 2016.

The series win is Alabama’s (35-3, 9-3 SEC) first over a No. 1 ranked team since defeating Florida in Gainesville in 2016 and its first series win at home over a top-ranked foe since defeating Georgia at Rhoads Stadium in 2011. As they did in games one and two, Texas (32-4, 9-3 SEC) got on the board first with a second inning solo home run, but the Crimson Tide answered right back in the bottom half with a three-run home run from Jena Young and an RBI double from Alexis Pupillo. Alabama held the lead the rest of the way, with Vic Moten (14-2) getting the win in the circle and Jocelyn Briski earning the three-inning save behind her. Young’s home run was part of a 2-for-3 day for the junior infielder, one of four Tide players with two hits in the win alongside Pupillo, Audrey Vandagriff and Kristen White.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be at Alabama with this group of people. They are truly incredible. It took all 21 of our players to win this series, because Texas is one heck of a team. They’re the number one team in the nation for a reason. We needed the almost 4,000 fans in the stands and in our corner to win that series. They gave us life when we needed it. We had two really good pitching performances from from [Vic] Moten and [Jocelyn] Briski and we had some really great hits from a lot of different people. Overall, I’m really impressed with today’s outcome.”

Highlights


The series win is Alabama’s first over a No. 1 ranked team since defeating Florida in Gainesville April 1-3, 2016 and its first series win at home over a top-ranked foe since sweeping Georgia on March 18-20, 2011
The Crimson Tide has won each of its first four SEC series, doing so for the first time since 2014
A season-high 3,962 fans attended Saturday’s series finale for a total of 11,254 fans over the entire weekend
The home run was Jena Young’s fourth of the season and her second against a top 10 opponent, previously hitting one at then-No. 6 Florida State (Feb. 21)
Alexis Pupillo improved her reached base streak to 34 games

Scoring Summary


T2 | Reese Atwood led off the inning with a solo home run (0-1, 0 Out)
B2 | Jena Young blasted a three-run home run down the right field line (3-1, 2 Out)
B2 | Alexis Pupillo bounced an RBI double off the wall in left (4-1, 2 Out)
T4 | Katie Stewart hit a two-run home run (4-3, 1 Out)
B4 | Alexis Pupillo drew a bases-loaded walk (5-3, 1 Out)
B4 | Ana Roman drew another bases-loaded walk two batters later (6-3, 2 Out)
B4 | A run came home off a two-out fielding error (7-3, 2 Out)
T6 | Stewart hit her second homer of the day, a solo shot (7-4, 1 Out)

Up Next: vs. South Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)


Tuesday, April 7 – 5 p.m. CT