OKLAHOMA CITY — Ashley Prange’s Women’s College World Series debut didn’t go as planned.
Alabama softball’s star third baseman committed a season-high three errors in the Crimson Tide’s 10-5 loss to Tennessee on Thursday. That included a crucial two-out blunder in the bottom of the second which sparked a four-run rally for the Volunteers.
Sometimes, that’s just how softball goes.
“It is a game of failure,” Prange said following the loss, “and it's about how you overcome on any given day on any play.”
No one knows that better than Alabama softball. The Crimson Tide has already overcome several failures on its rocky road through this year's NCAA Tournament. It started in the regional round when Middle Tennessee State pushed Alabama to an if-necessary game. The Tide then dropped its first game against Northwestern in the super regionals before putting together back-to-back victories to punch its ticket to Oklahoma City.
Following Thursday’s defeat, No. 5 seed Alabama once again finds its back against the wall as it faces No. 9 seed Stanford in an elimination game at 6 p.m. CT Friday.
“We've been in this situation, so it's not a big deal,” Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said. “So it shouldn't be like this nervous. This probably is the way it's been written for this team, to make it the hard way. We have to play better defense. We have to get a good start from the starter. Then, obviously, the third thing is to key hit, and we need to do that early.”
When it comes to defense, Alabama is fully confident that Prange will bounce back to her reliable ways in the field. During Thursday’s defeat, pitcher Lauren Esman made sure to remind her third baseman of that.
“Lauren came up to me and she's like, Hey, you've had my back all year that, I got your back,” Prange said. “And I don't doubt her for a second. I don't doubt anyone else on that field for a second.
“I'm super thankful to be here with these girls, and I know that we play our best when we're able to show how resilient and how gritty we truly are.”
Alabama will also take that grit to the plate, where it managed five runs against a Tennessee team that ranks tied for third nationally with a 1.55 earned run average and seventh with 425 strikeouts. The Crimson Tide recorded seven hits and only struck out twice against the Volunteers on Thursday. It will need an equally strong showing Friday as it goes up against a Stanford pitching staff that leads the nation with a 5.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio while sharing Tennessee’s 1.55 earned run average.
“This team has grit,” said freshman shortstop Kenleigh Cahalan, who went 2-for-3 with three runs batted in during her WCWS debut Thursday. “I believe in every one of my teammates, and I know that tomorrow we're going to come back fighting and getting ready for tomorrow's game.”
As for pitching, Alabama should have ace Montana Fouts available. The four-time NFCA All-American did not throw during Thursday’s opener as Murphy is still managing her innings after she hyperextended her left knee on May 11.
Alabama will need all of the above if it’s going to survive Friday night’s elimination game against Stanford. However, at this point, the Crimson Tide wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It's kind of in our team story from Day 1, coming out of the gate with the loss the first game of the season,” Prange said. “How well can we truly rely on each other and pick ourselves back up when we do get punched and how hard can we hit back in those moments? I think it's something our team has taken a lot of pride in, is really kind of just I guess took pride in making it a staple of our team this year.”
