Bama Bounces Back; Take Two to Texas

March 15, 2026; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama batter Ambrey Taylor is congratulated by head coach Patrick Murphy after she hit a pinch hit, solo home run at Rhoads Stadium. Alabama defeated Arkansas 4-1 to claim the series. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Bama rocks the college

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Bama rocks the college softball world by doubling the Longhorns’ season loss total.

GAME 1: TEXAS 9, ALABAMA 1

Welp. The shutout and no-hitter did not last long. After getting the first two batters of the game out, the third Longhorns batter golfed a solo homer over the center field fence to get the Longhorns on the board first. The bottom of the frame did not go so well either as Audrey Vandagriff and Alexis Pupillo both struck out in a 1-2-3 inning.

Bama got two singles in the 2nd inning but Salen Hawkins grounded into double

play.

It was more longball for the ‘Horns when a 2-run shot in the 3rd made it 3-0. A Tejas walk, double, and a single in the next inning made it a five run deficit and sent Jocelyn Briski to the bench in favor of Kaitlyn Pallozzi.

Bama got on the board in the bottom of the 4th, when – of course – Pupillo pumped some energy into the Tide’s system when she connected on a one out single. A ground out moved her to second base and a sharp Marlie Giles single scored the first Alabama run.

Unfortunately, the joy was short-lived as Texas struck right back with a solo homer to lead off the 5th. Alabama caught a break later in the inning. Following two UT walks, a hard hit ball struck the lead runner for the second out of the inning. The next batter grounded out to end the threat.

Pup again got the Tide going in the 6th with a one out single that ticked off the UT outfielder’s glove and allowed the Bama runner to reach second base. Alas, Ana Roman could not pick up the RBI as she went down on strikes (another awful swing).

, the leadoff batter for OK went yard.

NOTES:

Texas’s Leighann Goode hit two home runs and collected 4 RBI off Alabama pitching. The team had four round-trippers.
Teagan Kavan was pretty dominating in the circle. Outside of Pupillo, one Giles at bat, and one Ambrey Taylor at bat, she left most of the Tide batters confounded. Alabama struck out nine times.
Vandagriff whiffed twice. The second one was embarrassingly bad.
Not a great day for Hawkins as she committed an error, went 0-2 and was pinch-hit for in her final at bat.
Briski (13-1) took her first loss of the season.
Pallozzi took some lumps, but it was good to throw her in the fire and see how she responded.
College football know-it-all Josh Pate was at the game. Let’s hope he does not come back anytime soon.

GAME 2: ALABAMA 11, TEXAS 4

While it is unclear if we learned anything about Alabama in Game 2, we sure learned a lot about Texas. Namely, that the longhorns are not very good when Kavan is not in the circle. The Crimson Tide batters shredded for Texas pictures on Friday while Kavan sat on the bench.

This game did not start out so great for Vic Moten and the Tide. The first two batters of the game walked and then moved up a station on a wild pitch. Following a strikeout, those two would hurl themselves homeward on a single. Another strikeout ensued but was then followed by three more walks the last of which forced in a run. At this point, Jocelyn Briski came in and got the last out of the inning.

After a 1-2-3 bottom of the first for Alabama, Texas got a lead off homer to start the second inning for a 4-0 advantage. Briski would get out of the inning without any more damage but did allow two singles. At this point, a person could not be blamed for turning off the TV. Whoever, did missed a courageous comeback.

In the bottom of the 2nd, Salen Hawkins knocked in the first Bama run on a two out single. A walk and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for Alexis Pupillo who drove in a run on a four pitch walk. Brooke Wells put on her SuperWoman cape and cleared the bases with a double to the wall to take the lead.

Alabama added another run in the inning on a wild pitch to make it 6-4.

Texas loaded the bases with one out in the next frame and Moten re-entered the game. Not only did she get the Crimson Tide out of the jam, she was dominating from that point on. The freshman would allow only three Longhorn baserunners the remainder of the game.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Pupillo pulled of the unusual feat of walking in a run for a second consecutive at bat. Ambrey Taylor added an 8th run in the 4th on a leadoff dinger that ricocheted off the Artemis II.

It was Taylor again in the 5th with a 2 RBi single up the middle to make it 10-4, good buddy. Audrey Vandagriff would single her in for the final run of the game.

NOTES:

Since she was the pitcher in the game at the time Alabama took the lead, Briski got the win. However, Moten’s second life in the game was the real story. She totaled 5.1 innings pitched.
I love when Patrick Murphy reads RBR to get his genius ideas. He FINALLY wised up and moved Audrey Vandagriff down to sixth in the lineup and she responded with two hits, a run scored, and an RBI. She looked much more relaxed at the plate with the pressure to get on base off her. Pupillo led off.
Taylor, Giles, Vandagriff and Hawkins all collected two hits in the game.
Texas committed two errors. Bama had none.
Both teams challenged a call and lost.

GAME 3: ALABAMA 7, TEXAS 4

In a surprise move, Patrick Murphy started Vic Moten in the circle. In a very unsurprising move, Tejas countered with Teagan Kavan. Both pitchers would be gone by the 5th inning.

The Longhorns struck first with a leadoff homer in the 2nd. Bama immediately answered with four runs in the bottom of the frame. Marlie Giles walked and Audrey Vandagriff doubled in the inning. Then with two outs, Jena Young made her first contribution to the weekend with a three run bomb.

Back-to-back doubles by Kristen White and Alexis Pupillo added a fourth run.

The 3rd inning went pretty smooth for Moten but a walk and a homer tightened things in the 4th.

Bama got one back in the 5th on yet another Pupillo bases loaded walk. One out later Ana Roman walked in a run as well. The Tide picked up a seventh run on a Texas error.

In the top of the 5th Jocelyn Briski entered the game for Moten. She would give up a solo homer in the 6th, but that was all the scoring the ‘Horns would get the rest of the day.

White got the start in center, Vandagriff moved to left and Lauren Johnson took the day off and we may be seeing more of that. LoJo has been playing dynamite defense but she is scuffling at the plate. She was 0 for 5 with a run scored and 2 whiffs on the weekend. She has not had a hit in the last five games and her last hit against an SEC opponent was March 6, Game 2 vs Ole Miss (hitless against Arkansas and Mizzou).
White made the most of her opportunity with a single and a double in three at bats with two runs scored in the nine hole.
Vandagriff again batted sixth and again looked more comfortable at the plate. She was 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored and did not strikeout for the second straight game.
Teagan Kavan (14-2) took her second defeat of the season. She lasted only 3.1 innings and gave up seven hits and seven runs with only one strikeout.