How Alabama softball ended Tennessee's 20-game winning streak to salvage weekend

Alabama softball ended Tennessee's 20-game win streak Saturday to salvage the weekend series loss at Lee Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee.

It is the first time Alabama has dropped the first two SEC series in program history.

The Crimson Tide fell 5-1 on Friday, with a Bailey Dowling home run in the seventh inning being the only run. Montana Fouts had six strikeouts while allowing seven hits. Alex Salter earned the Saturday start, going all seven innings while the Alabama offense backed her up with four runs. The 13-ranked Crimson Tide (24-10, 2-4 SEC) earned the 4-2 win over the third-ranked Lady Vols (26-2, 8-1), snapping a 20-game win streak for Tennessee.

Alabama's pitching staff struggled to contain the Lady Vols in Sunday's 7-5 loss to drop the series. After letting seven runs score unanswered, Alabama rallied for three runs in the fifth with home runs by Kenleigh Cahalan and Dowling.

Alex Salter shines

Salter has earned the last three non-Fouts starts and picked up complete games in the last two. In the midweek versus UAB and against Tennessee in Game 2, Salter pitched 12 innings, allowing two runs on six hits. She struck out three batters while only walking one and did not allow any extra-base hits. She held a Lady Vols offense that had been averaging eight runs a game to two.

Salter made four SEC appearances last season and with only two weekends down has equaled that.

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Bats wake up for Game 2

After six runs in the series against Arkansas, Alabama got back on track with 12 runs in the midweek win over UAB. Tennessee would be the big test, with the nation's leading staff by ERA and four of the top five ERAs in the SEC. After a struggle Friday, the Alabama offense woke up with four runs and eight hits. Alabama got timely hits in the third inning, with four straight batters getting on base and the fifth scoring a run.

On Sunday, Alabama continued to get timely at-bats with a double by Ashley Prange scoring a run and the home runs by Cahalan and Dowling.

Fouts hurt by longball

Fouts has allowed four home runs in her last three outings, dating back to last Monday's loss to Arkansas. She allowed four in the series, two in each appearance. On Saturday she allowed two three-run home runs in the third inning, with the batter being called out for passing a runner on the second: it was scored as a two-RBI groundout.

Fouts has allowed 10 home runs on the season, already tied for second-most in her career.

Up next

Alabama travels for a weekend series at Missouri that starts Friday.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama softball ends Tennessee win streak but drops series