Rewinding Alabama’s season-saving win over Northwestern in NCAA super regionals

It was win-or-go-home time for Alabama softball and the Crimson Tide answered the call. It staved off elimination to beat Northwestern, 2-1.

Here’s how it happened:

7TH INNING

Top: Preuitt started the frame with a line drive to left field. White executed a sacrifice bunt to get Preuitt to second base. Prange delivered the go-ahead single, giving Alabama a 2-1 lead.

Bottom: Fouts did her job and got a line out and a pair of strikeouts to send this series to a decisive game three on Sunday.

FINAL: Alabama beats Northwestern, 2-1.

6TH INNING

Top: Broadfoot’s mask gets clipped by a pitch as Alabama earned a two-out base runner. Heivilin then got hit on the arm to give the Tide a chance to regain the lead. But once again, Northwestern escaped as Kenleigh Cahalan flew out to center. Alabama 1, Northwestern 1

Bottom: Fouts retired the bottom of Northwestern’s lineup in order, including a pinch hitter. We’ll go to the seventh tied.

5TH INNING

Top: Some small ball for Alabama as Preuitt and White bunt to give the Tide two more base runners before the lineup flipped over. Prange, the Tide’s best hitter of late, popped out to second base on the first pitch. Johnson then drove one to center field but it was another wasted chance for an offense. Alabama 1, Northwestern 0

Bottom: Northwestern benefited from a lucky bounce as Skyler Shellmyer reached on an infield single. She moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single by Rudd. Alabama 1, Northwestern 1

Another hit knocked Torrence out of the game for Montana Fouts. The graduate senior recorded two pop-outs and limited the damage.

4TH INNING

Top: Johnson singled to lead off for the Tide’s first hit since Prange’s double to start the game. Two batters later, with runners on the corners and one out, Boyd won a war against Broadfoot, striking out the first-baseman in a 10-pitch at-bat for the second out.

Northwestern brought in Danielle Williams, the lefty who beat the Tide yesterday for Boyd, out of the bullpen for Heivilin. Williams ended the threat with a strikeout. A great game so far.

Bottom: Kristen White just leaned up against the center field wall to rob Maeve Nelson of an extra-base hit. Torrence let out a roar and then struck out Grace Nieto to end the frame. Alabama 1, Northwestern 0

3RD INNING

Top: Two nifty plays by Northwestern’s infield defense to keep Larissa Preuiitt and Kristen White, fast runners, off the bases. Boyd worked back from a 3-1 count to strike Prange out looking. Alabama has just one hit as Boyd settled in. Alabama leads 1-0

Bottom: Torrence nearly pitched her first 1-2-3 inning to get past the top of Northwestern’s lineup but Rudd got an infield single. Hannah Cady then squibbed one past Torrence to give Northwestern another runner in scoring position and Torrence then walked the bases loaded, triggering a conference at the circle. Torrence escaped again, though, getting Angela Zedak to strike out in an eight-pitch showdown.

2ND INNING

Top: Emma Broadfoot walked to start the inning and Faith Hensley ran for her. Hensley tried to catch Northwestern’s Lauren Boyd sleeping with a delayed steal but the pitcher tagged her out to wipe away the lead-off runner.

Bottom: Nikki Cuchran managed Northwestern’s first hit with a hard shot that Kali Heivilin tipped but couldn’t knock down. Angela Zedak followed up with a single past third base. As Torrence recorded her first out of the inning Montana Fouts was seen warming up in the Alabama bullpen. Torrence lucked out of the jam as Grace Nieto stepped out of the batter’s box on a foul ball. Alabama leads 1-0

1ST INNING

Top: Ashley Prange’s first swing resulted in a double to the left-field corner and a hyped crowd stayed standing for Jenna Johnson’s at-bat when she bunted Prange to third. With the fans chanting her name, Dowling skied one to right field for a sacrifice fly. Alabama 1, Northwestern 0

Bottom: Torrence threw 20 pitches in the first including 11 strikes. Jordyn Rudd worked a walk with two outs but Torrence got Northwestern’s No. 4 hitter to ground out.

PREGAME

--Alabama is going with junior Jaala Torrence in the circle. The right-hander hasn’t allowed a run in her last 22.1 innings, which included a pair of shutouts in the regional round against LIU and Middle Tennessee State.

--Northwestern is throwing Lauren Boyd (2.26 ERA in 99.1 innings).

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at NAlvarez@al.com.