TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama softball took its first loss of the 2026 season Saturday afternoon at Rhoads Stadium, as Arkansas got the 14-9 win to even the weekend series.

Alabama (25-1, 4-1 SEC) fell behind early after Arkansas (23-3, 3-2 SEC) took advantage of a pair of Crimson Tide errors in the first inning to take the 2-0 lead. Alabama tied the game up in the second inning on a pair of RBI singles, but the Razorbacks answered right back in the next half-inning with a two-run double from Dakota Kennedy making it 4-2 and a two-run single in the top of the fourth stretched the visitors’ lead to 6-2.

The Tide passed the bats in the fourth, bringing nine batters to plate and scoring five runs to take the 7-6 lead, with an RBI single from Alexis Pupillo to deep center driving in the go-ahead run. The Razorbacks tied the game back up immediately with a leadoff home run in the fifth and took an 8-7 lead with another leadoff homer in the sixth. A six-run seventh inning gave the Razorbacks enough cushion to withstand a late comeback push from the Tide, scoring two in the bottom half of the seventh before a groundout ended the game with the score at 14-9.

“It was an ugly and uncharacteristic start. Too many runs were given up, but they went up two and we came back and tie it. They went up four and we come back to take the lead. We battled through it but couldn’t take the win. I always say that championship Sunday is about who can adjust the quickest and take the series. That’s what tomorrow will be about.

“On a positive note, today we got to celebrate another special senior. Marlie [Giles] is highly competitive and highly motivated. She’s a great student with a great family and has represented her hometown of Clanton very well. She is an awesome kid and we’re very glad that she wears crimson.”

Highlights

• Alexis Pupillo had an RBI single and a walk to extended her reached-base streak to 22 games
• Brooke Wells had two hits and two RBIs, marking her ninth multi-hit game of the season and her team-leading 11th multi-RBI game
• Ana Roman drew a season-best three walks, the most for any Tide player since Catelyn Riley last season against South Alabama (March 11, 2025)

Scoring Summary

• T1 | Arkansas got on the board following an Alabama throwing error (0-1, 0 Out)
• T1 | The Razorbacks added another with an RBI fielder’s choice (0-2, 0 Out)
• B2 | Mari Hubbard drove an RBI single through the right side (1-2, 1 Out)
• B2 | Jena Young tied the game with an RBI infield single (2-2, 1 Out)
• T3 | Dakota Kennedy hit a two-run double (2-4, 2 Out)
• T4 | Brinli Bain drove in two with a single to shallow center (2-6, 2 Out)
• B4 | Ana Roman scored on an RBI fielder’s choice (3-6, 0 Out)
• B4 | Salen Hawkins scored from third on a wild pitch (4-6, 1 Out)
• B4 | Brooke Wells tied the game with a hard-hit single (6-6, 1 Out)
• B4 | Alexis Pupillo lifted a deep single to center field (7-6, 1 Out)
• T5 | Kennedy tied the game with a leadoff home run (7-7, 0 Out)
• T6 | Brinli Bain led off the sixth with a solo home run (7-8, 0 Out)
• T7 | The Razorbacks added to their lead with another home urn (7-9, 0 Out)
• T7 | Another Arkansas run came home on a bases loaded hit-by-pitch (7-10, 1 Out)
• T7 | Kennedy hit a grand slam (7-14, 2 Out)
• B7 | Pupillo scored from third on an RBI groundout (8-14, 0 Out)
• B7 | Marlie Giles scored on an RBI groundout (9-14, 1 Out)

Up Next: vs. #8/9 Arkansas (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

• Sunday, March 15 – 1:30 p.m. CT