Not only did the Alabama Crimson Tide softball team's 2024 season start with a nearly perfect no-hitter, but their five-win weekend ended with an early candidate for Play of the Year.
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This ridiculous play came on Saturday, during the seventh and final inning of Alabama's game against Georgia Tech. The Crimson Tide were clinging to a 5-0 lead, but the bases were loaded for the Yellow Jackets with no outs.
The fourth batter of the inning sent a ball sailing to the outfield wall, seemingly destined to be a grand slam. But Alabama outfielder Larissa Preuitt — who had entered the game as a pinch runner in the previous half-inning — reached up and robbed the Jackets of the home run.
TRIPLE PLAY TO END IT 🚨@AlabamaSB x 📺 @accnetwork pic.twitter.com/hxYvzHcYJY
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) February 10, 2024
That wasn't all. After securing the insane snag, Preuitt had the presence of mind to throw the ball to second base in order to double off the baserunner there who had failed to tag up. The ball then was thrown to third base as well — appearing to cap off what both Alabama and the broadcast booth thought was a game-ending triple play. However, it was later judged that the runner at third had successfully tagged up and scored.
So while Preuitt's miraculous grand slam robbery didn't end up also being a game-ending triple play, it did zap the Yellow Jackets' hopes of mounting a comeback. That was finalized when Crimson Tide pitcher Kayla Beaver struck out the game's final batter to secure Alabama's 5-1 win and earn it a 5-0 start to the season.
Speaking of Beaver, the Central Arkansas transfer began her Alabama career by throwing a 14-strikeout no-hitter in the team's season opener against Villanova on Thursday.
What a moment!
Kayla Beaver throws a NO NO to open the 2024 season! 🥎🚫#RollTide | @AlabamaSB pic.twitter.com/MLP1twhGP8
— Alabama Athletics (@UA_Athletics) February 9, 2024
Beaver was also one walk away from throwing a perfect game in the outing — which would have made an already incredible Alabama debut even better.
Beaver then returned to the mound for the Tide's Saturday game against Georgia Tech — and proceeded to throw five more innings of no-hit softball before the Yellow Jackets finally snapped her hitless streak with a single in the sixth inning. While Beaver seemed to be running out of steam in the seventh, she was picked up by Preuitt in a big way.
Alabama could not have hoped for a better start to its 2024 season. After finishing 2023 with an impressive 45-22 record, the Tide seem poised to compete for the Southeastern Conference crown once again.
