Softball America: 2024 Tuscaloosa Regional HQ

Welcome to Tuscaloosa. Will the Tide protect the Rhodes house once again to make it to Supers?

Tuscaloosa Regional Schedule

Broadcast team: Matt Schumacker, Amanda Scarborough
Listen to Softball America’s Gray Robertson & Tom Canterbury on 97.5 FM in Tuscaloosa
*All times Eastern

• Friday, May 17
  • Southeastern Louisiana 6, Clemson 2
    • In the Lions’ first-ever NCAA Tournament game they pushed the reigning Player of the Year Valerie Cagle out of the circle by the third inning. Southeastern Louisiana racked up 13 hits against the Tigers. Despite Clemson trying to battle back, the Lions’ defense kept making players while the Tigers struggled to match them in the field.
  • No. 14 seed Alabama 1, USC Upstate 0
    • The battle of the freshmen went to Jocelyn Briski. Briski carried a no-hitter into the seventh. Patrick Murphy turned to Kayla Beaver for the save after the first hit Briski gave up. She ended up rolling a game-ending double play. A lot of props to Sierra Maness who kept the Tide off the board for most of the game. Eventually, Alabama broke through in the sixth. Jenna Johnson and Bailey Dowling both had two-out singles to put together the first and only run of the game.
• Saturday, May 18
  • No. 14 seed Alabama 6, Southeastern Louisiana 3, (F/9)
    • An extra-inning pitcher’s duel ended in the ninth as the Tide broke it open with a five-run inning. A Riley Valentine pinch-hit two-run home run started it off, and Alabama rallied to score three more in the top of the inning. Southeastern Louisiana didn’t go quietly, scoring two in the bottom of the ninth. Kayla Beaver faced 32 batters in the complete game victory, striking out ten to advance the Tide to the Regional final.
  • Clemson 8, USC Upstate 0 (F/6) (USC Upstate eliminated) 
    • Technically Clemson ended this one early. It just took hours of a rain delay to do so. Regan Spencer stepped up again, giving the Tigers five scoreless innings before Millie Thompson closed the door on the game. Clemson didn’t score until the fourth but scored five runs in the sixth. The middle infield duo of Alex Brown and Maddie Moore combined for four hits and three RBIs.
  • Southeastern Louisiana 6, Clemson 2 (Clemson eliminated) 
    • If you’re able to get a line drive in center past McKenzie Clark, it is probably your night. And it was the Lions night again. Southeastern Louisiana jumped on Brooke McCubbin in the first. After the first run crossed, Maddie Watson lined a two-RBI single. Ka’Lyn Watson homered in the second and they added another run in the third. Clemson went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and couldn’t find offense aside from Clark’s home run. A sour ending for a senior class led by Valerie Cagle that built the Clemson program.
• Sunday, May 19
  • Alabama 12,  Southeastern Louisiana 2 (F/5) (Alabama advances to Super Regionals)
    • The Tide hadn’t scored 10-plus runs since mid-March against Samford. They picked a good time to explode. Alabama wore Southern Louisiana down in the first inning. They collected 10 hits leading to nine runs to open the game. Jocelyn Briski cruised from there only allowing two runs before senior Jaala Torrence closed things out at the Rhoads House in what is likely her final home game.

Tuscaloosa Regional Stats

Tuscaloosa Regional Stars

No. 14 Alabama (SEC At-Large Bid)

• SS Kenleigh Cahalan
• LF Jenna Johnson
• RHP Kayla Beaver
• RHP Jocelyn Briski

2-seed Clemson (ACC At-Large Bid)

• CF McKenzie Clark
• SS Maddie Moore
• RHP/UTL Valerie Cagle
• RHP Regan Spencer

3-seed Southeastern Louisiana (Southland Tournament Champs)

• LF Ka’Lyn Watson
• C Bailey Krolczyk
• RHP Cera Blanchard
• RHP Ellie DuBois

4-seed USC Upstate (Big South Regular Season and Tournament Champs)

• CF Denver Lauer
• 3B Celeste Delorenzo
• RF Taliyah Thomas
• RHP Sierra Maness