Next Game: at Georgia 4/28/2018 | 5 p.m. CT SEC Network 93.3 FM

ATHENS, Ga. – A trio of fielding errors proved costly in Alabama softball's 5-3 loss to Georgia, as all five runs for the Bulldogs went as unearned in Friday's series opener.

Alabama (28-16, 8-11 SEC) fell behind in the bottom of the third after Georgia (41-7, 14-5 SEC) scored four runs following a pair of errors in the inning. An RBI single from senior Carrigan Fain in the top of the fourth cut the deficit to three but the Bulldogs quickly moved back ahead by four following yet another unearned run in the bottom half of the inning. Senior Sydney Booker made it a 5-3 game with a two-run home run in the top of the fifth but that would be the final runs scored for the Crimson Tide in the loss. Senior Alexis Osorio (11-8) took the loss in the complete-game effort, striking out six.

The two teams stranded three runners each in scoring position through the first two and half innings, taking a 0-0 scoreless tie to the bottom of the third. With two Bulldogs on base and one out, a fielding error allowed the batter to reach safely and another error on the play brought two runners home for Georgia as the batter scooted to third with the home team now in front 2-0. Kendall Burton doubled the Bulldogs' lead to 4-0 with a two-run home run before an infield popup ended the inning.

With runners at first and third and nobody out in the top of the third, no play was made on a high chopper up the middle from Fain as Booker scored from third to cut the deficit to three runs. Cortni Emanuel led off the bottom of the fourth with a single, stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error and came home on a wild pitch as Georgia quickly regained its four-run advantage.

With a runner on first and two out in the top of the fifth, Booker blasted a two-run home run off the scoreboard netting in left field to draw the Tide within two, down 5-3. The score remained the same heading to the top of the seventh but Alabama went three-up, three-down in the final half-inning as Georgia took home the 5-3 win.

The weekend series against the Bulldogs continues Saturday, April 28 at 5 p.m. CT live on the SEC Network.

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