Alabama
No. 5 Alabama Rallies from Early Deficit to Even Series Against No. 1 Texas
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— You could hear a pin drop in Rhoads Stadium after the first inning of Friday night’s game between No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Alabama, but the silence didn’t last very long.
Despite trailing by four runs after the top of the second inning, the Crimson Tide rallied for five two-out runs in the bottom half of the frame and kept it going with an 11-4 win to even the series against the Longhorns.
“Before you look up, it’s 4-0, and it’s like, ‘Uh oh, here we go again,’” Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said after the game. “And then in the bottom of the second, the hitters took over
Freshman Vic Moten could not find the strike zone for Alabama to start the game. She was lifted for Jocelyn Briski after facing just eight batters, but five of those batter drew walks, and the Longhorns scored three runs. Moten had previously not allowed more than three walks in any of her previous starts.
The Alabama pitcher showed ultimate grit when she re-entered for Briski with bases loaded and one out in the third inning. She got out of the jam unscathed and did not allow another run for the remainder of the game.
Moten gets out of the bases-loaded jam😤
📺 @SECNetwork | https://t.co/gTEKqX9hp4#Team30 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/WNFOzv4KG9
— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) April 4, 2026
“I knew my stuff was moving today, it was just a matter of finding the strike zone and executing timely pitches,” Moten said. “I just went out and worked on the pitch that wasn’t working, and I came back in, and it worked.”
Pitching coach Lance McMahon told Moten that she would eventually be coming back into the game right after she exited. She took a deep breath and went to work in the bullpen. Moten threw 46 pitches in the first inning alone and only 61 pitches over the final 5.1 innings she threw. She finished with six strikeouts, including the final out of the game.
Texas had its own issues throwing strikes as Alabama drew four free passes in that second inning. Brooke Wells provided the big blow with her bases-clearing double that gave the Tide its first lead of the series at 5-4.
“We had our best hitter up to bat with the bases loaded, and that’s what you want,” Murphy said. “She comes through in the clutch.”
Brooke Wells with the bases-clearing double‼️
📺 @SECNetwork | https://t.co/gTEKqX9hp4#Team30 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/a5QbofVI4q
— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) April 4, 2026
Freshman Ambrey Taylor continued to prove why she belongs in the lineup with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fourth inning absolutley crushed out to dead center. She followed it up the next inning with a two-RBI single to make it 10-4 Tide. Taylor wasn’t even a starter when conference play began, but she already has four home runs and 10 RBIs in SEC play.
Ambrey Taylor with the MOONSHOT🌛
📺 @SECNetwork | https://t.co/gTEKqX9hp4#Team30 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/f7GZTj6jhb
— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) April 4, 2026
“When the one went over tonight, I was like, ‘Damn, this kid is a gamer,’” Murphy said of Taylor. “I mean, there’s no other way around it… She worked her way into the lineup for sure. She showed me. She absolutely showed me, ‘You gotta put my name in the lineup.’ And she continues to do it. That’s what you want as a coach.”
Audrey Vandagriff added on the final run with an RBI single in what was a two-hit day for her down in the six spot.
The Crimson Tide easily could’ve folded after facing a four-run deficit to the defending national champions and top-ranked team in the nation, especially after losing the first game of the series by eight runs. Instead Alabama rallied in Rhoads for an important win that can be a building block for the rest of the season.
“Our biggest thing on the season this year is just not getting beat back to back, and we really take pride in that,” Moten said. “So today we knew we were coming out with a dog-fight mentality.”
Alabama (34-3, 8-3 SEC) will be going for its fourth straight SEC series win while trying to hand Texas (32-3, 9-2 SEC) its first conference series loss in the finale on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
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PENSACOLA, Fla. — A 70-year-old Robertsdale, Alabama, man was found guilty by a federal jury in Pensacola after prosecutors said he tried to entice a child online and then traveled to meet the child for sex in Pensacola.
David A. Girard was convicted in federal court of attempted enticement of a minor, traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of illicit sexual conduct, and committing a felony involving a minor while being a registered sex offender, according to the release.
The release states that Evidence at trial showed that in October 2025, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and other law enforcement partners conducted an undercover operation aimed at identifying people soliciting minors online for sex.
On Oct. 17, 2025, Girard began communicating with someone he believed was a 14-year-old child, according to trial evidence.
Prosecutors said he described sexual acts he wanted to perform and arranged a meeting location in Pensacola.
When Girard traveled to the agreed-upon location to meet the purported child, he was arrested, according to the release.
Electronic evidence seized under a search warrant confirmed Girard had communicated with the person he believed was a child and traveled to meet him, according to trial evidence.
Girard faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison on Count 1, and up to 30 years in prison on Count 2.
He also faces a mandatory 10-year prison term on Count 3, consecutive to any sentence imposed on Count 1.
The investigation involved the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Florida Highway Patrol, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. (WALA) – The Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo begins Friday morning on Dauphin Island, following a kickoff party Thursday night that featured the Captain T-Bone’s Liar’s Contest.
Rodeo contestants, their families and others attended the event, where participants competed to tell their best fish tales.
Cody Ward, vice president of publicity for the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, said the stories are always a highlight.
“I don’t like to speculate too much on the lies, there are a lot of them, they come and go, and they are great all the time,” Ward said. “Make sure you’re out here, check them out, support these people, they love to do this and we love to hear their fish tales.”
Mike Eubanks has been fishing in the rodeo since 1982. He’s been to the liars contest many times and says he’s heard some great ones over the years.
“They can come up with some good ones. I don’t know which one was the craziest but the winner every year deserves it I promise you. Those judges have a hard time because they are some good ones,” Eubanks said.
The rodeo gets underway Friday with a cannon blast at 5 a.m. and runs through the weekend.
Copyright 2026 WALA. All rights reserved.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – Soccer is rapidly growing in Alabama and there aren’t enough officials to accommodate.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup had an impact on the growth of the sport.
“Instead of the World Cup arriving in America, America has arrived at the World Cup,” AHSAA Soccer Officials Coordinator Cedric Thomas said. “Watch parties across the county has showcased how America has reacted to the beautiful game.”
The 2026 World Cup reminded fans within North Alabama how special the game of soccer is and the game is rapidly growing in the Valley.
“It’s larger than any football program,” Alabama State Youth Referee Administrator Thomas Russell said. “We have more recreational soccer players than all of football combined.”
The rapid growth has created issues across the state. The biggest issue is the lack of soccer officials in Alabama.
There are around 900 certified soccer referees in Alabama, but the state needs about 1,500 for all games at all levels to operate smoothly.
“You cannot have an official game without officials,” Thomas said. “You can see the impact on the kids faces when only one or two referees show up and you need a third to make it an official game.”
The impact goes beyond the whistle. Referees in soccer have the ability to teach young athletes during games.
“We don’t coach them in the game, but we can teach them what they can and can’t do,” Russell said. “You can see a good referee who works with the kids and interacts with the kids. One that doesn’t just call a foul and go away.”
Soccer is highlighted on all levels in Huntsville. From youth soccer to AHSAA Soccer State Championships and the Huntsville City Football Club.
“I would say that the Huntsville Sports Commission and the city has solidified whatever that vision they had for soccer.”
More officials are needed for the sport to grow in North Alabama and across the state.
To find out how to become an official:
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Copyright 2026 WAFF. All rights reserved.
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