The hits were there Thursday night for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team, but the runs were nowhere to be seen for the Lady Mocs, as nationally third-ranked Alabama took advantage of a four-run third inning on its way to a 8-0 win in six innings in the opening game of the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional.

The Crimson Tide scored once in the first inning. Brittany Rogers led off with a double, advanced to third and came home on a foul-out off the bat of starting pitcher pitcher Charlotte Morgan.

But Alabama (52-6) did most of its damage in the third inning. With one out, Rogers hit a line drive that went off UTC pitcher Brooke Loudermilk’s glove into left field for a double, and Alabama followed with two walks, a triple by Jordan Praytor and a two-run home run by Kelley Montalvo to score four runs and chase Loudermilk from the game.

Loudermilk gave up five earned runs on four hits in three innings, with only one strikeout.

Freshman Kandice Irwin came on in relief and kept the Lady Mocs in the game for a while, notching six strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings pitched. But Alabama got to her in the sixth, when she gave up two runs on six hits, with the game-ending score coming in on a single by Dani Woods.

UTC (41-21) had its share of chances against Alabama, getting eight hits against Morgan, who struck out six Lady Mocs batters in 5 1/3 innings.

UTC left two runners on base in each of the third, fourth and sixth inning, but could never get a big hit with runners in scoring position.

Senior shortstop Tara Tembey continued her solid postseason play by going 2-for-3 for the Lady Mocs’ only multihit performance.

Rogers led the nine-hit night for the Crimson Tide, going 3-for-4 and scoring three runs. Montalvo was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and Praytor and Woods each had two RBIs.

Alabama will next take on Jacksonville State, which beat Florida State 4-3, today at 3:30 p.m. EDT. UTC will face the Seminoles in an elimination game at 6 in the double-elimination regional format. If the Lady Mocs defeat FSU, they will play again tonight against the Alabama-Jacksonville State loser for a chance to continue play Saturday.