OKLAHOMA CITY - Jaclyn Traina pitched a four-hitter, Leona Lafaele hit a two-run homer and the Alabama softball beat Southeastern Conference rival Kentucky 2-0 on Friday night in the Women's College World Series.
Former Soddy-Daisy High School star Kelsey Nunley (30-10) threw a three-hitter for the Wildcats but gave up the homer to Lafaele in the second inning. During the game she surpassed 1,000 pitches in this postseason.
Alabama (52-11) needs one win to reach the best-of-three championship series and won't play again until Sunday. Kentucky (50-18) will play Baylor or Florida State in an elimination game tonight.
Traina (25-3), who pitched Alabama to the 2012 national title, had allowed two hits in 13 innings in two WCWS games before Kentucky loaded the bases on three singles with no outs in the seventh. Traina struck out Emily Gaines and coaxed a double-play grounder from Krystal Smith to end the threat.
Traina had a no-hitter until Sylver Samuel beat out an infield single with two outs in the sixth.