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What is the longest NCAA Tournament game? Tennessee-Alabama sets super regional record

john leuzzi, usa today network
·4 min read

When the NCAA Selection Committee placed Tennessee and Alabama on the same side of the NCAA Softball Tournament bracket, it proposed the opportunity of an all-SEC super regional matchup between the Lady Vols and the Crimson Tide.

The Knoxville Super Regional between the two SEC foes has not disappointed, highlighted by Game 2 of the best-of-three series. Much like Game 1, Saturday's game was a pitchers' duel, becoming one of the all-time super regional games in the history of the NCAA Softball Tournament — and longest ones too.

Tennessee ultimately fell 3-2 after 14 marathon innings in what essentially amounted to a double header. And, with Alabama's win vs. the Lady Vols, both teams will need to muster the energy for a winner-take-all Game 3 to advance to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

REQUIRED READING: How long are college softball games? What to know ahead of NCAA Softball Tournament, WCWS

Here's what you need to know about the record set between the Lady Vols and the Crimson Tide Saturday in the Knoxville Super Regional of the NCAA Softball Tournament:

What is the longest super regional game in NCAA Tournament history?

  • Longest game: Alabama vs. Tennessee in 2024 (14 innings)

Saturday's Knoxville Super Regional marathon between the Lady Vols and Alabama marked the longest game to be played in the super regional round of the NCAA Softball Tournament. The previous record was 12 innings.

Naturally, given the length of Saturday's game that wasn't the only record set. Per the ESPN broadcast, it is also the longest game between conference opponents in the NCAA Tournament since the 2011 Women's College World Series between former Big 12 opponents Missouri and Baylor (a 1-0 victory for the Lady Bears in 13 innings).

It also was the longest game between two SEC opponents ever.

Originally starting at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, the Lady Vols and Crimson Tide were in a pitchers' duel from the first pitch. Alabama struck first when Jenna Johnson scored Kristen White with an infield groundout in the bottom of the first inning.

The Lady Vols responded a half-inning later, when Laura Mealer poked a single into left field to tie the game at 1-1. However, there was some controvery as to whether Mealer's RBI for Tennessee should have been the only one run brought in that inning: Lady Vols first baseman Giulia Koutsoyanopulos appeared to be hit in her hand, which would brought in another Tennessee run, but it was determined by the home plate umpire to be a foul ball.

Koutsoyanopulos popped up for the second out of the inning before Alabama's Kali Heivilin stole another run from the Lady Vols with a sliding catch for the final out of the inning.

Sophia Nugent put the Lady Vols up 2-1 in the fourth with a solo shot, but was matched by Alabama's Bailey Dowling own solo home run in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at 2-2. Neither team scored another run until the bottom of the 14th, when both teams had ample opportunity to score.

Indeed, the Lady Vols loaded the bases with two outs and a full count but were unable to deliver the go-ahead run: Crimson Tide pitcher Kayla Beaver worked out of the jam as Koutsoyanopulos grounded out to third for the final out of the inning.

Conversely, Alabama delivered on its bases-loaded attempt when White delivered an infield hopper that allowed Lauren Johnson to bring in the game-winning run from third:

Longest WCWS games

The longest game in the Women's College World Series came in 1984 when Texas A&M defeated Cal Poly Pomona 1-0 in 25 innings. The game started on Thursday May 24, 1984 but was finished on Friday, May 24, 1984 after it was suspended in the 22nd inning due to rain.

Here's a full list of the longest games in WCWS history according to the NCAA:

  • 1. 1984, 25 innings: Texas A&M 1, Cal Poly Pomona 0

  • T2. 2017, 17 innings: Oklahoma 7 vs. Florida 5

  • T2. 1992, 17 innings: Arizona 1 vs. Kansas 0

  • T2. 1983, 17 innings: UCLA 2 vs. South Carolina 1

  • T5. 2013, 15 innings: Florida 9, Nebraska 8

  • T5. 1994, 15 innings: Oklahoma State 3 vs. CSUN 2

  • T7. 1997, 14 innings: Arizona 2, UCLA 0

  • T7. 1995, 14 innings: Iowa 9, Michigan 7

  • T7. 1983, 14 innings: Texas A&M 1, UCLA 0

  • T7. 1982, 14 innings: Fresno State 1, Oklahoma State 0

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Longest NCAA Tournament games: Tennessee-Alabama sets super regional record