⚾ 🥎 Alabama Softball remains undefeated with Sunday's 5-1 win over ULM.

[UA Press Release]

Softball Wins Big Over Missouri State, Walks Off 24th-Ranked Minnesota - Alabama Athletics

Alabama posted two wins in Friday's home opener at Rhoads Stadium, earning an 11-1 run-rule victory over Missouri State before winning a pitcher's duel again...

rolltide.com

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama posted two wins in Friday's home opener at Rhoads Stadium, earning an 11-1 run-rule victory over Missouri State before winning a pitcher's duel against 24th-ranked Minnesota in walk-off fashion, 1-0.

Alabama (12-0) remains undefeated on the young season, marking its best start since 2013. The Crimson Tide used a big seven-run fourth inning to take down Missouri State (7-5), 11-1, in five innings before grinding out a neck-and-neck battle against Minnesota (5-4) in the nightcap, with a walk-off single from junior Elissa Brown making the difference in the ranked matchup.

GAME ONE: ALABAMA 11, MISSOURI STATE 1 (5 INN.)
Alabama dispatched Missouri State in five innings to open play at the Easton Bama Bash, scoring four in the seventh before driving in seven in the fourth to bring the score to its final double-digit margin of 11-1. The top four in the order each had at least one hit and one RBI, led by a 3-for-3 performance by sophomore KB Sides. Junior Bailey Hemphill drove in three runs on her fourth home run of the season, with other long balls coming from senior Caroline Hardy and junior Merris Schroder. Junior Sarah Cornell (4-0) threw 4.0 innings for her fourth win of the season while senior Courtney Gettins retired the final three batters in order to seal the win.

Schroder put the Tide ahead in the bottom of the second with a towering solo home run. Later in the inning with two out, sophomore Kaylee Tow added a pair with a two-run double in the gap and Sides drove her in with an RBI single up the middle to make it 4-0.

Missouri State tallied its first hit of the game with one out in the top of the fourth, and two more singles drove home its first run of the game. In the bottom half of the inning, Sides increased the Tide's lead back to four runs with an RBI single through the right side and Hemphill pushed it even further with a three-run home run. Leading 8-1, Hardy made it back-to-back bombs with a solo shot to increase the lead to eight.

Later with two out, an RBI single from sophomore Maddie Morgan made it 10-1 and a fielding error in the next at-bat allowed Morgan to score and take it to 11-1 before a groundout ended the big inning. Gettins entered to pitch the top of the fifth, retiring the Bears in order to cap the 10-run win.

GAME TWO: ALABAMA 1, MINNESOTA 0
The pitchers shined in the ranked matchup to close out Friday action at Rhoads Stadium, taking a scoreless tie to the bottom of the seventh before timely hits from juniors Claire Jenkins and Brown pushed the game-winning run across. Freshman Montana Fouts (4-0) continued her dominating debut campaign in the circle, fanning eight batters in the complete-game shutout with two hits and two walks allowed.

The two teams left a combined six runners in scoring position in the first six innings, with the two pitchers limiting each offense's scoring opportunities. Jenkins led off the bottom of the seventh with a single down the third-base line and was advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Morgan. Two batters later, Brown dropped a single into shallow left, as Jenkins rounded third and slid home for the 1-0 win.

Alabama continues its weekend at the Easton Bama Bash with rematches against the Bears and Gophers on Saturday, Feb. 23, facing Missouri State at 12:30 p.m. CT and Minnesota at 3 p.m. CT.

 

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[UA Press Release]

Alabama Fights Through Rain for Saturday Sweep in Tuscaloosa - Alabama Athletics

Alabama fought through bad weather to earn a pair of victories Saturday at Rhoads Stadium, defeating Missouri State, 7-5, before a rain-shortened win over No...

rolltide.com

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama fought through bad weather to earn a pair of victories Saturday at Rhoads Stadium, defeating Missouri State, 7-5, before a rain-shortened win over No. 24 Minnesota, 7-2, in five innings.

Alabama (14-0) took an early lead over Missouri State (8-6) before the Bears started to claw at the deficit. The potential tying run came to the plate in the top of the seventh but the Tide closed it out for the two-run victory. In the nightcap, Minnesota (5-5) took the first lead of the game on a two-run home run but the Tide rallied with a seven-run fifth inning before rain forced the game to end early in Alabama's favor, 7-2.

GAME ONE: ALABAMA 7, MISSOURI STATE 5
Alabama endured a two-hour rain delay and a late offensive push from Missouri State to edge out the 7-5 win in the Tide's opening game Saturday. The offensive lineup showed off its speed, with junior Elissa Browngoing 3-for-3 with a school-record four stolen bases, while sophomore KB Sides and freshman Skylar Wallace each posted multi-hit performances. Wallace's first career home run was an inside-the-park round trip, coming minutes after resuming after the rain delay. In the circle, junior Krystal Goodman (3-0) threw 5.2 innings in the start for the win, while junior Sarah Cornell retired the final three batters in the seventh for her first save.

Sophomores Kaylee Tow and Sides led off the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles and senior Caroline Hardybrought both home three batters later with a double to make it 2-0. Missouri State cut the lead in half with an RBI double in the top of the second but an RBI groundout in the bottom half quickly brought it back to a two-run lead.

With the score still 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth, Brown led off the inning with a bunt single and moved all the way to third after a pair of stolen bases. A walk to Tow put runners at the corners and Sides drove Brown home on an RBI single through the left side. Two batters later, senior Reagan Dykes dropped a single into shallow center to make it 5-1 before some heads-up baserunning by Sides on a groundout allowed the speedy sophomore to score all the way from second and make it 6-1.

Missouri State blasted a three-run home run in the top of the fifth to cut the Tide's lead to 6-4 before rain began in the bottom half of the inning, forcing the teams to clear the field as the grounds crew tarped the field. After a two-hour delay, play resumed and Wallace showed off her speed with an inside-the-park home run that banged off the left-field wall to make it 7-4.

With a runner on and one out in the top of the sixth, Brown ranged back in center field and went over the wall to rob a would-be home run for the second out of the inning. The Bears eventually loaded the bases and Alabama turned to its bullpen, with sophomore Madison Preston entering in relief. An RBI single moved everyone up 60 feet before a groundout ended the inning with the score 7-5.

Down to its final three outs in the top of the seventh, Missouri State drew a leadoff walk to bring the potential tying run to the plate. Cornell stepped into the circle looking to close out the game, inducing a force out, strikeout and groundout to earn the save and cap the 7-5 win.

GAME TWO: ALABAMA 7, MINNESOTA 2 (5 INN.) WEATHER SHORTENED
Alabama rallied from an early two-run deficit with a big fifth inning, scoring seven before the rain forced an early end to the game with the Tide claiming the 7-2 victory through five innings. The seven-run fifth was started by a two-run single from Sides and punctuated by home runs from junior Bailey Hemphill and Dykes. In the circle, freshman Montana Fouts (6-0) earned her sixth win in as many starts, striking out seven.

After three scoreless innings, Minnesota got on the board first with a two-run home run in the top of the fourth. Alabama threatened in the bottom of the fifth, loading the bases with one out. Sides dropped a single into shallow left, scoring two to tie the game up before Hemphill brought everyone in with a three-run home run to give Alabama the 5-2 lead. Dykes sent another one over the fence later in the inning, stretching the lead to 7-2.

Before the top of the sixth began, the tarp made its second appearance of the day for a one-hour delay before it was decided to call the game as completed in order to allow for three games on Sunday.

Alabama wraps up its weekend on Sunday, March 24 facing ULM (1-12) at 2 p.m. CT.

 

[UA Press Release]

Alabama Caps Easton Bama Bash With 5-1 Win Sunday Over ULM - Alabama Athletics

Alabama concluded its weekend at the Easton Bama Bash with a 5-1 win over Louisiana-Monroe Sunday afternoon at Rhoads Stadium.

rolltide.com

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama concluded its weekend at the Easton Bama Bash with a 5-1 win over Louisiana-Monroe Sunday afternoon at Rhoads Stadium.

Sixth-ranked Alabama (15-0) scored a pair of runs in the first inning before ULM (1-14) pushed one across in the top of the fifth. Celebrating her senior day, Caroline Hardyblasted a two-run home run in the fifth inning that made it 4-1 and an unearned run on a fielding error in the sixth brought the score to what would be its final tally, 5-1. The long ball was the third this season for Hardy and her second of the weekend. In the circle, senior Courtney Gettins (2-0) pitched the complete-game victory with one run allowed on three hits with five strikeouts.

Junior Bailey Hemphill put Alabama on the board in the bottom of the first, dropping an RBI single into center field and advancing to second on a fielding error. A groundout moved her to third base before an infield single from senior Merris Schroder brought her home to make it 2-0.

In the top of the fourth, ULM dropped a two-out single just out of reach of a diving sophomore Elissa Brown in shallow center, scoring one though the batter was tagged out trying to advance to second to end the half-inning. With freshman pinch-runner Kloyee Anderson on second base and nobody out in the bottom of the fifth, Hardy blasted a two-run home run to swell the lead to 4-1.

In the bottom of the sixth with two out and sophomore Kaylee Tow on third base, a grounder got past the ULM second baseman, with the error allowing Tow to score and make it 5-1. Gettins retired the side in order in the top of the seventh to close out the win and maintain Alabama's undefeated record.

Next up, Alabama makes the quick trip to Birmingham to face UAB (8-7) on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. CT.