| BSB/SB ðŸ¥Ž Lockdown Defense Leads Alabama to Series Sweep at Mississippi State


TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama (29-12, 6-6 SEC) begins the second half of its SEC schedule this weekend with a three-game road series at Mississippi State (23-16, 3-8 SEC) beginning Friday, April 14 at 4 p.m. CT.

This Weekend: #16/14 Alabama at Mississippi State​

  • Starkville, Miss. – Nusz Park
  • Friday/Saturday Video: SEC Network+ (Streaming)
  • Sunday Video: SEC Network
  • Radio: The Crimson Tide Sports Network at 97.5 FM in Tuscaloosa | nick975.com | Varsity App
  • Friday, April 14 – 4 p.m. CT
  • Saturday, April 15 – 1:30 p.m. CT
  • Sunday, April 16 – 1 p.m. CT
 
Like the lineup shifting from Murphy today... Slides Prange into the leadoff spot, and drops Cahalan to #2, followed by Shipman and Dowling.


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Reason I like it is, the other way wasn't working so trying something different is ok at this point. But, Prange doesn't strike out much, and draws some walks. We all know Cahalan can hit. That should get them in situations with at least 1 on more often than not with Shipman and Dowling coming up.... Shipman is a much better hitter IMO than she shows, but she at least puts it in play.
 

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Alabama softball held off a seventh-inning rally from Mississippi State to take Friday's series opener, 4-3.

Alabama (30-12, 7-6 SEC) took the early 1-0 lead over Mississippi State (23-17, 3-9 SEC) in the first inning as Kenleigh Cahalan scored from third on a passed ball. With the bases loaded in the top of the third, an RBI single and sac fly tacked on two more runs for the Crimson Tide, but the Bulldogs got on the board in the bottom half to make it 3-1. With the score the same in the top of the seventh, an RBI single from Jenna Johnson made it a three-run game. Down to their final out, a walk led to a two-run home run and then a double quickly put the tying run in scoring position. Montana Fouts (16-6) closed the door with a strikeout to end the game as the Crimson Tide held on to win, 4-3.

Ally Shipman, Larissa Preuitt and Johnson each had two hits on the day, with Johnson accounting for two of the team's three RBIs. Fouts struck out nine in the complete-game effort to improve her career total to 1,090, now 23 shy of second-place Stephanie VanBrakle (2003-06) on the Alabama career records list.

From Head Coach Patrick Murphy

"Montana pitched great up until that last inning where things got away a little bit, but she really controlled the game for the first 20 outs. The fourth run ended up huge for us. We still left a couple people in scoring position so we need to come through more often, but I think we had traffic on the basepaths almost every inning."
 

STARKVILLE, Miss. – A Saturday shutout on the road clinched the weekend series for Alabama softball over Mississippi State, with the Crimson Tide defeating the Bulldogs, 6-0.

For the second time in the series and the third-straight game, Alabama (31-12, 8-6 SEC) scored in the first inning as a Mississippi State (23-18, 3-10 SEC) error and an Emma Broadfoot RBI single plated a pair of runs for the Crimson Tide. Alabama doubled its lead in the fifth with an RBI single from Bailey Dowling and a sac fly RBI from Jenna Johnson and then added another in the sixth with another sac fly to make it 5-0. In the top of the seventh, Kali Heivilin went from first to third on a single by Johnson and then broke for home after a fielding error on the same play to make it 6-0. Having retired 10 straight heading to the bottom of the seventh, a leadoff walk for the Bulldogs broke the streak but that was all they got in the final half-inning.

Alabama was just one hit shy of its season-high in conference play, tallying 11 between seven different players, including a 3-for-3 day from Johnson and two-hit games from Dowling and Broadfoot. Alex Salter (6-2) went the distance with the complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits and one walk. The solo shutout is Salter's third of the season and fourth of her career.

From Head Coach Patrick Murphy

"I'm really proud of [Alex] Salter. Other than the Tennessee game, this was one of the best games of her career. She had them off balance all day. Lance [McMahon] called a good game and Ally [Shipman] caught a good game. I really liked our start offensively, especially with two outs. We had really clean defense all day and it was just a great day on the diamond.

"We've done the hard part – you have to win the first two games to get the chance to sweep. I told our team after the game that Mississippi State doesn't want to get swept. They're going to come out tomorrow with everything they have and paly one of their best games of the year. We just have to match the energy."

Highlights​

  • The series win is Alabama's 16th three-game series win all-time over Mississippi State, the Crimson Tide's sixth on the road
  • The 11 hits were just one shy of Alabama's conference-best this season, previously tallying 12 at Missouri on April 1
  • Alabama is now 14-3 when scoring in the first inning, having done so in each of the last three games
  • Alex Salter's complete-game shutout was her third this season and fourth of her career
  • Jenna Johnson went 3-for-3 at the plate, earning her seventh multi-hit game of the season and her second of the weekend series
  • Ashley Prange went 1-for-2 with a walk to extend her reached-base streak to eight games
 

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Lockdown defense helped lead Alabama softball to a 1-0 shutout Sunday over Mississippi State, securing the first series sweep of the season for the Crimson Tide.

The series sweep is the first of the season for Alabama (32-12, 9-6 SEC) and marks its third-straight conference series win. It is the Crimson Tide's 12th three-game sweep all time vs. Mississippi State (23-19, 3-11 SEC) and its first road sweep over the Bulldogs since 2012.

Alabama scored first for the third time this weekend, courtesy of a third-inning RBI single from Ally Shipman. In the home half of the same inning, the Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out before Ashley Prange fielded a hard one-hopper, stepped on the bag at third and fired over to first for an inning-ending double play to get out of the threat still leading by one. The score remained the same heading to the bottom of the seventh and Mississippi State got its leadoff batter on base, but Montana Fouts (17-6) and the Alabama defense retired the next three to secure the 1-0 shutout and the series sweep.

Emma Broadfoot accounted for two of the Tide's five hits on the day, with Shipman's third-inning RBI single driving in the lone run of the day for either team. Fouts earned her second win of the weekend, tossing her seventh shutout of the season, five of which have come in conference play.

From Head Coach Patrick Murphy

"You have to start with Ashley Prange at third base. She made some hellacious plays on defense today with two double plays and the line drive to end the game. [Ally] Shipman got the only RBI of the day and Montana [Fouts] maybe had her C game today, but you have to find ways to win games like that. Five weeks ago, I'm not sure if we win a game like that but the defense came through and we got the timely hit. Sometimes the timely hit gets you a 1-0 win and sometimes its 8-7 but it's a win at the end of the day."
 
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