Alabama Softball Reaches 25-0 with Sweep of Mizzou

It was an eventful week for Alabama softball. The Crimson Tide won their first SEC series of the season and Head Coach Patrick Murphy reached a major milestone.

Alabama 5 South Alabama 2

Bailey Hemphill hit a two run homer off the scoreboard and Reagan Dykes went 3 for 3. USA gave the Tide a test, knotting the game up at two in the fifth. It was good to see Bama fight back from adversity and score two in their bottom half of that frame and add one more run in the sixth. Sarah Cornell went 5 innings for her eighth win. Montana Fouts got her first collegiate save, striking out four over the last six outs.

Alabama 7 Mississippi Valley State 0

Once again, it was Hemphill with the highlights going 3 for 4 including an opposite field 3-run bomb in the 2nd inning. Caroline Hardy also went deep. A troika of pitchers Krystal Goodman (W, 4-0), Madison Preston, and Courtney Gettins held the Devils to 3 measly singles and 2 walks while fanning 10.

Alabama 3 Missouri 1

Claire Jenkins hit a solo shot and a sac-fly to account for two of the three RBIs in the Tide’s SEC opener. Skylar Wallace knocked in the other run on a first inning single. It was another complete game win for Fouts (9-0) who added seven more victims to her strikeout list.

Alabama 14 Missouri 8

Alabama always seems to have one wild and wacky game in every series this season. This one was mighty wacky. The Tigers jumped all over Courtney Gettins in their first inning, scoring six times and knocking the Tide pitcher out after two-thirds of an inning. Mizzou added a run in the second and third to make the score 8-2. They would score no more. The Bama bats on the other hand were another story. Three home runs (Hemphill, Jenkins, Kaylee Tow), two triples (Merris Schroder, Elissa Brown) and a barrage of singles brought the Tide all the way back and beyond for a 6 run victory. Tow was 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs and a four-bagger. The 7-8-9 hitters - Jenkins, Schroder, Brown - did much of the damage, collectively scoring 9 runs and recording 2 RBI apiece. Sarah Cornell (W, 9-0) got the win in 6.1 innings of relief.

400

It was the 400th conference win for Patrick Murphy as a manager, making him the first softball coach in league history to tally 400 SEC wins. No other coach, active or former, has surpassed 300.

Alabama 11 Missouri 5

Fouts had her first rocky start of her fledgling career, allowing 5 runs, but only two were earned. Mizzou scored a pair of first inning runs. The Bama Bomb Squad answered right back in the bottom of the inning with a trio of dingers by Tow, Hemphill and Maddie Morgan to take the lead 5-2. In the second, it was Dykes turn to star as she smacked a grand slam to stretch the lead to 9-2. In the fourth, the Tigers sent 3 runners across the plate due to four fielding errors by the Tide. It could’ve been a lot worse but Fouts (10-0) fought through the inning. The Tide would get two back with a Jenkins solo shot and pinch-runner Kloyee Anderson stealing home to round out the scoring. The freshman is 6-for-6 in stolen bases.

ALOHA

It’s off to Hawaii (JEALOUS!) for our ladies of the diamond as they participate in the Rainbow Wahine Classic. While the competition is not the most fiercest in the world, it is a long trip and anything can happen on any given day. All of the other participants are already in the 50th state, playing in various invitational tournaments which began play this past weekend.

Hawaii at 15-6 will be the biggest test for the Tide. Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville is 6-6. Niagara has yet to win in 7 games played, all in Hawaii.

Mar 13 (Wed) vs SIUE 5pm CT
Mar 14 (Thu) vs Niagara 5pm CT
Mar 14 (Thu) vs SIUE 7:30pm CT
Mar 15 (Fri) vs Niagara 7:30pm CT
Mar 15 (Fri) at Hawaii 10pm CT
Mar 16 (Sat) at Hawaii 6pm CT

Check SEC Network+ for online airings in your area. All games can be heard on Radio: 93.3 FM.