GULF SHORES – The Alabama softball team was dominant in all phases over two shutout wins Friday at the Sand Dollar Classic, defeating Penn State, 10-0, before junior Courtney Gettins threw a no-hitter in her Crimson Tide debut, defeating Lamar 13-0.
Alabama (3-0) found an offensive rhythm, scoring a combined 23 runs on 18 hits against Penn State (0-1) and Lamar (1-1).
Sophomore Bailey Hemphill led the offense with three hits in five at-bats, scoring twice and driving in four. Sophomore Gabby Callaway also had four RBIs, three of which came on a bases-clearing triple against the Nittany Lions. Junior Merris Schroder scored three times and drove in three runs, tallying an inside-the-park home run against the Cardinals.
In the circle, freshman Madison Preston (1-0) allowed just one hit over five shutout innings against Penn State, while junior Courtney Gettins (1-0) threw a no-hitter in her Crimson Tide debut against Lamar.
In the first game against Penn State, Callaway roped a triple into the gap in right field, clearing the bases to push Alabama to a 4-0 lead. An RBI single from freshman Kaylee Tow and a wild pitch extened the lead 6-0.
In the fourth, Caroline Hardy and Hemphill knocked in a run apiece to make it 8-0. A double by Callaway drove in another run for a 9-0 advantage. Carrigan Fain tacked on another run with a pinch-hit single.
Against Lamar, Alabama opened the floodgates with a nine-run second inning. An RBI single from Sydney Booker started the scoring and Hemphill tacked on two more with a double to make it 4-0. Alabama score on an error and Peyton Grantham’s two-run single made it 7-0. Schroder’s inside-the-park homer made it 10-0.
In the fourth, the Crimson Tide added three more runs off a two-run single from Claire Jenkins and an RBI single from Kyra Lockhart.
Alabama concludes play at the Sand Dollar Classic on Saturday, facing Virginia Tech at 10 a.m. and Florida A&M at noon.
