SEATTLE, Wash. – The Alabama softball team rallied for a hard-fought comeback victory over BYU to open Friday play at the Husky Classic before falling in five innings to tournament host and top-ranked Washington, 8-0.
In the first game, Alabama (11-3) trailed BYU (7-10) by four runs halfway through the game, its largest deficit to that point in the season. The Crimson Tide rallied with a four-run fifth inning, tying it at 7-7 on a grand slam from sophomore Bailey Hemphill, before a walk-off RBI single from freshman Kaylee Tow in extra innings capped the 8-7 comeback victory.
Hemphill was one of three Crimson Tide players with multi-hits, with sophomore Elissa Brown going 2-for-3 and junior Merris Schroder batting 2-for-4. Junior Courtney Gettins (5-0) earned the win in relief, throwing six innings with three runs allowed, two earned.
In the second game against top-ranked Washington (19-0) the Huskies got off to a fast start, scoring seven runs over the first two innings and capping the run-rule victory with a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Crimson Tide mustered just two hits in the losing effort, coming off the bats of Hemphill and sophomore Gabby Callaway.
Alexis Osorio took the loss, allowing seven runs on eight hits in three innings with five strikeouts and three walks.
Gabbie Plain allowed just two hits in five innings to get the win for Washington.
