Once Alabama softball took the lead, it didn’t take its foot off the gas pedal in its 17-1 win against UAB at Rhoads Stadium on Wednesday.
It started with Elissa Brown’s leadoff single. On the next pitch, she stole her 26th base of the year. Then she took third two pitches later when KB Sides struck out.
With Brown on third, Kaylee Tow singled to drive in the first run. Tow scored on a Merris Schroder single to left field, which bounced off the Blazer left fielders’ glove advancing both Alabama runners up 60 feet.
Back-to-back singles scored three more runs.
After the Blazers (14-21) went down in order in the top of the second, the Crimson Tide (37-2) picked up where it left off. It scored five runs, powered by Bailey Hemphill and Claire Jenkins.
With one out and two on, Hemphill sent a ball down the leftfield line for her 17th home run of the year. Jenkins blasted a two-run shot over the same wall two batters later.
The onslaught continued in the third. The inning started with a single and a pair of walks to load the bases. On the first pitch she saw, Schroder skied a ball to center, scoring the runner at third, while moving up the other two runners on base.
Three-straight walks added two more runs before Taylor Clark ground into a 5-3 putout, scoring another run. An error scored the fifth run of the inning.
“From the first inning, just going at them, and every inning adding on,” Jenkins said about the difference of Wednesday’s game vs the series last weekend with Mississippi State.
In the bottom of the fourth and already up 15 runs, Hemphill sent her second home run over the left field wall.
She finished 3-for-3 with five RBIs and a walk.
“I just saw the ball well today, and I was able to put it out of the yard,” Hemphill said.
After a solid performance against Mississippi State on Sunday, Krystal Goodman continued to pitch well for Alabama.
She started the game and allowed just two hits in three innings. She retired the first six Blazers to start the game.
“The biggest thing with her is just getting that game experience, Division 1 confidence going,” coach Patrick Murphy said. “Sunday was awesome for her. I think it was awesome for her.”
Madison Preston pitched the final two innings and allowed a run off two hits.
The two combined for just 60 pitches.
Alabama travels to Columbus, South Carolina, for its weekend series against the Gamecocks.
