STARKVILLE, Miss. – The University of Alabama softball team topped Mississippi State 11-3 in a five-inning, run-rule victory at Nusz Park to remain undefeated in SEC play.
Alabama (27-2, 4-0 SEC) scored in four of the five innings, including a big five-run fifth. Marisa Runyon was 3-for-3 with two RBIs while Peyton Grantham had a three-run home run in the first inning.
Alexis Osorio (15-1) earned the win in the circle but saw her school-record scoreless innings streak end at 40 innings after a third-inning home run. She threw 4 1/3 innings while Sydney Littlejohn and Madi Moore each saw time in the fifth inning.
In the Demi Turner was hit by the very first pitch of the game. A groundout moved her to second and wild pitch sent her to third before a walk to Bailey Hemphill put runners at the corners. Grantham then squared up on the third pitch of her at-bat with a line-drive home run over the fence in center, plating three to give Alabama an early 3-0 lead before a flyout and a groundout ended the half-inning.
In the top of the second, Runyon had a standup triple before Dykes pulled a hard-hit single through the left side to score Runyon and stretch the lead to 4-0. Chandler Dare got an RBI groundup to make it 5-0.
In the third inning, Runyon made it 6-0 with an RBI single. MSU’s Reggie Harrison blasted a home run down the left-field line, cutting the Tide’s lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the third.
In the fifth, Runyon a doubled to drive in another run to make it 7-2. Gabby Callaway was hit by a pitch to bring a run home and make it 8-2. A fielding error allowed three more runs to score, stretching Alabama’s lead to 11-2.
Alabama and Mississippi State continue the three-game series on Saturday at 6 p.m.
