After two big Wednesday wins over Jacksonville State and North Alabama, Bama mowed down North Dakota State in a pair of games.
GAME 1: ALABAMA 11, NDSU 1
While most of Bama Nation was watching the men’s basketball in the Sweet 16, the Tide softball team also had a game going on. It was like bowl season in our house with two TVs going simultaneously.
Vic Moten got the start in the circle for the Tide and looked a little rocky in the early going. The first batter of the game singled and was moved to second on a bang-bang slap
ground out that needed a review. After a pop up, a sharp single scored the game’s first run. Moten hit the leadoff batter in the 2nd inning, but after that she was lights out. The freshman struck out 8 in a row from that frame through the 4th inning. She would whiff a season high 14 in the game and at least one batter in every inning. Following the aforementioned hit by pitch, only one more Bison reached base on a high chopper back to Moten that she almost threw out.
If you just looked at the score, you would think the Bama bats were red hot. They had 8 hits, which is a low total considering they scored 8 runs. Only three Alabama RBIs were earned by way of a hit. Two came from bases loaded walks. Two were recorded from sacrifice flies. An eighth run came in on an error. The Tide did not have a hit with a runner on base until the 6th inning with two outs when Abby Duchscherer singled to left field with Lauren Johnson on first base. In short, Bama won but missed several opportunities to end the game early.
But enough about that. You came here for dingers.
Brooke Wells, y’all. My gawd did she crush that ball. The Tide sophomore has at least one homer in each of the last three games.
Larissa Preuitt came up big on her Senior Day when she singled in two runs in the bottom of the 6th.
NOTES:
- In the first inning, Bama had a a chance for a big inning. But The Gut® put and end to that. After a bases loaded walk tied the game 1-1, Marlie Giles hit a sac fly to right field that scored Wells. For some reason, Patrick Murphy sent Alexis Pupillo – who was on second base – around third and she was gunned down at the plate. Genius.
- In the bottom of the 3rd, Bama had Ana Roman on second base when Preuitt flied out to left field. It is unclear if it was The Gut® or the freshman’s idea to try and take third on the play, but Roman was easily thrown out for an inning-ending double play.
- Giles was 0 for 0 with two RBI. Now, that is something you don’t see everyday. She had three walks and a sac fly.
- The Tide had the bases loaded in the 5th with no outs and only scored one run on a Jena Young sac fly.
- Audrey Vandagriff was 1 for 4 in the leadoff spot. Her one hit was a bunt single, so I guess we are still doing this nonsense.
- No Alabama player struck out in this game. They drew 9 walks.
- No errors, no stolen bases for the Crimson Tide.
- Holly Beth Brooks caught the final inning.
- Preuitt was 1 for 4 but hit the ball hard all four times. Her dad threw out the first pitch.
GAME 2: ALABAMA 13, NDSU 0 (5 Inn.)
Ambrey Taylor continued her hot tear at the plate with a two-run shot in the 1st inning.
Salen Hawkins and Jena Young both had a 2 RBI in the 2nd inning. A fielding error scored an eighth Alabama run. Hawkins added another RBI in the 3rd on a one-bagger. Holly Beth Brooks singled in two runs in the 4th for her first collegiate hit and RBIs.
Taylor followed that up with her second homer of the day. GENIUS!
Kaitlyn Pallozzi got the start for the Tide and tossed 3 innings of one-hit ball. Alea Johnson handles the 4th and Braya Hodges allowed one hit in the 5th.
NOTES:
- Bama left two runners on in the 1st, left the bases jammed in the 2nd and the 3rd (the latter with one out), and one on in the 4th.
- For the second consecutive game, the Tide batters coaxed 9 walks.
- Unfortunately, Abby Duchscherer went 0 for 3 with a walk and a K on her Senior Day.
- Vandagriff took the day off.
[SURGEON GENERAL WARNING: The section below is not all rainbows, lollipops, and unicorns. If we see an issue that we deem worth discussing, RBR is not going to shy away from it. That is the MO that this whole website is based on. If you want sunshine pumped up your nether regions, there are PLENTY of those people more than willing to provide that service. If you are easily triggered, stop reading now and play the above video on repeat. If you live in the real world, carry on my wayward son.]
SERIES NOTES
- They were both big wins, but Alabama has some glaring issues. They are still leaving too many runners on base. Walks are great and all but that is not going to be happening against the Teagan Kavan’s (Texas) and Karlyn Pickens (Tennessee) of the world.
- Wells’s 15 homers matches Alabama’s leader in that category, Kali Heivilin, from last season.
- Alexis Pupillo has reached base in 31 games.
- Taylor is already up to 7 home runs, which is fourth most on the team. The freshman has done so in only 11 starts. She did not even play in Game 1. Gut®
- Last year’s team totaled 60 round-trippers. This year’s squad is at 63.
MVP
- TAYLOR: 2-2, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 RUNS, 2 BB, 0 K
UPCOMING ALABAMA SCHEDULE
No midweek games for the Crimson Tide this week because the series starts on Thursday for some dumb reason.
- Thu, Apr 2 vs Texas 6pm/7pm
- Fri, Apr 3 vs Texas 7:30/8:30
- Sat, Apr 4 vs Texas 5pm/6pm
HOW TO WATCH… ALLEGEDLY
Game 1 will be available on SECNX Streaming (ESPN+). Game 2 will air on the SECN and the finale will be carried by ESPN.
#RollTide #Team30
