Bama moves to 9-0 with four wins in the Bama Bash.
GAME 1: ALABAMA 10, PURDUE 0 (5 innings, run rule)
The crooked numbers catch the attention, but the big story here was Vic Moten continuing her roll. She struck out the side to open the game and whiffed six Boilermakers over her 4.0 innings. The freshman had two walks and allowed only a single. Alea Johnson had a walk in the final frame but the other three Boilermakers she faced went down on strikes.
The Crimson Tide worked over four Purdue pitchers over the four innings they batted. Bama collected
9 hits, 9 walks, and had only one strikeout. Once again, it was 3rd inning fireworks for Alabama. Audrey Vandagriff led off the inning with a single and Brooke Wells took a base on balls. Vandagriff would come into score on an error at first base. Alexis Pupillo and Marlie Giles had back-to-back RBI singles. Abby Duchscherer and Ana Roman would both earn an RBI with bases loaded walks. Jena Young had a sac fly to make it 5-0. Brooke Wells would then clear the bases with a 3-run double.
Young and Lauren Johnson made it 10-0 with consecutive doubles.
started at third base. To my recollection, she had never played that position in the three previous seasons at Alabama. Houston transfer Brooke Wells started first base and Iowa transfer was at second base as expected. Surprisingly, head coach Patrick Murphy’s Gut® favorite, Larissa Preuitt, did not start. The starting outfield left to right was Lauren Johnson, and stayed
Vandagriff, Lo-Jo, Roman, Ambrey Taylor, (grand slam), and Salen Hawkins, all went deep on Villanova.
True and sophomore Braya Hodges combined for a 5 inning no-hitter while striking out nine.
NOTES:
- In a rare moment, Vandagriff was caught stealing.
- In the 2nd inning, Roman singled down the right field line and was attempting to stretch the hit into a single, but was thrown out at second base.
- Kristen White stole a base as a pinch runner. She would eventually come around to score.
- Pupillo caught the Alea Johnson’s 3-strikeout 5th inning.
- No dingers for the Tide.
- No errors either.
- 18 Alabama players participated in this one.
GAME 2: ALABAMA 6, LIBERTY 3
Jocelyn Briski got her first start of the season and struck out the first batter of the game, but the pitch was wild and the hitter reached base. The next batter went down in Flames (sorry, not sorry). But then things got a little wonky. After a single, the next batter reached on a throwing error by Briski that loaded the bases. The next batter singled in a run for an early 10-0 advantage.
Bama struck back in a hurry as Audrey Vandagriff singled and stole second. Brooke Wells then came up and crushed a ball over the left field wall.
More trouble for Briski in the 2nd. Liberty retook the lead with three singles and that was the end of the day for the Crimson Tide pitcher. Kaitlyn Pallozzi entered the game and got the final out of the inning.
In the bottom of 4th, Alexis Pupillo led off with a walk and Ana Roman singled, moving Pup up to third base. Roman stole second, advanced to third and Pupillo scored on a throwing error by the catcher. Abby Duchscherer followed with an RBI single to retake the lead for good. A Jena Young triple and a Lauren Johnson single pushed the advantage to 6-3.
Pallozzi (2-0) pitched a good game. She allowed only three singles over 5.1 innings and struck out a quartet of Flames.
NOTES:
- Bama loaded the bases in the 5th inning, but Duchscherer grounded into double play to end the threat.
- Briski committed the only error for Alabama.
- Vandagriff and Roman each stole a base.
- Paige Doerr is a junior outfielder for Liberty. She is the younger sister of former Alabama catcher Abby Doerr.
GAME 3: ALABAMA 8, LIBERTY 0 (5 innings, run rule)
It was Senior Day for Alexis Pupillo, but she did not have any highlights in Game 3.
Vic Moten (5-0) had another masterful performance, earning a complete game one-hit win. She totaled 5 Ks and walked one over an economical 75 pitches.
In the bottom of the 2nd, Bama loaded the bases and Brooke Wells on a Liberty offering that she deposited into left center field for 2 RBIs. Audrey Vandagriff knocked one in on a fielder’s choice and an error would plate a fourth run for the Tide in the frame.
After quiet 3rd and 4th innings, the bench got a rally going in the 5th when singles by Larissa Preuitt, Kristen White, and Gerritt Griggs set the table for Vandagriff. On a 2-1 pitch, the Tide All-American hit a grand slam to walk it off for Alabama.
- Bama loaded the bases in the 1st inning but did not score.
- Salen Hawkins had a fielding error but no run was scored.
- Hitting third through sixth, Hawkins, Pupillo, Giles, and Roman all went hitless with no runs or RBIs.
- Vandagriff and Wells accounted for all of the RBIs.
GAME 4: ALABAMA 8, PURDUE 0 (5 innings, run rule)
Jocelyn Briski was back in the circle with a vengeance as she struck out the first six batters of the game and seven overall in 3.0 innings of no hit ball. Kaitlyn Pallozzi pitched a no-hit 4th inning. Braya Hodges gave the first and only Purdue hit of the game in the 5th.
As per usual, Audrey Vandagriff got things going for the Crimson Tide offensively with a leadoff single and a stolen base. Following two outs and a walk, Alexis Pupillo singled her in. A bases loaded walk to Jena Young made it 2-0, but Abby Duchscherer struck out with the bases full of Tide runners.
Alabama again loaded the bases in the 2nd, but only came out with one run on a Salen Hawkins fielder’s choice. But the Tide shortstop made up for it in the 4th when she singled in a pair of runs. Marlie Giles joined the fun with an RBI double. And on her Senior Day, Alexis Pupillo sent an offering over the right center wall to cap the scoring.
NOTES:
- In a scary top of the right center4th, Wells had a fielding error at first base. Following a SAC bunt, Duchscherer committed a throwing error at third base. Pallozzi walked two batters to load the bases, but coaxed a fly out to end the threat. The 4th was the only inning of work for Pallozzi.
- Vandagriff and Hawkins each swiped a base.
GAME 5: ALABAMA vs GEORGIA SOUTHERN – canceled
Due to bad weather in Tuscaloosa, all of Sunday’s scheduled games were canceled.
[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
- I’m not sure how long, Patrick Murphy can stick with Duchscherer as an everyday starter. The senior had only a single over the weekend in six at bats with 2 RBI and one run scored. On the young season, Duke is hitting .200 with 4 runs and 4 RBI plus one homerun – her only extra base hit of the 2026 campaign.
- In her one start at third base against Liberty on Saturday, Gerritt Griggs went 1 for 2 with a walk and 2 runs scored from the ninth spot in the order.
- It is still early in the season, but it appears that Murphy intends to have Moten and Briski as his two starters in the circle, though Briski is still nursing an injury. She has throw 4.0, 1.2, and 3.0 innings.
- Pallozzi is only a freshman, but needs to clean some things up. She had a good outing versus Liberty but was a little shaky against Purdue in one inning of work.
- Lauren Johnson had a hit in all four games.
- Kinley Pate made pinch-running appearances in all four games and scored each time. She is 8 for 9 in that department thus far this season. Pate is tied for third on the team in runs scored.
- Larissa Preuitt played all four games mostly as a late defensive replacement, but did not start. She singled in her only at bat and scored a run.
MVPs
It was hard to narrow it down since there were so many good performances.
- VANDAGRIFF: 6-11 (.545 BA), 1 HR, 1 DBL, 5 RBI, 6 RUNS, 2 SB
- MOTEN: 9.0 IP, 2 WINS, 0.00 ERA, 2 HITS – SINGLES, 0 RUNS, 3 BB, 11 K, 5-0 overall
UPCOMING ALABAMA SCHEDULE
Things get real for the Crimson Tide as they travel to Tallahassee for the Dugout Club Classic.
- Tue, Feb 10 vs Elon 9am/10am
- Fri, Feb 20 at #6 Florida State 4:30/5:30
- Sat, Feb 21 at #6 Florida State 2pm/3pm
- Sat, Feb 21 vs Elon 4:30/5:30
- Sun, Feb 22 vs Dartmouth 9am/10am
HOW TO WATCH… ALLEGEDLY
There has been no announcement but assume that there will be no airing of the Elon or Dartmouth games. The pair against FSU will likely be available on ACCNX Streaming (ESPN+).
#RollTide #Team30
