Alabama
Wisconsin
No. 1 Softball Sweeps Through Day Two in Impressive Fashion
2/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 14, 2009
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The No. 1 ranked Alabama softball team earned two shutout victories Saturday afternoon. The Crimson Tide started the day with a 10-0 blanking of Notre Dame and then came right back and shut out Wisconsin 8-0, all in five innings. Freshman Amanda Locke went deep in both games to help the Tide improve to 7-0 on the season.
"The best thing about today was the way everyone battled at the plate," head coach Patrick Murphy said. "The more we battled in both games the better we did down the lineup. No walks by either pitcher today was also key for us. I am just really happy Amanda (Locke) is making the pitcher work and making solid contact."
Locke went deep for the third time in as many games and led the Tide at the plate with a 4-for-5 day, adding two RBI and two runs. Senior Lauren Parker collected five hits and drove in three while fellow senior Kelley Montalvo drove in four. The Crimson Tide combined to score 18 runs on 19 hits on the day.
Game 1
The No. 1 ranked Alabama softball team continued its winning ways by blanking Notre Dame 10-0 Saturday afternoon at the UA Softball Complex. The Crimson Tide handed the Fighting Irish (1-2) its second fifth inning loss in as many days.
Alabama plated 10 runs on 10 hits to continue its BAMA Bash winning streak. After the Tide opened the game with a run in the second they opened it wide open with four in the third and five more in the fifth.
Locke blasted her first home run of the day after battling off 11 pitches before the prodigious shot. In the third, newcomer Cassandra Reilly-Boccia brought in two on a double to left center. Kellie Eubanks then followed with a single up the middle that scored Whitney Larsen. Reilly-Boccia scored on an error by the center fielder on the play.
In the fifth, Locke started things off again, this time with a double down the left field line. Lauren Parker then singled down the right field line to bring home pinch-runner Jessica Smith. Kelley Montalvo supplied the punch with a three-run shot over the left field wall.
Locke, Eubanks and Parker collected two hits apiece. Montalvo drove in three runs while Reilly-Boccia followed with two. 10 different members of the Crimson Tide scored a run in the contest.
Junior Charlotte Morgan earned her team leading third victory on the season. Morgan scattered five hits and went the distance for her first shutout of the season. The All-American struck out three and did not issue a walk.
Game 2
The No. 1 ranked Alabama softball team continued to stymie its opponents by posting back-to-back shutouts Saturday. The Crimson Tide handed the Wisconsin Badgers an 8-0 loss in the night cap to improve to 7-0 on the season. The win came on the heels of a 10-0 victory over Notre Dame to start day two of the BAMA Bash at the UA Softball Complex.
Alabama put up runs in every inning to keep Wisconsin winless. The Tide plated two runs in each of the first and second innings and then added three in the third and one more in the fourth to run away from the Badgers.
Lauren Parker opened the scoring with a two-run triple down the right field line. The lined shot brought home Cassandra Reilly-Boccia and Kelley Montalvo. In the second, freshman Jazlyn Lunceford brought home Kellie Eubanks on a sac fly to right. Montalvo then singled home Jennifer Fenton after the newcomer walked and stole second.
In the third Locke got things going with a solo blast that caromed off the light pole in left center. Two Badger errors enable the Tide to plate two more in the inning. In the fourth, Whitney Larsen double to right center to score freshman pinch runner Lisa Elizondo.
Locke got the job done in the circle and at the plate. The newcomer earned her second victory on the mound and smacked her third home run in as many games. Locke earned the shutout win by going five innings, allowing five hits and fanning four with no walks.
Parker batted 3-for-3 with two RBI, including a triple. Montalvo, Larsen and Lunceford each added an RBI for the Tide.
In the other contests of the day, Notre Dame defeated East Carolina 2-1 in the first game and Wisconsin earned its first win on the season with a 3-1 win over the Pirates to close out the day.
UA will close out BAMA Bash play tomorrow against East Carolina at 12:30 p.m. Wisconsin will meet Notre Dame to start day three of the tournament tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.
