Alabama
Mississippi
No. 2 Softball Sweeps Doubleheader Against Mississippi
3/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 21, 2009
Box Score Game 1 | Box Score Game 2 | Photo Gallery 
OXFORD, Miss. - The No. 2 ranked Alabama softball team erupted for 28 runs and banged out a combined 23 hits to run away with a doubleheader sweep over Mississippi Saturday afternoon at the Ole Miss Softball Complex. The Crimson Tide opened the series with a 13-4 victory and then backed that up with a 15-0 drubbing over the host Rebels. After the two wins Alabama improves to 25-4 overall and 5-2 in Southeastern Conference play.
"It was fun to see every get involved in the scoring," head coach Patrick Murphy said. "It was great to see [Ashley] Holcombe get two hits and to see [Amanda] Locke get her first SEC pitching experience and do well at the plate. This weekend has always seemed to jump start us and to come back and play like we did you have to give credit to everybody."
The freshman duo of Jazlyn Lunceford and Amanda Locke each collected four hits in the two games while junior Charlotte Morgan extended her hitting streak to 15 games. Locke added a home run and a team-leading five RBI while Ashley Holcombe belted her first home run on the season. Alabama was a perfect 10-for-10 in stolen base attempts while five different members of the Crimson Tide scored four runs each.
Game 1
The No. 2 ranked Alabama softball team bounced back nicely after a midweek setback to run past Mississippi by the score of 13-4 Saturday afternoon at the Ole Miss Softball Complex. Senior Ashley Holcombe and freshman Amanda Locke went deep for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama scored in each inning to set the tone for the day. Brittany Rogers, Cassandra Reilly-Boccia and Locke each had two hits in the series opener. The offensive charge was led by Locke and her four RBI. Freshman Kendall Dawson knocked in three runs and Reilly-Boccia added two.
Reilly-Boccia got Alabama going in the first by coming through with Rogers and Kelley Montalvo in scoring position. The newcomer dumped a single into right field to start the rally.
Alabama then exploded for four runs in the second. After RBI singles by Rogers and Charlotte Morgan, Locke drilled a double to left field to score Montalvo and pinch-runner Lisa Elizondo.
In the third Holcombe provided the lone run in the inning on the strength of her first home run of the season. The senior came through to lead off the inning.
Locke then punished a 2-2 pitch that easily cleared the left field wall for her fourth home run of the season. The blast scored Reilly-Boccia who reached on a single to left. Alabama followed suit with three more in the fifth when Dawson drilled a double off the left field wall that nearly went for a grand slam. The shot scored three on the play.
Kelsi Dunne improved to 11-0 on the season. Dunne struck out nine, allowed four runs, two earned and scattered nine hits for the complete game victory.
Game 2
The No. 2 ranked Alabama softball team continued its offensive onslaught by plating 15 runs in another rout of Mississippi Saturday afternoon at the Ole Miss Softball Complex. The Crimson Tide swept the Southeastern Conference doubleheader behind a game two score of 15-0.
Alabama raced out to an early 8-0 lead by scoring eight runs in the second inning and then backed that up with seven more in the third. The Crimson Tide took advantage of some early Rebel mistakes and banged out 12 hits to put together its biggest victory since a 21-1 rout of McNeese State on Feb. 13, 2008.
Charlotte Morgan led the charge with three hits and two RBI and she also earned the win in the circle to improve to 8-4 on the year. Amanda Locke added two hits and a RBI while Jazlyn Lunceford was 3-for-3 with a RBI and two RBI.
In the two innings Alabama banged out 12 hits and took advantage of three errors. Sophomore Whitney Larsen delivered the big hit in the second when she drilled a double to left field that scored Brittany Rogers and freshman Lisa Elizondo.
In the third Morgan continued her hot play at the plate with a two-run single with a knock up the middle. Jazlyn Lunceford and Rogers came around to score on the play. Six different members of the Crimson Tide scored two runs in the contest.
Morgan allowed only two hits in 3 1/3 innings to earn the win. The Moreno Valley, Calif. native struck out two and walked one. In her first appearance in the circle during SEC play, Locke pitched a perfect 1 2/3 innings of relief with two punch outs. Alabama will conclude the series tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.
