Alabama
South Carolina
Softball Blanks South Carolina to Earn Series Win
4/2/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 2, 2011
COLUMBIA, S.C. - The No. 1-ranked Alabama softball team used a grand slam from sophomore Kayla Braud and a shutout from freshman Jackie Traina to down South Carolina, 7-0, Saturday at Beckham Field. With the win, the Crimson Tide secure the series and improve to 36-2 overall and 11-1 in Southeastern Conference play.
Braud led the charge at the plate for Alabama, batting 3-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored. Junior Jazlyn Lunceford collected two hits, scored two runs and drove in a run while sophomore Jackey Branham homered and drove in two.
Traina went the distance to improve to 14-1 on the season. The rookie scattered four hits and struck out three while walking three.
Alabama opened the scoring in the second inning when Lunceford tattooed a lined shot off the wall in center field to plate junior Cassie Reilly-Boccia from second and then Branham got a hold of an off-speed pitch and deposited it over the wall in left-center to give the Tide an early 3-0 lead.
The Tide increased its lead to 7-0 by plating four runs in the sixth inning. All the runs came on one swing of the bat as Braud hit a grand slam, lining the shot over the wall in center field. The grand slam was the second of the series for Alabama and the third homer on the season for Braud.
The Tide will close out the series against the Gamecocks on Sunday. First pitch at Beckham Field is slated for noon ET.
