Alabama
Arkansas
Softball Wins 9-1 Over Arkansas in Series Opener
5/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Alabama took the lead in the first inning and never looked back Friday night against Arkansas, as the Crimson Tide earned a 9-1 win in the series opener on the road at Bogle Park.
Alabama (39-11, 15-7 SEC) knocked in 10 hits on the day from six different batters, led by Kallie Case with a season high three hits in four at-bats as the junior also came around to score after each hit. Leona Lafaele drove in a career-high five RBI, helped in large part by a three-run homer in the top of the third inning. The team speed was also on display, as Alabama tied its season high with five stolen bases, the most in exactly one month for the Tide. Starter Alexis Osorio (16-7) earned the win with 5.2 innings pitched, including eight strikeouts, while Sydney Littlejohn threw the final 1.1 innings of the game.
The Arkansas (16-35, 1-21 SEC) offense struggled to string any rallies together while starter Grace Moll (1-8) was hit hard in the loss, giving up eight runs on nine hits over 4.1 innings. The Razorbacks' lone run came in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Jessica Harrison.
Back-to-back singles to lead off the game along with some heads-up baserunning quickly put two in scoring position for Alabama in the top of the first. Jadyn Spencer fought to a full count and popped a bloop single down the first base line just past the infield dirt to drive in one and put runners at the corners. Later with runners at the corners and one away, Lafaele would drive in the runner from third with a fielder's choice RBI to make it 2-0. After advancing all the way to third base on a pair of wild pitches, Lafaele was left stranded 60 feet away as a groundout ended the half-inning with the Tide leading 2-0.
Stephanie Canfield knocked a two-out single up the middle in the bottom of the first and, after stealing second, Harrison would drive in Canfield on a slow-rolling infield single to cut the lead in half, 2-1. With a runner on second and two outs in the top of the third inning, Marisa Runyon was intentionally walked to get to Lafaele, who made the Razorbacks pay with a three-run homer to left field, making it a 5-1 game.
Case started the top of the fifth with her third hit of the day and immediately stole second in the next at-bat. A hard grounder back to the pitcher looked to have Case caught in a rundown but she made it back to second base safely as Spencer was also standing at first base on the fielder's choice. After a popup, Lafaele would drive one in on an RBI single to make it 6-1. After a stolen base put two in scoring position, Chaunsey Bell drove both in on a two-run single through the right side to make it 8-1, which ended Moll's outing with Sydney Wright entering in relief. The sophomore got the Razorbacks out of the inning, forcing a flyout and a groundout with the Tide now leading by seven runs.
Alabama tacked on another run in the top of the seventh on a throwing error to make it 9-1 and retired Arkansas in order in the bottom of the seventh to secure the eight-run victory in the series opener.
The three game series continues on Saturday, May 2 at 8 p.m. CT live on ESPNU.
