Alabama Softball Posts Two Shutout Victories Over Shelton State Friday
10/20/2017 10:55:00 PM | Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama softball posted a pair of shutouts Friday against Shelton State, winning game one 12-0 before taking game two 11-0.
The majority of the Tide's scoring came on sustained rallies, including an 11-run fourth inning in game one and a seven-run second inning in game two. Both pitchers posted identical lines in each game, with junior Courtney Gettins and freshman Madison Preston each throwing 5.0 innings with no runs allowed with two hits and eight strikeouts.
GAME ONE: ALABAMA 12, SHELTON STATE 0
Senior Demi Turner scored the first run of the day for Alabama in the first inning of game one. She reached on an infield single, stole second, was sacrificed to third by junior Merris Schroder and then scored on a wild pitch.
A single through the left side by senior Peyton Grantham in the bottom of the fourth would start an 11-run inning for the Crimson Tide. With two runners in scoring position, senior Sydney Booker laid down a squeeze bunt to score Grantham from third, advanced to second on the throw home and then a throw down to second allowed junior Reagan Dykes to score on the play as well. Senior Rachel Bobo reached on a bunt single and then Turner drove in Booker and Bobo with a single to left, advancing to second on the throw home.
Two wild pitches allowed Turner to move to third and then come home to score. Three walks would load the bases before yet another walk to junior Caroline Hardy brought junior Merris Schroder home from third. Freshman Kaylee Tow scored on a failed double play attempt before a double down the left field line from Grantham scored sophomore Gabby Callaway. Dykes tacked on two more with a single in the left-field gap and freshman Kyra Lockhart added the final run of the day with a single to center field to score Dykes.
GAME TWO: ALABAMA 11, SHELTON STATE 0
Alabama scored three runs in the first inning of game two on a towering home run from sophomore Bailey Hemphill, scoring sophomore Elissa Brown and freshman Maddie Morgan on the play.
The Tide added some distance in the second inning, plating seven runs. A bases-loaded single from Tow scored Hemphill from third and a double down the right-field line from Callaway scored senior Carrigan Fain and Tow, with Callaway later coming home after two wild pitches. Following a walk to sophomore Claire Jenkins, Booker laid down a bunt and reached safely on a throwing error. A walk to Brown loaded the bases and Morgan added two more runs with a single up the middle.
Alabama's last run of the game came in the bottom of the third when Fain reached on a double in the left-field gap and Callaway dropped a hit in the same spot, legging out a triple to score Fain from second.
Alabama concludes its fall schedule on Sunday, Oct. 22, facing Auburn-Montgomery in a doubleheader starting at 1:30 p.m. CT.
For the latest information on the team follow @AlabamaSB on Twitter, BamaSB on Instagram and Alabama Softball on Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
