Early Lead Pushes Alabama Softball to 5-3 Win Against Louisiana

Saturday, April 24

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

1:30 p.m. CT

Alabama

35-7

Louisiana

35-8

Louisiana

Alabama

Early Lead Pushes Alabama Softball to 5-3 Win Against Louisiana

4/24/2021 4:17:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Crimson Tide scored four in the first inning, including a three-run home run for Lexi Kilfoyl

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – An early lead proved to be the difference-maker in a 5-3 win Saturday for fifth-ranked Alabama Softball over No. 13 Louisiana.

Alabama (35-7) jumped ahead to an early 4-0 lead over Louisiana (35-8), scoring four in the opening inning off a Kaylee Tow RBI double and three-run home run from Lexi Kilfoyl, the first of her career with the sophomore making her first appearance since April 10 at Arkansas. The Crimson Tide cruised until the top of the fifth inning, when the Ragin' Cajuns loaded the bases with nobody out and scored three to make it a one-run game. Alabama got a run back in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI fielder's choice to make it 5-3, which proved final after Montana Fouts (15-3) and the Tide defense went six-up, six-down over the last two innings.

KB Sides' first-inning double extended her hitting streak to 10 games, the longest for any Tide player since 2017. Kilfoy's home run gave her three of the team's five RBIs, a career-best for the sophomore, with Tow driving in a pair of runs on a double and a fielder's choice. Bailey Hemphill drew her 212th career walk, tying her with Auburn's Kasey Cooper (2014-17) at third all-time in SEC history. Arkansas' Devon Wallace (2012-15) is next in line with 235.

Fouts threw her 13th complete game of the season striking out 11, giving her 11 games this season with double-digit strikeouts including each of her last six starts, all of which have come against ranked opponents. Louisiana's Summer Ellyson (16-5) took the loss in the complete game effort for the Ragin' Cajuns.

FROM HEAD COACH PATRICK MURPHY

"It was a great first inning. I loved everything about it offensively. Our players executed on some things we talked about before the game, so I am as pleased as can be with that win. Lexi has been out for a week or so, but she's been hitting like that in practice her whole career and so it was awesome to see her take what she's doing in practice and put it into a game. She needed that. Her first career home run at Alabama could not have come at a better time."

HIGHLIGHTS

Alabama improves to 7-6 all-time vs. Louisiana and 5-1 at home against the Ragin' Cajuns
The Crimson Tide is 28-2 this season when scoring first and 19-1 when scoring in the first inning
KB Sides extended her hitting streak to 10 games and her reached base streak to 19
Sides' hitting streak is the longest since Merris Schroder (18 games) and Demi Turner (13) in 2017
The first inning home run was the first of Lexi Kilfoyl's career and her three RBIs are a career best
Bailey Hemphill drew her 212th career walk to tie Auburn's Kasey Cooper for third in SEC history
The game is Montana Fouts' 11th with 10+ strikeouts, including her last six starts which have all come against ranked opponents

SCORING SUMMARY

B1 | Kaylee Tow went opposite field for an RBI double, driving in KB Sides (1-0, 1 Out)
B1 | Lexi Kilfoyl blasted a three-run home run to center field (4-0, 1 Out)
T5 | With the bases loaded, a groundout plated a run (4-1, 0 Out)
T5 | A bases-loaded single drove in two more runs (4-3, 1 Out)
B5 | Alabama got a run back with an RBI fielder's choice (5-3, 1 Out)

UP NEXT – ALABAMA VS. #13/18 LOUISIANA (TUSCALOOSA, ALA.)

Sunday, April 25 – 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 Alabama Athletics on Facebook.