Big Innings Carry Alabama Softball to 15 Runs Across Two Wins Friday

Friday, February 24

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

4 p.m. CT

Alabama

8-2

Kennesaw State

3-8

Kennesaw State

Alabama

Big Innings Carry Alabama Softball to 15 Runs Across Two Wins Friday

2/24/2023 10:12:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score vs. KSU (PDF)Box Score vs. SLU (PDF)Photo Gallery

The Crimson Tide defeated Kennesaw State, 9-2, and Southeastern Louisiana, 6-2

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Seventh-ranked Alabama softball used a pair of big scoring innings to win two games Friday at the Easton Bama Bash, defeating Kennesaw State, 9-2, and Southeastern Louisiana, 6-2.

Alabama (9-2) trailed Kennesaw State (3-8) 2-1 before the offense came alive with a six-run fifth inning to surge ahead 7-2. The Tide added two in the sixth on a hard-hit Ashley Prange single to stretch it to 9-2, which proved final after Jaala Torrence (2-1) and the Tide defense closed it out in the seventh. In the nightcap against Southeastern Louisiana (10-1), the two teams were scoreless in the fourth until Alabama plated six runs on three hits and a sac fly RBI. The Lions got two back on a sixth-inning home run but it was too little, too late as the Tide held on to win, 6-2.

Kenleigh Cahalan continued her tear to start her freshman campaign, going a combined 4-for-6 between the two games to improve her hitting streak to 11 games. Ally Shipman had six RBIs on a pair of three-run doubles, one in each game. In the circle, Torrence got the win in relief in game one while Montana Fouts (5-1) threw the complete-game victory in game two with nine strikeouts.

From Head Coach Patrick Murphy

"The main thing that we worked on in practice yesterday was continuing to pass the baton down. That's been our biggest negative since game one, we'll get two on and then we will stall the entire offense. How I explained it to the players was that it's like when a football team gets into the red zone and they don't score. Anything other than a touchdown or field goal is not good. Today we had two really good innings, the crooked number is always awesome. I'll take six [runs] in a game. That's a big number and it is hard to come back from. Our team passed the baton down and Jenna Johnson knocked out the pitcher with a sacrifice fly to right field. SLU started her for a reason and getting four runs on the board after that was huge with the big hit from [Ally] Shipman."

Highlights

With the win over Kennesaw State, Alabama is now 4-0 this season when the opponent scores first
With at least one hit in each game Friday, Kenleigh Cahalan extended her career-starting hitting streak to 11 games to start her Crimson Tide career
The three-hit game against Kennesaw State was the first of Cahalan's career and the second this year for any Tide player, with Marlie Giles doing so against Indiana last weekend in Clearwater (Feb. 18)
Ally Shipman now has seven doubles this season, just two shy of her 2021 total at Tennessee and five shy of her 2022 total last year with the Crimson Tide, which is her single-season high (12)

Scoring Summary vs. Kennesaw State

T2 | A close play at the plate scored a run for the Owls (0-1, 2 Out)
B4 | Jordan Stephens lifted a sac fly RBI to right to tie the game (1-1, 1 Out)
T5 | An errant throw allowed a KSU runner to score from third (1-2, 2 Out)
B5 | With the bases loaded, Ally Shipman sent the first pitch to the wall in left center for a three-run double (4-2, 1 Out)
B5 | Larissa Preuitt roped a two-run triple into the right field corner (6-2, 1 Out)
B5 | Stephens hit another sac fly RBI to right (7-2, 1 Out)
B6 | Ashley Prange hit a hard ball that hopped past the shortstop for two runs (9-2, 1 Out)

Scoring Summary vs. Southeastern Louisiana

B4 | Emma Broadfoot hit an RBI single up the middle (1-0, 1 Out)
B4 | Jenna Johnson drove in a run on a sac fly RBI (2-0, 1 Out)
B4 | With the bases loaded, Shipman cranked a double into left field to drive them all home (5-0, 2 Out)
B4 | Bailey Dowling ripped an RBI single down the left field line (6-0, 2 Out)
T6 | SLU got on the board with a two-run home run (6-2, 1 Out)

Up Next: Easton Bama Bash (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Saturday, Feb. 25 vs. Indiana State – 11 a.m. CT
Saturday, Feb. 25 vs. Southeastern Louisiana – 1:30 p.m. CT
Sunday, Feb. 26 vs. Kennesaw State – 1 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.