Alabama
6-5
Jacksonville State
7-3
Alabama Beats Jacksonville State, 7-4, Tuesday at Rocket City Showcase in Huntsville
2/18/2025 10:14:00 PM | Softball
The Crimson Tide hits a pair of home runs in the midweek win at Toyota Field
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A pair of home runs helped lift Alabama softball to a 7-4 win over Jacksonville State Tuesday night at Toyota Field in Huntsville, Ala., as part of the Rocket City Showcase.
Alabama (6-5) trailed early after Jacksonville State (7-3) drove in a pair of runs in the top of the second. With two on and two out in the bottom of the third, Alexis Pupillo blasted a home run to right field to give the Crimson Tide the 3-2 lead. Two more runs in the fourth stretched the lead to 5-2 before a two-run homer from Kali Heivilin in the fifth swelled the lead to 7-2. The Gamecocks got two runs back in th top of the sixth but that was all as Emily Winstead closed out the game for her first save of the season, preserving the 7-4 Alabama victory.
FROM HEAD COACH PATRICK MURPHY
"I'd like to thank the Trash Pandas and all the people at Toyota Field for an incredible evening. What they did to transform the field from a baseball facility to a softball facility was amazing. It was a great homecoming for Larissa Preuitt and Mari Hubbard. I know both young ladies had a ton of family and friends in the stands. Anyone in the stands tonight got to see one of the longest home runs in Alabama softball history with Alexis Pupillo's bomb in the bottom of the third! Thanks to everyone for coming out! We look forward to coming back again!"
HIGHLIGHTS
- Alabama had a baserunner in all six innings it came to bat, giving the Crimson Tide at least one baserunner in 58 of its 72 innings on offense so far this season (81 percent)
- Eight different Crimson Tide batters recorded a hit
- Kali Heivilin was 2-for-3, including her third home run in the last four games
- Heivilin extended her hitting streak to eight games while Audrey Vandagriff moved her streak to seven
- Alexis Pupillo drove in a season-best three RBIs with a third-inning home run
- Emily Winstead earned the save, her first since her freshman season at UNCW (2022)
SCORING SUMMARY
- T2 | A bases-loaded single plated two for Jacksonville State (0-2, 2 Out)
- B3 | Alexis Pupillo crushed a three-run home run to right field (3-2, 2 Out)
- B4 | Salen Hawkins scored on a fielder's choice (4-2, 1 Out)
- B4 | Larissa Preuitt hit an RBI single up the middle (5-2, 2 Out)
- B5 | Kali Heivilin blasted a two-run home run to center field (7-2, 0 Out)
- T6 | Jax State hit an RBI double down the right field line (7-3, 2 Out)
- T6 | The Gamecocks tacked on another with an RBI single (7-4, 2 Out)
UP NEXT: EASTON BAMA BASH (TUSCALOOSA, ALA.)
- Friday, Feb. 21 vs. Virginia Tech – 4 p.m. CT
- Friday, Feb. 21 vs. Southern Utah – 6:30 p.m. CT
- Saturday, Feb. 22 vs. Drake (DH) – 11 a.m. CT
- Sunday, Feb. 23 vs. Virginia Tech – 12:30 p.m. CT
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Riley, Catelyn (4-1)
L: Jaliyah Holmes (1-1)
S: Winstead, Emily (1)
Batting:
2B: Emma Elrod 1
RBI: Emma Elrod 1 ; Morgan Nowakowski 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Emma Elrod 1 ; Jaci Underwood 1 ; Aria Davis 2
HBP: Amber Reed 1 ; Aria Davis 1
Batting:
HR: Pupillo, Alexis 1 ; Heivilin, Kali 1
RBI: Preuitt, Larissa 1 ; Pupillo, Alexis 3 ; Heivilin, Kali 2 ; Johnson, Lauren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vandagriff, Audrey 1 ; Preuitt, Larissa 1 ; Pupillo, Alexis 1 ; Giles, Marlie 1 ; Heivilin, Kali 1 ; Hawkins, Salen 1 ; Johnson, Lauren 1
SB: Vandagriff, Audrey 1
CS: Vandagriff, Audrey 1
