Alabama
11-6
UAB
9-8
Softball Sets School Record with Pair of Run Rule Wins Friday in Tuscaloosa
2/28/2025 10:02:00 PM | Softball
The Crimson Tide extends its streak of run-rule victories to a school-record six
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama softball earned a pair of run-rule victories over UAB and Furman Friday at the T-Mobile Crimson Classic, giving the Crimson Tide a school-record streak of six consecutive run-rule victories.
Alabama (12-6) defeated UAB (9-8) 15-1 in five innings before downing Furman (6-12) in five innings as well by a score of 12-2. The streak of six run-rule wins beats the previous best of five set in 2018.
The opponents scored first in both games, but some big innings heavily swung the momentum towards the Crimson Tide, including a 10-run fourth inning vs. the Blazers and a nine-run second frame vs. the Paladins. As a team, Alabama hit .442 (19-for-43) on the day including five doubles and a team-leading sixth home run from Kali Heivilin. Brooke Ellestad, celebrating her senior day, was 3-for-6 at the plate with two runs scored and two RBIs. Freshman Mari Hubbard also tallied three hits between the two games, scoring three times and driving in four RBIs. In the circle, Jocelyn Briski (3-5) and Emily Winstead (5-0) took home wins while Alea Johnson retired all six batters she faced across a pair of shutout fifth innings in both games.
FROM HEAD COACH PATRICK MURPHY
"I think we did a good job of spreading the wealth. There's maybe 17 hitters on our roster that can play at any time. The best part about it is when they have taken advantage of the opportunities they have been given. [Brooke Ellestad] is a great kid and you hope that there's no pressure whatsoever on her senior day, that she feels like she has to do the biggest thing, whatever it is. Sometimes they do put pressure on themselves, but she's showing her athleticism because I think that's three straight drag bunts where it's supposed to be a sacrifice, but she's gotten on base every time. She has a bunch of weapons in the offensive game."
HIGHLIGHTS
- The two run-rule wins extend Alabama's active streak to six straight run-rule victories, a new school record which beats the previous best of five straight set in 2018
- The Tide has scored 10+ runs in five games this season
- Kali Heivilin and Larissa Preuitt extended their reached-base streaks to 14 and 11 games, respectively
- Heivilin drove in a season-best four RBIs vs. UAB, just her third career game with four or more RBIs
- Brooke Ellestad's 2-for-4 performance vs. the Blazers marked her team-leading seventh multi-hit game of the season
- Lauren Johnson's three-RBI game vs. Furman marks her second multi-RBI game of the season, already matching her 2024 freshman season total
SCORING SUMMARY VS. UAB
- T1 | A UAB run came home on a throwing error (0-1, 1 Out)
- B2 | Brooke Ellestad drove in Abby Duchscherer with an RBI double (1-1, 0 Out)
- B2 | Kali Heivilin blasted a two-run home run to center field (3-1, 0 Out)
- B3 | With the bases loaded, a single up the middle from Heivilin scored two (5-1, 0 Out)
- B4 | Alexis Pupillo hit a two-run single up the middle (7-1, 0 Out)
- B4 | Larissa Preuitt scored from second on a wild pitch (8-1, 0 Out)
- B4 | An RBI groundout brought Pupillo home from third (9-1, 0 Out)
- B4 | Duchscherer scored on an RBI groundout (10-1, 1 Out)
- B4 | Mari Hubbard hit a two-run pinch hit single (12-1, 2 Out)
- B4 | Catelyn Riley cleared the bases with a three-run double (15-1, 2 Out)
SCORING SUMMARY VS. FURMAN
- T2 | Furman got on the board first with a sac fly RBI (0-1, 1 Out)
- B2 | Salen Hawkins drew a bases-loaded walk (1-1, 0 Out)
- B2 | Lauren Johnson cleared the bases with a three-run double (4-1, 0 Out)
- B2 | Abby Duchscherer drew a bases-loaded walk (5-1, 0 Out)
- B2 | Mari Hubbard pulled a two-run single through the left side (7-1, 0 Out)
- B2 | Salen Hawkins raced home on a throwing error (8-1, 1 Out)
- B2 | Kendal Clark scored from third on a passed ball (9-1, 2 Out)
- T3 | A ball fell in front of a diving outfielder for an RBI double (9-2, 2 Out)
- B4 | Kendal Clark drove in a run on an infield single (10-2, 0 Out)
- B4 | Marlie Giles poked a two-run double into right center (12-2, 0 Out)
UP NEXT: T-MOBILE CRIMSON CLASSIC (TUSCALOOSA, ALA.)
- Saturday, March 1 vs. SIUE – 11 a.m. CT
- Saturday, March 1 vs. Furman – 1:30 p.m. CT
- Sunday, March 2 vs. UAB – 1 p.m. CT
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Briski, Jocelyn (3-5)
L: Caroline McLendon (4-3)
Base Running:
RUNS: Hannah Dorsett 1
SB: Hannah Miles 1
Batting:
2B: Riley, Catelyn 1 ; Duchscherer, Abby 1 ; Ellestad, Brooke 1
HR: Heivilin, Kali 1
RBI: Hubbard, Mari 2 ; Pupillo, Alexis 2 ; Riley, Catelyn 3 ; Ellestad, Brooke 2 ; Heivilin, Kali 4 ; Clark, Kendal 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vandagriff, Audrey 1 ; Hubbard, Mari 1 ; Preuitt, Larissa 1 ; Giles, Marlie 1 ; Pupillo, Alexis 2 ; Duchscherer, Abby 2 ; Pate, Kinley 1 ; Ellestad, Brooke 1 ; Heivilin, Kali 1 ; Hawkins, Salen 1 ; Valentine, Riley 1 ; White, Kristen 1 ; Johnson, Lauren 1
SB: Vandagriff, Audrey 1 ; Duchscherer, Abby 1 ; Hawkins, Salen 1
HBP: Valentine, Riley 2 ; Johnson, Lauren 1
