TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Third-ranked Alabama Softball needed just five innings to dispatch Alabama State Wednesday night at Rhoads Stadium, tallying a season-best 17 hits in an 11-3 run-rule victory in five innings.
Fifteen different players came to the plate for Alabama (32-5), combining for a season-best 17 hits in the lopsided victory over Alabama State (9-23). The Crimson Tide scored in four of the five innings it came to bat, including a five-run third inning. Four different players batted in the top two spots in the order, going a combined 7-for-8 with seven runs scored to set the pace for the rest of the offense. Freshman KJ Haney made the most of her first collegiate hit, blasting a three-run home run to center field in the bottom of the third.
In the circle, Krystal Goodman (4-0) got the start and the win, tossing 3.0 shutout innings with just one hit and a career-high seven strikeouts.
From Head Coach Patrick Murphy
“I can’t tell you how much fun it is as a coach to watch a young lady get her first collegiate hit. Obviously, it was a big one. The reaction from the bullpen, the dugout and the crowd warms your heart. It’s one of the best feelings in the world and I’m really happy for her. It was a great game. We had 17 hits and the top of the order was unbelievable. They were 7-for-8 with seven runs scored, so you can’t ask for anything better than that. It was a fun night at the ballpark and I’m really glad we made the decision to play. If you saw the forecast for the day, it was supposed to rain all day and we had three people tell us it was going to rain all night, so Rhoads Magic happened again.”
Highlights
- The 17 hits are the most this season for Alabama and the most since earning 17 on Feb. 9, 2019 against Murray State
- Fifteen different players made a plate appearance with 12 earning a hit
- Alexis Mack, Elissa Brown, Kat Grill, Kaylee Tow and Savannah Woodard each posted multi-hit performances
- Woodard’s 2-for-2 day extended her hit streak to five games
- A third-inning RBI single for KB Sides extended her hitting streak to six games and her reached-base streak to a team-leading 15 games
- Krystal Goodman tied her career high with seven strikeouts, previously doing so on May 5, 2019 at LSU
- KJ Haney’s home run was her first collegiate hit in just her third at-bat of the season
Scoring Summary
- B1 | With runners at the corners, an error allowed Alexis Mack to score from third (1-0, 0 Out)
- B1 | Bailey Hemphill lifted a sacrifice fly to right field (2-0, 0 Out)
- B1 | After an infield single by Kayla Davis, the ball got away from the Alabama State first baseman as Savannah Woodard scored (3-0, 2 Out)
- B2 | Kaylee Tow brought in two with a double in the gap (5-0, 2 Out)
- B3 | With two on and two out, KB Sides drove in a run with an RBI single (6-0, 2 Out)
- B3 | Kat Grill poked an RBI single through the left side (7-0, 2 Out)
- B3 | KJ Haney blasted a three-run home run to center field (10-0, 2 Out)
- T4 | Alabama State got on the board with an RBI double (10-1, 2 Out)
- T5 | The Lady Hornets added two more with a triple to left field (10-3, 1 Out)
- B5 | Woodard drove in the game-ending run on an RBI single up the middle (11-3, 2 Out)
Up Next – No. 3 Alabama vs. No. 4 Florida (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
- Friday, April 16 – 6 p.m. CT
- Saturday, April 17 – 1 p.m. CT (ESPN2)
- Sunday, April 18 – 1 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
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.
