Liberty University
6-3
Alabama
6-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Alabama | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | X | 8 | 10 | 1 |
6-Run 1st Inning Pushes No. 5 Alabama Over Liberty, 8-1
2/20/2021 12:00:00 AM | Softball
For the second day in a row, No. 5 Alabama quickly jumped on top of Liberty, today scoring six runs in the first inning en route to an 8-1 victory, Saturday, at Rhoads Stadium.
With the victory, the Crimson Tide remains unbeaten on the season at 6-0 and moves to 2-0 in their own Bama Bash event this weekend. Alabama will close out the tournament with two games against No. 7 LSU (Saturday at 5 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.).
The loss drops the Lady Flames to 6-3 on the season with all three losses coming this weekend at the Bama Bash. Earlier today, Liberty dropped a 4-3 decision to No. 7 LSU when the Tigers scored a walk-off win on a double in the seventh inning.
Scoring Summary
Alabama – 1st INNING – TOW singled, HEMPHILL and MACK scored, 2-0
Alabama – 1st INNING – JENKINS homered, TOW and DOWLING scored, 5-0
Alabama – 1st INNING – BROWN singled, GRILL scored, 6-0
Liberty – 4th INNING – SWEAT singled, CANETTO scored, 6-1
Alabama – 5th INNING – TOW homered, 7-1
Alabama – 6th INNING – SIDES scored on wild pitch, 8-1
Notable Numbers
- Alabama more than doubled the Lady Flames in the hit column, finishing the game with 10 hits to the Lady Flames' four.
- Montana Fouts kept the Lady Flames bats' in check throughout the game, scattering four hits, while allowing an unearned run in six innings of work to move to 3-0 on the season.
- Fouts recorded 13 out of 18 total putouts during her six innings in the circle via strikeouts, accounting for the most strikeouts for the Lady Flames this season in a game.
- Emily Kirby falls to 1-1 on the season after allowing five of Alabama's six first-inning runs, on three hits and two walks during just 1/3 innings of work.
- Naomi Jones saw her first time inside the collegiate pitching circle today. The freshman allowing three runs on seven hits during five innings of work, while striking out three and walking two.
- Alabama's offensive outburst came from the bottom half of its lineup in Kaylee Tow and Claire Jenkins.
- The pair, who were the No. 5 and No. 6 batters in the Crimson Tide batting order, accounted for a combined six RBI with Tow batting 2-of-3 and Jenkins going 1-of-3 from the plate.
- Liberty's four hits were scattered among four players who were each 1-of-3 from the plate: Autumn Bishop, Amber Bishop-Riley, Emily Sweat and Madison Via.
- Sweat provided the Lady Flames their lone run of the game with a RBI double in the fourth, her second double of the season.
Turning Point
- Just like the first game between the teams on Friday night, Alabama used a first-inning scoring burst to set the tone for the contest.
- Kaylee Tow belted a single through the left side of the infield to get a six-run inning going, scoring Bailey Dowling and Bailey Hemphill.
- Three pitches later, Claire Tow sent Emily Kirby's final pitch of the game over the fence in left field, plating two to push the lead to 5-0.
- Alabama capped off the six-run frame when Elissa Brown hit another shot through the left side to score pinch runner Kat Grill and stake the home team to a 6-0 advantage.
Beyond the Box Score
- The Lady Flames finished today's game with twice as many hits as they did against the fifth-ranked Crimson Tide, yesterday.
- Liberty ended today's game with four hits, but only squeezed one run across the plate. Yesterday against Alabama, the Lady Flames scored three times on just two hits.
- Alabama is the only team in 2021 to record double-digit hits in a game against the Lady Flames, finishing both meetings this weekend with 10 hits.
- The Lady Flames finished their two matchups against No. 5 Alabama having scored a combined four runs against the Crimson Tide.
- Alabama entered the weekend outscoring its opponents, 29-0, in their first four games of 2021.
- Today's games was the second and third of 13 games on Liberty's schedule this season against teams currently in the Top 25.
- The Lady Flames have two games each against Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech and Tennessee and a single game at Arkansas on the schedule.
Up Next
The Lady Flames will close out their stay at the Bama Bash on Sunday when they face No. 7 LSU for a second time. First pitch is slated for 11:30 a.m. Eastern time.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Fouts (3-0)
L: Kirby, Emily (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Sweat, Emily 1
RBI: Sweat, Emily 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Canetto, Kara 1
Batting:
2B: Sides 1 ; M. Morgan 1
HR: Tow 1 ; Jenkins 1
RBI: Tow 3 ; Jenkins 3 ; Brown 1
SH: Mack 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Sides 1 ; Mack 1 ; Hemphill 1 ; Dowling 1 ; Tow 2 ; Jenkins 1 ; Grill 1
SB: Clark 1 ; Brown 1
