The Alabama softball team swept its three games at the SEC/ACC/Big XII Challenge this past weekend, giving the Crimson Tide a 7-0 start to the season.
“It helps our confidence, but we still understand that even though we’ve had wins, we still have things we can improve on,” senior outfielder Jazlyn Lunceford said. “It’s good news, though.”
The No. 2-ranked Tide took down No. 20 Georgia Tech 12-9, Virginia Tech 7-3 and No. 15 Oklahoma State 3-1 at the tournament in Auburn, Ala. The team said part of its success can be attributed to the way each player is finding their place within the team.
“It’s the largest roster we’ve ever had with 20 kids, so it’s about sharing playing time and getting to know roles right now,” head coach Patrick Murphy said. “So far everyone is handling it very well.”
Murphy said the team still has room for improvement, even though it has not lost a game this season.
“If we had played error-free, nobody would have scored against us,” Murphy said. “We just need to do a better job of handling the ball.”
Kendall Dawson said the juniors and seniors on the team have been invaluable for the underclassmen on the team so far.
“Since we have so many upperclassmen and so many people who have been in pressure situations, I feel like this year our team is very calm,” Dawson said. “It’s going to help our team in the long run because we are going to be mentally tough in situations that may cause anxiety in other teams.”
Up next, the Tide will travel to Birmingham to take on the UAB Blazers, who are 3-0 on the season. Last year’s meeting ended with a 3-0 shutout victory after Lunceford scored the game winning run with the RBI going to Ryan Iamurri.
“It’s been a [close] game every year,” Lunceford said. “There’s no taking anyone lightly. They’re going to bring it.”
Dawson said UAB is tough because a lot of their players have played together for the entirety of their lives.
“Murphy always preaches that these kids know who you are, and they look forward to playing you,” Dawson said. “So, for all of us who come from out of state, it kind of puts it in our head that we have to be ready. They’re going to come out wanting to beat us even more.”
Murphy said the team is going to try not to give UAB any freebies and work hard on its pitching and hitting.
“The difference maker in this game against UAB is going to be that we have to come out and have the key hits in situations so we can score,” Dawson said.
First pitch at UAB Softball Field is scheduled for 6 p.m. today.
