After a season-high seven run first inning, the No. 2 Alabama softball team defeated Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville 8-0 in five innings to sweep the Bama Bash.

“Anytime you can get a shutout in Division I softball, it’s a great day,” said head coach Patrick Murphy. The undefeated Tide’s quick start began after Amanda Locke hit a double, allowing Jennifer Fenton to score and Cassie Reilly-Boccia to move to third base, making the score 1-0. Third basemen Kaila Hunt followed by blasting a three-run homer out of centerfield, giving Bama a 4-0 lead. SIUE’s troubles weren’t over yet, though. After Jackey Branham and Olivia Gibson got onto the bases, Jazlyn Lunceford hit a standup double, scoring both Branham and Gibson. A single by Fenton would score Lunceford and give the Tide a 7-0 lead to end the inning. “The first inning was awesome,” Murphy said. “You come out and go through the order and put seven runs up, and you’ve got to feel good about it.” Jadyn Spencer provided the Tide’s last run on a home run, putting the Tide up 8-0 in the fourth inning. The Tide’s offense wasn’t the only thing providing a spark in Sunday’s shutout, with Alabama’s defense making some tough plays. With a runner on first in the second inning for SIUE, Hunt made a grab on the left field line, leaving her in the Bama dugout. “I don’t know what I stepped on,” Hunt said. “I was just trying not to fall into the trashcan. I’m obviously listening to teammates tell me I have room. I know I have a chance of catching it, so I’m going to go for it. I’m going to do whatever I can to make an out, I’m not going to give them any freebies, and to me, that’s a freebie.” In another strong defensive play, Branham fell to her knees to make a no-look backhanded flip to shortstop Danae Hays at second base. “I kind of lost where I was or where second base was,” Branham said. “Danae was yelling ‘two,’ so I kind of flipped it to her. If she’s calling it, I’m pretty confident she’s going to be there.” And in the fifth, catcher Gibson laid out to make the grab behind the plate. Gibson echoed Hunt about making plays for her pitcher. “Any time my pitcher especially isn’t having her best game, any way I can help her, going all out in anyway,” Gibson said. “If she pops it up, that’s a freebie for us, so making the effort to make that play.” With the win, the Tide improves to 13-0 on the season and will host the Easton Alabama Invitational this weekend.