The Alabama softball team had just enough life at the plate to squeeze out a 4-1 victory over the UAB Blazers Sunday to sweep the Easton Alabama Invite. With the win, Alabama improves to 17-0. Nothing could go right for the Crimson Tide in the first inning. A miscommunication led to a dropped ball, giving the Blazers a 1-0 lead. At the mound, starting pitcher Lauren Sewell gave up five hits and a run in the first two innings. Bama had trouble at the plate, as well. UAB’s Lannah Campbell shut down the Tide in the first two innings, with six strikeouts. Head coach Patrick Murphy said he hopes the slow starts won’t persist. “Hopefully nobody panics. Hopefully somebody picks us up eventually,” Murphy said. “After the first run, Sewell was great. We didn’t help her much. She did her job.” And it was Sewell who put a spark in the Tide’s offense. Sewell hit a solo home run to start the third inning, tying the game at 1-1. But most impressive was her sacrifice bunt in the fifth that would set up Ryan Iamurri’s RBI double to give the Tide a 2-1 lead.

“[Coach Murphy] asked if I felt comfortable [sacrifice bunting],” Sewell said. “It’s whatever the team needs. I was called on to sac, and I wanted to do whatever I could do to help the team. “I just concentrated and wanted the down angle on the ball. I watched the pattern she was throwing, and I was waiting for her to make a mistake and take advantage of it.” Courtney Conley entered as a pinch hitter in the sixth. In her last game on Feb. 24 against East Carolina, Conley went 3-for-3 before injuring her ankle, taking her out of the game. Stepping up to the plate for the first time in more than a week, Conley blasted a two-run home run, giving the Tide some insurance with the score 4-1. “I was taking my time around the bases because I didn’t want to reinjure [my ankle],” Conley said. “I wasn’t nervous because I knew my teammates had my back. There was no pressure – I knew Jackie was going to come in and shut them down.” Murphy said the win exemplified a team victory.

“This was the epitome of a team win,” Murphy said. “We have 20 very capable young ladies. For somebody like Sewell to do what she did, first home run, Ryan Iamurri gets a big RBI and Courtney Conley gets her hit of the week with a sprained ankle, gets a two-run home run. As a team, that’s incredible.” The Tide will host Samford Wednesday at 6 p.m. before travelling to Kentucky on Friday to begin Southeastern Conference play.