The No. 1 Alabama softball team closed its 10-game home stretch with a 7-3 win over Samford Wednesday. With the win, Alabama improved to 18-0.

The Crimson Tide’s offense got off to a fast start on the night, as first baseman Cassie Reilly-Boccia blasted a two-run home run to give Bama an early lead. Reilly-Boccia said the Tide put emphasis on starting fast against Samford.

“We say we want to come out and have a sense of urgency,” Reilly-Boccia said. “We definitely did that in the first inning. [Kayla Braud] gets on third base. Any time there’s a runner on third and less than two outs, we want to try to score. We were just really happy to get that first run and make a statement.”

After a one-run third inning, an RBI bunt from Courtney Conley in the fourth left the bases loaded for Jadyn Spencer. Spencer followed up with a two-RBI single to spark a four-run inning, lengthening Alabama’s lead to 7-0.

The Tide defense also stepped up, posting its sixth errorless game of the season. Still, three Samford runs in the sixth inning kept freshman pitcher Leslie Jury from pitching a scoreless game.

“Leslie did a really good job,” head coach Patrick Murphy said. “She got unlucky in the sixth. They hit a couple of good pitches, in our mind, and got enough bat on it for base hits, but I thought the defense was really good.”

Murphy used 16 out of Alabama’s 20 players in the game, allowing players to get time in before beginning conference play.

“I was hoping to get 20 out of 20, but that’s the way it goes sometimes,” Murphy said. “I was trying to get everybody an at-bat or some defensive work just to get live pitching.”

Braud said the extra game time for the team would be beneficial down the stretch.

“I think its great, especially this year,” Braud said. “It shows how much depth and talent we have on this team. [Jadyn Spencer] went in for me in a pressure situation and came through. That’s exactly what we need. Down the road, when we play tough games in high-pressure situations, she’s going to be ready because she played today, and that goes for everybody else.”

Alabama will begin Southeastern Conference play Friday at 5 p.m., as they travel to take on Kentucky in Lexington. Reilly-Boccia said SEC games bring a different type of thrill.

“SEC is one of the most exciting times,” Reilly-Boccia said.  “I remember my freshman year, experiencing it for the first time. You can definitely tell we’re still playing Alabama softball, but there’s a different feel in the air when you step on the field against an SEC team. I think everyone’s really excited.”

With five SEC teams ranked in the top 25, Murphy said the Tide can’t take any game for granted.

“Anybody in the league can beat anybody else at any time,” Murphy said. “If you’re not prepared, not ready to play that day, you can get beat.”

Murphy also said playing at Kentucky will bring its own challenges. “We’re playing in their conditions,” he said. “It’s going be cold, probably windy. They’re glad they’re home the first weekend in March.”