No. 23 Alabama softball found its way back in the win column Tuesday night against Jacksonville State 7-4 at the Rocket City Softball Showcase in Huntsville.
Pitcher Catelyn Riley got her seventh start of the season. She entered Tuesday with a 3-1 record on the season and a 1.89 ERA.
Riley’s day on the mound got off to an undesirable start. In the top of the second inning, she surrendered three walks to the Gamecocks and put them in a bases-loaded scenario with two outs. JSU outfielder Morgan Nowakowski singled to center field and brought home third baseman Jaci Underwood and shortstop Aria Davis, putting Alabama in a 2-0 hole.
Riley got herself settled in afterward. She pitched three innings, giving up just three hits and striking out two batters.
Alabama’s offense woke up in the bottom of the third inning. With left fielder Audrey Vandagriff singling and right fielder Larissa Preuitt drawing a two-out walk, designated hitter Alexis Pupillo blasted a 3-run home run over the wall in right field and put the Crimson Tide in the lead. Pupillo’s home run marked her second of the season.
Once Alabama grabbed the lead, it did not look back. In the bottom of the fourth inning, center fielder Lauren Johnson grounded out into a fielder’s choice where third baseman Mari Hubbard got out at third, but shortstop Salen Hawkins scored on the play.
After Vandagriff drew a four-ball walk and stole second base, Preuitt hit an RBI single up the middle and scored Johnson, extending the Alabama lead.
Alabama softball head coach Patrick Murphy talked about what it meant for Preuitt and Hubbard, two Huntsville natives, to play in their hometown.
“It was a great homecoming,” Murphy said. “I know both young ladies had a ton of family and friends in the stands.”
In the bottom of the fifth inning, catcher Marlie Giles reached on base off a Jacksonville State fielding error. The next batter, second baseman Kali Heivilin, hit her third home run of the season and gave Alabama a 7-2 lead.
Jacksonville State did not quit, however. Alabama pitcher Jocelyn Briski came in for relief of Riley, and in the top of the sixth inning, she found herself in a one-on, two-out situation. On the second pitch of the at-bat, Jacksonville State outfielder Emma Elrod laced a double down the right field line and brought home Davis.
Nowakowski brought Elrod home five pitches later, singling to right field and cutting Alabama’s lead to 3.
Briski finished the night pitching 2.2 innings, giving up two hits and 2 earned runs and striking out five batters.
Those two runs were the extent of the Gamecocks’ effort to come from behind as relief pitcher Emily Winstead came in for Briski and closed things out for the Crimson Tide in the sixth and seventh innings.
Next, Alabama will host its first five games at home in Tuscaloosa over the weekend, starting Friday, when the Crimson Tide will take on Virginia Tech at 4:30 CT and play Southern Utah later at 6:30.
