The No. 6 Alabama softball team extended its winning streak to seven games on Sunday with an 11-1 win over Northwestern University. The win completed a clean sweep in the two-game series for the Crimson Tide after Alabama beat the Wildcats 12-1 on Saturday.
Head coach Patrick Murphy said he was pleased with his team’s performance on Sunday.
“It was a fun day overall,” Murphy said. “(Kayla) Braud came back big time after an 0-for-4, you got to see her today 3-for-3 with three runs scored and a walk. She’s definitely made up for yesterday. Up and down the lineup, every spot got on base at least once, which might be a first all year. It was a good performance in all aspects of the game.”
Alabama’s offense was on full display Sunday as Tide batters scored 11 runs on 11 hits. With the lead at 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning, sophomore Jazlyn Lunceford hit a three-run triple to give Alabama a 6-1 lead.
“If we get runners on base, good things are going to happen,” Lunceford said. “[Jen Fenton, Braud and Cassandra Reilly-Boccia] did a really good job of getting on base. With Jen and Braud’s speed, if we can put the ball in play, they’re going to score.”
The Tide didn’t let up all game as sophomore Olivia Gibson pinch hit in the fourth and struck a solo home run to extend the lead to 8-1. In the following inning with Keima Davis and Braud on base, senior Charlotte Morgan hit a three run blast to end the game at 11-1 in the Alabama’s favor due to the mercy rule, the Tide’s second such win in as many days.
“It felt good,” Gibson said. “It’s contagious when we start hitting. It’s easier when I can talk to teammates and the people that have come before me and put myself in their at-bat. They make it easier for me.”
The Tide’s success against Northwestern wasn’t limited to the offense. Alabama also put together an outstanding performance on the mound, as junior All-American pitcher Kelsi Dunne proved to be too much for the Wildcats’ batters all weekend. In back to back games, Dunne recorded 18 strikeouts while allowing only two runs and two walks.
“Dunne was very good today I thought,” Murphy said. “They [Northwestern] are a very good hitting team, they’re very good hitters, they just have so much pressure on them that they are behind all the time. Two hits on eight strikeouts is very good and no walks on the second day is very good. The only negative would be the home run, but they are a good hitting team.”
Alabama will hit the road next to face Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday before returning home to face Ole Miss in a three game series starting Saturday at 2 p.m at the Alabama Softball Complex.
