The No. 5 Alabama softball team completed a three-game sweep as they beat the Ole Miss Rebels 3-1 Sunday. The Crimson Tide’s offense over the weekend series was in full display with a 14-0 win in Saturday’s first game and an 8-3 victory in the second game.
“We need to keep the offense going. It stalled a little bit today,” head coach Patrick Murphy said. “I think Kelsi [Dunne] gets stronger every time she goes out. We need to get somebody else to get going along with her and get a really good pitching combination with her. Consistency in the offense, we had a couple sacrifices that we didn’t get down that could have been a big help.”
A junior pitcher, Dunne had a strong pitching performance as she struck out 11 batters and allowing only two hits in seven innings. Dunne’s recent play has given her strong sense of confidence that has translated in successful outings.
“That’s been our goal this year… to get ahead of hitters,” Dunne said. “Our biggest thing is that when we score runs, they don’t get runners on base the next inning. I was getting ahead, and they were swinging at my pitch, and I don’t have to pitch them their pitch.”
Dunne wasn’t the only player who had a memorable day Sunday. Senior Charlotte Morgan came into Sunday’s game one RBI shy of breaking the SEC all-time record at 241. Morgan broke the record in the bottom of the fifth inning with the bases loaded as she was hit by a pitch, which walked in the game-tying run.
“My mentality has always been to help my team score runs,” Morgan said. “I was trying not to think about that record at all. It’s always that one to get over that is the hardest and whatever I can do for the team, take it in the knee for that, I’m as happy as all the other ones that I did. Doesn’t matter how I did it, just so blessed that I was able to do it for the team.”
Afterward, junior Cassie Reilly-Boccia was walked, allowing freshman Kayla Braud to score the go-ahead run. Junior Whitney Larsen continued Alabama’s offensive run with an RBI single to extend the lead to 3-1.
The win puts the Tide record at 35-9 and 15-4 in conference play, putting the Tide’s winning streak at 11 games. The streak began after losing two of three to Florida in March. Morgan has seen a difference since then.
“Defensively, we weren’t there,” Morgan said. “We all made a commitment to work on what we needed to work on, be together as a team and have that intensity to where we are not going to give up. Girls are coming early and hitting, pitchers are doing extra cardio and that’s what it takes. We keep believing, be there together as a team and we’re going to peak at the right time.”
Alabama will host Troy Tuesday beginning at 6 p.m. at the Alabama Softball Complex.
