The Alabama softball team routed Georgia State 9-1 in five innings. Lauren Sewell improved to 6-0 after pitching five innings and allowing two hits. The win was Alabama’s third against the Georgia State Panthers. Last season, the Panthers kept the Tide to one run in a 5-1 win.
“Well, probably based on the score that’s the way it was [last year’s loss to Georgia State], but I think tonight we were definitely ready to play,” head coach Patrick Murphy said. “Lauren [Sewell] hadn’t pitched in a long time, and you worry about whether she’s going to be sharp or not, and Jordan Patterson told me yesterday that she had the best bullpen that she ever had.”
After Georgia State scored its only run off a squeeze in the top of the first, the Tide was unable to answer in the bottom of the first.
The Tide answered big in the bottom of the second when Andrea Hawkins hit in Danielle Richard. Then Kayla Braud hit a three-run home run to score Danae Hays and Hawkins to make it 4-1 Alabama.
In the bottom of the third, Sewell hit a three-run shot with no outs to extend the lead to 7-1. Alabama chased Georgia State pitcher Katie Worley out of the game.
The Crimson Tide added two runs to its lead in the bottom of the fourth to seal the game 9-1. Kaila Hunt hit in Braud, and in the next at bat Jackie Traina hit in Haylie McCleney for the final run of the game.
“Everyone got on base. All nine that started got on base at least once. I don’t think that’s happened all year long,” Murphy said. “There were a couple of spots where we had first and second with no outs and had a pop up. That’s an opportunity for a huge inning, and we’ll get better at that.”
The three-run home run was Sewell’s first home run of the season.
“Yeah, I love pitching, but when you’re in the lineup, and you know that you can contribute hitting-wise, I think it’s a lot of fun,” Sewell said.
Sewell’s home run was one of two three run shots last night. The Tide had thirteen hits on the night with twenty-four at bats.
“Well, I watched the batters before me. My first at bat, I grounded out to second… I was seeing the ball really well tonight, just trying to battle,” Sewell said. “She was throwing a lot of strikes so I was waiting for her to make a mistake and took advantage of her mistake.”
The Tide improved to 27-3 and will host a three-game series with Auburn this weekend at Rhoads Stadium.
