Alabama Softball Opens Fall Season with Doubleheader at Lipscomb

"It was fun to watch and it’s good to be back," Crimson Tide coach Patrick Murphy said after the Crimson Tide and Bisons split two exhibition games.

The Alabama softball team opened its fall schedule with a doubleheader against Lipscomb Sunday afternoon in Nashville, losing 3-2 in the exhibition opener before rebounding with a 7-0 win in Game 2.

“It’s a really good chance for the entire team to play against a Division I opponent on their field," Crimson Tide head coach Patrick Murphy said in a statement. "It’s a pseudo-road trip for everybody to get ready for the start of the season in February. 

"I thought the pitchers looked really good, it was just one tough inning in the first game but they all adjusted after that. A lot of different players got a chance to play and get some at-bats and that’s what you want. You could tell there were some nerves at the beginning and that’s to be expected but it got better as we went along."

Game 1

The Bisons scored three runs in the opening frame and the Crimson Tide chipped away a few innings later, scoring on an RBI-single from Kat Grill in the fifth and a sacrifice fly from Abby Doerr in the sixth. Trailing by one in the top of the seventh, Megan Bloodworth hit a one-out single up the middle representing the potential tying run before a lineout double play ended the game.

• Jaala Torrence and Lexi Kilfoyl combined to throw six strikeouts across 6.0 innings
• Kaylee Tow hit a double down the left field line in the top of the fourth
• Grill drove in Ally Shipman from second with an RBI single in the top of the fifth
• Dallis Goodnight smashed a leadoff double off the centerfield wall in the top of the sixth, eventually coming home on a sacrifice fly by Abby Doerr

Game 2

Lexi Kilfoyl put Alabama in front early, crushing a two-run home run to straightaway center in the top of the first. KJ Haney added another run with an RBI-single in the fifth, driving in M’Kay Gidley all the way from first, before blasting a grand slam in the sixth to stretch the lead to 7-0.

The game was called early in the bottom of the sixth. 

In the circle, Alex Salter faced the minimum over 4.0 innings in the start while Montana Fouts went six-up, six-down in 2.0 relief innings.

"It was fun to watch and it’s good to be back," Murphy added.