Powerful Offense Carries Alabama Softball in Day 2 of Easton Bama Bash

Crimson Tide scored 31 runs in two games in blowout wins against Drake

Lauren Johnson helped Alabama cruise to a pair of wins over Drake at the Easton Bama Bash on Saturday in Tuscaloosa. / Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- All you need to know about the Alabama softball team’s performance with Drake is the Crimson Tide offense hit for the cycle in Game 1. In the first inning. Twice. 

Two homers, two triples to lead off the game, two doubles and two singes resulted in nine first-inning runs to power the Crimson Tide’s 19-0 Game 1 win Saturday at the Easton Bama Bash at Rhoads Stadium. Eight runs scored before the first out recorded in the first inning. 

“I joked with Larissa (Preuitt) at third that if (Alexis Pupillo) didn’t hit a triple I was taking her out of the game,” Alabama coach Patrick Murphy said of Audrey Vandagriff and Preuitt's back-to-back triples to open the game with Pupillo at the plate in the inning. “She then hits a home run. I told them afterward it’s going to be difficult to fill out a lineup because everyone did good. No matter who was in there, everyone hit. It’s a good problem to have.” 

Alabama fell short of a few school records in the blowout win. The Crimson Tide totaled 21 hits (record is 25), scored 19 runs (21) with 19 RBIs (20).  

It was more of the same in Game 2, with the Crimson Tide (8-6) banging out 13 hits in an 11-2 victory. Abby Duchscherer was a triple short of the cycle. She had three hits with four RBIs. Audrey Vandagriff, Larissa Preuitt, Brooke Ellestad and Kennedy Marceaux all had two hits. 

It was a short senior day performance for Emily Winstead in both games. She pitched three innings in both games and earned both wins. She struck out five and allowed no hits in the first game and stuck out three and allowed two runs on five hits in Game 2. 

(The offense) really made my day easy,” Winstead said. “They made it a lot of fun. There was no pressure. Murph has been telling me all week that this is your time to go out and shine, and just go out and enjoy the moment.” 

Marceaux had three hits to lead the offense in Game 1, while Kendal Clark, Preuitt, Lauren Johnson, Pupillo and Kristen White all had two hits. Johnson and Ellestad had three RBIs each. 

Alabama gets a rematch with Virginia Tech on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.. The Hokies knocked off the Tide 2-1 in the tournament opener Friday.