By: Nicholas Elliott
TUSCALOOSA, Ala- After a 4-1 week down in Clearwater, Florida Alabama Softball returned home to play a midweek game against the Samford Bulldogs at the Rhoads House.
In what looked like a pitchers duel to start where Alabama pitcher Alex Salter got the ball in the circle. Both teams early had chances to score, but it was Samford in the top of the fourth who delivered the first runs of the ballgame. A single up the middle by Logan Champion, which was set up by an error to take a 2-0 lead. Bailey Dowling got the Tide’s first RBI of the ball game with a double in the gap to cut the lead down to one run.
After needing a comeback win in Clearwater this past Saturday it was no different tonight as the Tide’s bats, which started out slow came thru in crunch time when the Tide had Samford on the ropes with two on nobody out Murph pinched hit Ally Shipman who delivered with a bloop single to tie the game.
The Tide, which had struggled scoring with runners in scoring position in much of the game, were able to break thru when it mattered most when Kenleigh Cahalan hit a single up the middle to take a 3-2 lead, which was all the Tide needed in the game to win.
“It felt really amazing to get that hit because I did not want to let the team down,” Said Cahalan.
Jaala Torrence, who entered in the top of the fifth was lights out for the Tide and was able to shut things down to help secure a 3-2 win for the Tide, which notched career number 1,200 career win for Head Coach Patrick Murphy.
“An outing like this does a lot for my confidence, and having this game with my teammates having my back means a lot,” said Torrence.
Kenleigh Cahalan continues to shine in her early career as a Bama player coming up huge with a single late, which brought her average to .333 on the season.
Torrence earned the win and the Tide were led by Bailey Dowling at the plate going 2/3 with a double with one RBI and Kristen White who went 2/3 with two singles.
Head Coach Patrick Murphy got his 1,200th career win as Head Coach of the Crimson Tide in his 25th season and said it was a,”Dream come true and it is just unreal to be at the same program for 27 years and it is just amazing.”
Alabama moves to 7-2 on the season and will now play in the Easton Bama Bash. The Tide will play Kennesaw State at 4 central on Friday and Southeastern Louisiana at 6:30 central on Friday. Both games will be televised on the SEC Network +.
