Alabama Softball Opens Mardi Gras Mambo with Two Wins

For the first time this season, Alabama softball trailed in a game.

However, it didn't last very long as the No. 2 Crimson Tide immediately responded in the next half inning to tie the game before adding on more to beat Nicholls 5-2 in the first game of the Mardi Gras Mambo Friday afternoon in Youngsville, Louisiana.

Redshirt freshman Alex Salter got the start in game one, and gave up a two-out, two-run home run to Alex Poche from Nicholls (2-9) as the Colonels took the early 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first. Alabama freshman Dallis Goodnight answered in the top of the second with an RBI single to tie the game at 2-2.

Alabama added more runs in the third and fifth thanks to patience at the plate resulting in several walks, doubles from Kaylee Tow and Abby Doerr, and an RBI single from Bailey Dowling.

Other highlights from game one included freshman Kali Heivilin's first career hit, and Jaala Torrence pitching 2.2 innings of no-hit, five-strikeout ball. Torrence was called in to relieve Salter in the bottom of the fifth with two runners on and was excellent in relief.

Senior Montana Fouts got the start in game two against the host team Southeastern Louisiana (7-3.) It was a scoreless affair through four innings as neither team could scratch across any runs.

Then Kat Grill led off the fifth with a single followed by another from Goodnight. Tow drove both runners home to get two runs up on the board. Goodnight went 4-6 with two runs scored and an RBI in Friday's two games.

Freshman Megan Bloodworth got back in the hit column for the first time since the New Mexico game on Feb. 12 in a big way. She knocked the first pitch of the sixth inning over the center field fence for her team-leading fourth home run of the year. Grill and KJ Haney added RBI doubles in the sixth inning for the first RBIs of the year for both Grill and Haney. Grill went 2-3 against Southeastern Louisiana with two runs scored.

While Alabama found success at the plate, the Lions couldn't get anything going against Fouts as she threw her third shutout of the season with the 5-0 win over Southeastern Louisiana. Fouts is now 4-0 with an 0.51 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 27.1 innings pitched.

The Crimson Tide improved to 12-0 on the season and will face two more Louisiana foes on Saturday against Northwestern State at 3 p.m. and Louisiana Tech approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.