Clutch Pitching, Power Hitting and Grittiness lead Alabama Softball at Spring Break Showdown

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The real season starts next week for Alabama softball. After several palate-cleansing tournaments to start the year, including this weekend’s Spring Break Showdown at Rhoads Stadium, the Crimson Tide breaks into Southeastern Conference play next weekend with a home series with Mississippi State.

No. 21 Alabama swept the first day of the Spring Break Showdown on Friday, defeating Louisiana 3-0 and Iowa 12-3 to run its win streak to 12.

There are several questions facing Alabama (18-6) before it begins league play.

• Will the pitching and defense hold up?

• Can the offense improve on a dreadful 2024 showing?

• How will Alabama respond to adversity?

The answers will come soon enough, but Friday was a good indication of where Alabama is headed.

Alabama’s pitching has performed well enough through the first 24 games and came through in the clutch Friday with Jocelyn Briski earning the win over Louisiana while the Tide offense struggled. Catelyn Riley faced adversity in the nightcap against Iowa and responded, at first. She allowed three runs through 2 2/3 innings before being pulled, but Emily Winstead held Iowa scoreless the rest of the way.

“It’s (Briski’s) first shutout as an Alabama starter,” Crimson Tide coach Patrick Murphy said. “She worked herself in and out of trouble. She made the pitches when she needed to.”

The defense was phenomenal Friday, making a crucial double play in the first inning against Iowa with several nice plays in the infield to turn hits into outs.

The offense was even better. Already, there is more power and run-scoring ability in 2025 than in 2024. A season ago, Alabama had 42 home runs, which ranked 11th in the SEC. Bama also ranked 11th last year in runs (239), hits (379) and RBIs (227). Alabama’s started 2025 off right, ranking fourth in runs (183), second in hits (133), third in RBIs (169) and tied for fifth in home runs (31).

Alabama offense delivered Friday with 15 total runs on 18 hits with six home runs, including two from Kali Heivilin and two from Brooke Ellestad. Bama had five homers against Iowa. The last time Alabama had five home runs in a game was Feb. 22, 2022 at Arizona.

“We have a lot of confidence in each other and we make it really fun in practice, and I think that makes it easier for us to be together,” Heivilin said.

Alabama 12 Iowa 3 (six innings)

The Hawkeyes struck first with a run on back-to-back hits to open the game for a 1-0 lead, but it was short-lived.

Heivilin put the Crimson Tide on top with a three-run home run to center field in the bottom of the first. Ellestad then belted a solo shot to right field for a 4-1 lead.

Iowa tagged Riley for two runs in the third but Heivilin answered again for Alabama with a two-run homer to left field, her team-leading ninth of the season. She’s tied for the No. 3 spot for the SEC lead (12).

Riley responded to her poor pitching performance at the plate with a solo home run in the fifth inning to put Bama ahead 7-3. Alabama tacked on five more runs in the sixth, including a two-run homer from Ellestad, her fourth of the season and second of the game, to walk it off for Bama.

Riley, Heivilin and Ellestad all led the offense with three hits each. Heivilin had six RBIs, Ellestad had three and Riley had two. Winstead pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings in relief to earn the win.

Alabama 3, Louisiana 0

Briski pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits with three strikeouts. She improves to 6-5.

Alabama did all its damage in the fourth inning. Brooke Ellestad tripled to left field to bring in the first run of the gae. Later, Marlie Giles hit her fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot, to make it a 3-0 Bama lead.

The Crimson Tide had six hits with Ellestad collecting two.

See Also

How to Watch: Spring Break Showdown