No. 2 Alabama Softball Completes Series Sweep Over Kentucky

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 2 Alabama capped off a dominant weekend at Rhoads Stadium with a 4-0 win over Kentucky on Sunday, completing a three-game SEC sweep behind early hitting and another composed performance in the circle.

Alabama (42-4, 15-3 SEC) struck first in the opening inning when Alexis Pupillo reached base and came all the way around on a Brooke Wells double down the right field line, giving the Crimson Tide a 1-0 lead. The same combination delivered again in the second inning. Pupillo got on, and Wells drove her in once more with another extra-base hit, continuing what has become a reliable spark at the top of the lineup.

“I was hunting my pitch and then just trying to drive her in, and it worked out well for me both times,” Wells said. “We work so hard in the offseason and then in the beginning of the spring, and so just continuing to trust myself and just focus on my plan.”

Alabama added to its lead later in the second when Marlie Giles knocked in a run with a single, stretching the advantage to 3-0 and putting Kentucky in an early hole.

From there, the pitching staff handled the rest.

Kaitlyn Pallozzi got the start and delivered exactly what Alabama needed, working 4 2/3 scoreless innings while limiting Kentucky’s chances throughout. The Wildcats managed a few baserunners but never found a breakthrough, as Alabama consistently won key at-bats.

“Well, yeah, it was an opportunity for Kaitlyn ’cause we needed her today,” head coach Patrick Murphy said. “We decided this morning we were gonna give her the start and she did exactly what we wanted her to do… The top three in the Kentucky lineup was 0-for-9… for them to stay off the bases, that was the key.”

Jocelyn Briski entered in relief and picked up right where Pallozzi left off, closing out the final 2 1/3 innings without allowing a run to secure the shutout.

Alabama added its final run in the fifth inning. After working into scoring position, Jena Young came around to score on a two-out single from Salen Hawkins, extending the lead to 4-0 and giving the pitching staff additional breathing room.

While the offense cooled after the early innings, Alabama continued to apply pressure. Wells finished with two RBIs, and Alabama finished with a third-straight win over the Wildcats.

“I just see a pure hitter,” Murphy said. “She’s just a professional hitter… If they get out, they go back to the dugout and they say, ‘Okay, this is how she pitched me.’ That’s her.”

The win not only secured the sweep but also capped off a weekend that had added meaning for the program, as Alabama softball celebrated its 30th anniversary.

“It was unbelievable… to have that many alums, friends, family, parents come back,” Murphy said. “They came from all over the country… and you can feel it when they’re back.”

Despite the dominant result, Murphy emphasized there is still room for improvement, particularly with consistency at the plate heading into the midweek matchup against UAB. Alabama will look to avoid a midweek letdown after losing to Samford last Tuesday.

“You just gotta respect the heck out of them,” Murphy said. “We gotta do more offensively… we need to continue innings more and more.”

For now, Alabama leaves the weekend with momentum. First pitch in Birmingham is set for 6:00 PM on Tuesday, before Alabama heads up to Knoxville for a series with Tennessee.

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