Alabama Softball Answers Liberty's Early Flame to Stay Unbeaten

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- It was a short start for star pitcher Jocelyn Briski as No. 13 Alabama fell behind Liberty in the second game of the Easton Bama Bash Friday double header. The Flames jumped on Briski in her first start of the season, scoring three runs on five hits in the first two innings, but Alabama's offense proved to be too much once again as the Crimson Tide extended its winning streak to seven with a 6-3 victory over Liberty.

Briski opened the game with bad luck as Ella Fox reached first on a third strike wild pitch. She ultimately scored to give Liberty the lead after the Flames hit two singles and reached on an error. She allowed two more in the second as JaMaya Byrum opened the inning with a single, Fox followed with one of her own and Brynn McManus brought them both in.

Freshman Kaitlyn Pallozzi entered the second inning with a Liberty runner on first and gave up a single to find herself in a runners on the corner jam needing just one out. Pallozzi buckled down and struck out Alexia Carrasquillo and ended the away half of the inning with Alabama trailing 3-2.

Pallozzi kept the Flames at bay, pitching five scoreless innings, giving up three hits and striking out four batters allowing just a single Liberty batter to reach second base.

Liberty may have jumped on the Crimson Tide, but Alabama's offense continually answered throughout the game. Audrey Vandagriff singled to open the bottom of the first trailing and Brooke Wells bombed a two-run home run over the left field fence to erase a 1-0 deficit.

It took two innings for the Crimson Tide offense to answer the second inning runs that put them in a 3-2 hole, but the Alabama offense did in the fourth inning with four runs on four hits with an error as Alexis Pupillo opened the inning with a walk and worked her way to third from a sacrifice and an Ana Roman single. Pupillo tied the game from third as Liberty's catcher tried to throw out Roman stealing, but instead struck pitcher Gabby Mike.

Abby Duchscherer roped a single into left field to score Roman from third to give Alabama the lead for good, but the Crimson Tide wasn't done. Jena Young smacked a triple off the right field wall to score Duchscherer and scored herself on Lauren Johnson's single to settle the inning at 6-3.

Alabama's victory showed the Crimson Tide's grit, but there are still things to work on. Alabama loaded the bases in the fifth inning as Salen Hawkins and Marlie Giles singled to get aboard. Roman walked to load the bases, but Duchscherer grounded into a double play to end the inning, leaving meat on the bone for the Crimson Tide offense.

The Easton Bama Bash continues on Saturday with another double header as the Crimson Tide takes on Liberty and Purdue at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. respectively.