No. 6 Alabama Smashes Three Home Runs in Win over Samford

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Brooke Wells continued her scorching start at the plate with two more homes runs, and Alexis Pupillo added another as No. 6 Alabama beat Samford 8-1 at Rhoads Stadium on Tuesday night.

In the second and third spots in the lineup, Wells and Pupillo combined for six hits and four RBIs. Wells is up to 10 home runs on the season while Pupillo has nine.

"It's been like that," Wells said. "One of us hits one, and then the other one hits one–– usually the same game. I think it'll be a fun little competition between us."

After leaving the bases loaded in the first inning, Alabama's offense finally got runs across in the third inning with leadoff hitter Audrey Vandagriff setting the tone with a single to right field. Samford made a pitching change to bring in Reese Hickey, and Wells promptly greeted her with a home run blasted to deep center field to put the Tide up 2-0.

"Not very good at-bats with runners in scoring position all the way around," Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said after the game. "It probably should've ended a lot earlier than it did, but sometimes, it happens. Brooke's 3-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs scored, but the time that I'm thinking about is bases loaded, two outs, and that shouldn't be.

"But two and three in the order were awesome: 7-for-8, five runs, four RBIs. Both of them just scorched the ball almost every single time."

Freshmen Ambrey Taylor and Gerritt Griggs also had RBI hits in the inning as Alabama batted around and sent 11 batters to the plate, scoring five runs. The Tide added another run in the fourth with Pupillo's leadoff home run and two runs in the seventh with Wells' leadoff home run and an RBI single from Mari Hubbard.

It was smooth sailing for Alabama starter Kaitlyn Pallozzi until the fourth inning. Pallozzi did not allow a hit through the first three innings, but the Bulldogs led off the third with a single up the middle. It was followed by an RBI triple from Olivia Shaw to cut the Alabama lead to 5-1. Murphy then turned to Vic Moten in the bullpen.

Moten was able to get out of a jam with runners on the corners and no outs. She did not allow a run over three relief innings pitched. Alea Johnson came in for the seventh inning and promptly retired the Bulldogs on eight pitches.

"I think all of our pitchers did a really good job," Pupillo said. "They were pounding the zone. They were in control the whole time. They had great command. Vic being able to come in and shut down with runners on first and third is a huge thing."

Alabama improves to 24-0 on the season and will host No. 9 Arkansas for a three-game SEC series at Rhoads Stadium starting this Friday at 6 p.m.

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