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Head Coach Megan Curry Reveals What it Took for Samford Softball to Upset No. 2 Alabama

Nicole Reitz|
Samford upset Alabama 3-2.
Samford upset Alabama 3-2. | Samford Athletics

For the first time since 1997, Samford softball pulled off a historic upset when it downed the No.2-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide 3-2 on Tuesday evening. A late fifth-inning rally led the Bulldogs to earn the win over their highest-ever-ranked opponent. 

According to head coach Megan Curry, the team has been deliberately working toward this moment all season, and it was only a matter of time before they grabbed a ranked win. 

Curry and the Bulldogs specifically packed their team’s schedule with tough competitors like Florida State, Georgia, Mississippi State, Oregon, Ole Miss, and the Crimson Tide twice, in order to be contenders in their own Southern Conference.  

“The message finally stuck,” Curry said post-game. “We have played so many Power 4s, so many mid-majors that are at the very top of their conference. We have put (the team) through the absolute hardest schedule we can before this conference season has come up, and I think we finally figured it out. We can compete, and we can play.” 

Down by two in the fifth inning, the Bulldogs found their rhythm at the plate and took advantage of defensive miscues from Alabama. After a passed ball allowed Addison Smith to score, Katie Campbell became the star after ripping a two-run double to take the lead. 

“Kaite has been struggling, but it got the job done, and I am proud of her for finding a way,” Curry said post-game. “We took advantage of wild pitches, we took advantage of who we had on the bases to score. 

In the circle, Sara Bond got the nod as the starter because she had faced the Crimson Tide earlier in the year during an 8-1 loss. She allowed just four hits with two homers while striking out six on Tuesday night. Makinley Turner came in for relief after the Bulldogs took the lead and fired two scoreless innings. She gave up just two hits while striking out three to earn the win. 

“We went back and forth on who to start today because (Sara) did see them earlier in the year, but she’s also a different pitcher than she was earlier in the year,” Curry said post-game on her decision to start Bond. She had to really scout and look at things.” 

This major win for Samford has now snapped a nine-game losing streak against ranked Power 4 opponents and marked their first victory over a ranked team since 2016. The Bulldogs will head back to Southern Conference play against Furman for a three-game series this weekend. 

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Nicole Reitz
NICOLE REITZ

Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018 .Her work has been published in various publications like Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.

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