Alabama Softball: Tide Sweeps Youngstown State, Towson on Saturday

Alabama Softball moved to 4-0 Saturday with two more opening weekend wins. The Tide defeated Towson Saturday morning on Day 2 of the Kickin Chicken Classic. That was followed by a victory over Youngstown State to close the doubleheader.

Alabama Softball had two easy games on Friday. Saturday’s two games were not so easy. Alabama gutted out two wins, over the Towson Tigers and the Youngstown Penguins. It was a day where junior Peyton Grantham continued to have a monster weekend, going 4-7. All three Alabama pitchers saw time in the circle today.

Game 1: Alabama vs. Towson

After being humiliated 17-0 against Alabama yesterday, Towson was ready to fight back. Alabama jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 1st. Towson’s Brook Miko homered against sophomore pitcher Madi Moore to tie it up. Then in the 3rd, the Tigers Madison Wilson batted a RBI single to take the lead 2-1. Alexis Osorio, the Tide’s Perfect Game pitcher from Friday, relived Moore and got the Tide out of the inning without further damage.

Fast-forward to the 5th, Alabama was down 2-1. Alabama loaded the bases. Junior Sydney Booker got hit by a pitch from Ju Smith-Harrington, causing the tying run to come home.  Merris Schroder followed with a RBI single that sent Marisa Runyon home. The Tide took the lead 3-2.

In the sixth, Grantham scored an insurance run to make it 4-2. Alabama held off Towson’s quick striking offense and pulled out the victory from there.

Osorio got the win (2-0) with 4.2 innings of work without allowing a hit. She also added 6 more strikeouts to her weekend total of twenty-five. Ju Smith-Harrington was handed the loss for the Tigers (1-1) with 4 earned runs and a pitch count of 126.

Game 3: Alabama vs. Youngstown State

Following the win against Towson, the Tide had to get ready to play the Penguins of Youngstown State. Senior pitcher Sydney Littlejohn was the star of the show as she led the Tide through a seven-inning, complete game shutout. She had a no-hitter until broken up by Youngstown State in the 5th. That would be the only hit they got, however, as Littlejohn struck out 10.

Alabama once again jumped out early. Runyon popped a shallow left field single that was followed by a throwing error to advance her to third and scoring Grantham. Claire Jenkins then knocked a RBI single to take the score to 2-0 Tide.

Alabama wrapped it up in the third inning. Hemphill set it up with a RBI double to put two on and score one more run. Then, Schroder followed with a two-run triple that nearly went past the wall to make it 5-0 Alabama. The sixth run of the day was scored by Jenkins to bring Schroder in.

Grantham continued her great day with a RBI groundout to make it 7-0. That would be the last we hear from Alabama as they went on to complete the game under that score. Littlejohn notched the win (2-0), while Youngstown State’s Paige Geanangel suffered the loss (0-2) after being relieved in the third by Caitlyn Minney.

Next: Alabama Softball Makes History On Opening Day

The Crimson Tide have one more game in Conway, SC against the host team, Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. First pitch is Sunday at 11:00 AM, CT.