Another big win for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The softball season began yesterday, and the Alabama Crimson Tide looked elite from the first pitch. Alabama faced Southern Utah, and the Thunderbirds were no match for Murphy’s squad. Alabama scored eight runs with one out in the game before Southern Utah changed pitchers, and the Tide run-ruled their opponent in five innings.
Besides the bullpen, every eligible player saw the field for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama flashed its depth after a productive first inning, but they still put runs on the board in subsequent innings.
The score was expected. Alabama usually plays inferior opponents to begin the year, and this was a way for them to knock off any rust from a long offseason. Alabama will still see plenty of quality opponents in the regular season. They play Arizona outside the conference, and they will have a stacked SEC schedule to show how talented they are.
Alabama’s star Montana Fouts didn’t see the circle in the season opener. Instead, Murphy gave the ball to Jaala Torrence, a sophomore who only played in 10 games last year. Torrence played well against Southern Utah. She allowed only one hit and tied her career-high with nine strikeouts. She did so in only five innings, leaving her teammates with little to do on defense. When only seven players put the ball in play and six of them are out before they get a hit, you’ve done a good job.
In the batter’s box, freshman Megan Bloodworth easily had the best day. In her first game with the Alabama Crimson Tide, she hit two home runs in three at-bats. Her first appearance at the plate ended with a grand slam in the first inning. Her future is bright with Alabama softball, but the present is already astounding with that type of debut.
We’ll see how talented the Tide truly are later down the line, but they marked all the right boxes in this debut.