It was obvious from the beginning of the season that this Alabama softball team was going to be different than the past few.
Patrick Murphy had received plenty of criticism from Crimson Tide fans for the program's recent (relative) downturn. You had to go back five years to find the last elite Alabama softball team until this year.
The lineup has had more pop this year, dwarfing last year's numbers in terms of home runs, and with dominant pitching by junior Jocelyn Briski and freshman Vic Moten, Alabama looks every bit like a contender to win the national championship.
That was on full display on Thursday against No. 5 Arkansas in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.
Alabama softball beats Arkansas 7-1 in SEC Tournament quarterfinals
Briski didn't need much help on Thursday. To the credit of the Razorbacks, she had to work a little harder than normal. They worked her deeper into counts than most hitters have been able to this year, but the result was the same for them as it has been for pretty much everyone against Briski this year: a whole lot of nothing.
Briski pitched a complete game, allowing just one unearned run in the 4th inning. Arkansas led 1-0 at that point, and Alabama's bats had looked totally overmatched in the first three innings against Arkansas ace Robyn Herron.
But things changed quickly.
Alabama failed to take advantage of a couple of early Arkansas errors that could've proven costly, but the bats began waking up in the 4th inning. Audrey Vandagriff tied the game with a solo homerun, one of four homers on the day for the Crimson Tide.
In the 5th, Alabama took the lead for good with a two-run homer by Brooke Wells. Alexis Pupillo followed that up with one of her own to push the Tide's lead to 4-1. Ambrey Taylor added a solo shot of her own in the 6th, with Alabama tacking on a couple of insurance runs after that just for fun.
Briski didn't need it, though. She allowed only three hits in seven innings while walking two and striking out seven. The recently named USA Today SEC Pitcher of the Year showed why she was that in a runaway.
She's been one of the best pitchers in softball this year, and with her and Moten, Alabama has a chance every single night. With the power this lineup can produce, the Crimson Tide will be on the shortlist of favorites to win the whole thing.
Next up, Alabama will face Florida in the SEC Tournament semifinals at 4pm CT on Friday, with a spot in the championship game on the line.
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