Alabama
2-0
Longwood
0-1
Softball Moves to 3-0 with Friday Wins over Longwood and Georgia Tech
2/9/2024 7:07:00 PM | Softball
The Crimson Tide pummeled the Lancers, 13-0, and extinguished a late Yellow Jackets rally to win, 3-1
ATLANTA – Alabama softball moved to 3-0 on the young season with a pair of wins Friday at the Buzz Classic, posting a dominant 13-0 shutout in five innings over Longwood before holding off a late rally from tournament host Georgia Tech to win, 3-1.
Alabama (3-0) needed just five innings to dispatch Longwood (0-1), with a four-run fourth and an eight-run fifth doing the bulk of the damage. In the nightcap against Georgia Tech (1-1), the Tide took a three-run lead into the seventh inning before the Yellow Jackets erased the shutout with a solo home run and then later brought the potential tying run to the plate with two outs. A groundout to Kenleigh Cahalan at short sealed the win for Alabama.
Freshman Lauren Johnson was a combined 4-for-5 at the plate across both games, including two doubles with two RBIs and two runs scored. Kali Heivilin was 3-for-6, hitting a home run and two doubles. Her five RBIs in the lopsided win over the Lancers was a career best for the junior infielder. Abby Duchscherer had a hit in each game, including an RBI double against Georgia Tech, and has earned at least one hit in all three games this weekend. In the circle, Jaala Torrence (1-0) earned the win in game one over Longwood, with Alea Johnson and Lauren Esman combining for a successful relief effort behind her, while Jocelyn Briski (1-0) took home the complete-game victory over Georgia Tech in her collegiate debut.
Highlights
- Alabama is now 103-23 overall on opening weekend, losing just 5 games since 2011
- The Tide improves to 5-0 all-time vs. Longwood and 13-0 against Georgia Tech
- Lauren Johnson earned a single in her first career at-bat as part of a 3-for-3 day with two runs scored against Longwood
- Kali Heivilin was 2-for-3 against the Lancers with a career-high five RBIs on a three-run home run and a two-run double
- Abby Duchscherer's RBI double against Georgia Tech was the second double of her career, coming almost exactly a year after her first on Feb. 18, 2023 against Indiana
- The Yellow Jackets' seventh-inning home run broke a streak of 18 scoreless innings to start the season for the Tide bullpen
Scoring Summary vs. Longwood (Alabama 13, Longwood 0)
- T1 | Kenleigh Cahalan launched a solo home run to right field (1-0, 2 Out)
- T4 | Kali Heivilin hit a three-run home run to left center (4-0, 1 Out)
- T4 | Lauren Johnson scored from second on an error (5-0, 1 Out)
- T5 | With the bases loaded, Heivilin roped a double into the gap to drive in two (7-0, 1 Out)
- T5 | Lauren Johnson poked an RBI single into left field (8-0, 1 Out)
- T5 | A bases loaded hit-by-pitch to Emma Broadfoot moved everyone up 60 feet (9-0, 1 Out)
- T5 | Pinch-hitting with the bases loaded, Kat Grill drove in two on a single up the middle (11-0, 2 Out)
- T5 | Lauren Esman hit a pinch-hit double to the wall to drive in two (13-0, 2 Out)
Scoring Summary vs. Georgia Tech (Alabama 3, Georgia Tech 1)
- T3 | Abby Duchscherer roped an RBI double into deep left center (1-0, 2 Out)
- T4 | Kali Heivilin drove in Kendal Clark with an RBI double (2-0, 1 Out)
- T4 | Lauren Johnson roped a double into left to score Heivilin (3-0, 2 Out)
- B7 | Mallorie Black broke up the shutout with a solo home run (3-1, 1 Out)
Up Next: Buzz Classic
- Saturday, Feb. 10 vs. Longwood – 12:30 p.m. CT
- Saturday, Feb. 10 at Georgia Tech – 3 p.m. CT
For the latest information on the team, follow @AlabamaSB on X/Twitter, BamaSB on Instagram and Alabama Softball on Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Torrence, Jaala (1-0)
L: BURTON, Er'ron (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Esman, Lauren 1 ; Heivilin, Kali 1 ; Johnson, Lauren 1
HR: Cahalan, Kenleigh 1 ; Heivilin, Kali 1
RBI: Johnson, Jenna 1 ; Broadfoot, Emma 1 ; Cahalan, Kenleigh 1 ; Grill, Kat 2 ; Esman, Lauren 2 ; Heivilin, Kali 5 ; Johnson, Lauren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Johnson, Jenna 1 ; Broadfoot, Emma 1 ; Cahalan, Kenleigh 1 ; Pate, Kinley 1 ; Grill, Kat 1 ; Gidley, M'Kay 1 ; Clark, Kendal 1 ; Valentine, Riley 2 ; Heivilin, Kali 2 ; Johnson, Lauren 2
SB: Johnson, Lauren 2
HBP: Broadfoot, Emma 1
Base Running:
CS: DRAKE, Avery 1
