Alabama Shuts Out UAB, 8-0, Wednesday in Birmingham

Alabama posted its seventh shutout of the season Wednesday night over UAB, defeating the Blazers 8-0 in six innings.

Alabama (16-0) scored in five of the six innings it came to the plate against UAB (8-8), including a four-run second inning. The win marks the seventh shutout of the season for the Crimson Tide and its seventh run-rule win. Three players had multi-hit performances, including a pair of home runs from junior Bailey Hemphill. Freshman Skylar Wallace went 2-for-3, hitting her second home run of the season, and senior Reagan Dykes tallied her third two-hit performance of the season. In the circle, junior Sarah Cornell (5-0) went the distance for the shutout victory, striking out five.

After a pair of first-pitch outs in the top of the first, Hemphill blasted a solo home run to the parking lot past left field to give Alabama the 1-0 lead. Sophomore Maddie Morgan and Wallace led off the top of the second with back-to-back singles and junior Claire Jenkins battled through a long at-bat to load the bases with nobody out. An RBI groundout made it 2-0 and a failed rundown attempt in between third and home in the next at-bat stretched it to 3-0. With runners now at the corners and one out, a deep fly ball to the warning track in center was dropped, allowing one to score on the error before a passed ball brought another home to make it 5-0.

In the top of the third, Wallace crushed a one-out solo home run off the scoreboard in right field as the lead increased to 6-0. A double, hit-by-pitch and single loaded the bases for Alabama with one out in the top of the fifth and another walk to senior Merris Schroder tacked on a run to make it 7-0.

In the top of the sixth, Hemphill hit her second home run of the day, another solo home run to nearly the same spot as her first-inning long ball. Leading by eight heading to the bottom of the sixth, UAB needed to score a run to avoid the run-rule loss. The Blazers hit back-to-back singles with one out but a fly ball and strikeout ended the game with the Tide claiming the run-rule victory.

Next up, Alabama returns home to host the Easton Crimson Classic March 1-3 at Rhoads Stadium. The Tide will play five games over three days against Michigan State, Southern Miss and Saint Francis.

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