Alabama Softball Clinches Weekend Series Over Mississippi State With 3-0 Win Sunday in Starkville

After a shutout loss on Saturday to even the weekend series, Alabama softball rebounded with a shutout win on Sunday over Mississippi State, clinching the weekend series with a 3-0 victory at Nusz Park.

Alabama (28-3, 5-1 SEC) scored three runs on six hits, with two of those coming off the bat of Sydney Booker with a second-inning RBI single and a fifth-inning solo home run. The Crimson Tide’s third run of the day score on an RBI single by Reagan Dykes, as that proved enough for Alexis Osorio (16-1) and the Alabama defense, who shut out Mississippi State (22-7, 2-4 SEC) and held the Bulldogs to just four hits.

Patience at the plate in the top of the second gave Alabama an early scoring opportunity, as Bailey Hemphill drew a walk on a full count and Merris Schroder beat out an infield single on another full count, putting runners at the corners with one out. Dykes then poked a single up the middle to score Hemphill for the first run of the game and Booker followed with another RBI single to score Schroder and make it 2-0.

Some miscommunication by the Tide defense allowed the leadoff batter in the bottom of the third to reach second and she later advanced to third base on a one-out single. On a double steal attempt, the runner at first base was caught off the bag and the runner at third stayed put, which set Osorio up for an inning-ending strikeout as Alabama held on to its two-run lead.

Booker’s second RBI of the day came courtesy of a solo home run, her third of the year, to lead off the top of the fifth and give Alabama a 3-0 lead. A single and two walks loaded the bases for Alabama with one out before Mississippi State made a pitching change, turning to Alexis Silkwood in the tough spot. A popup and long fly ball got her out of the jam but the Bulldogs now trailed by three.

Mississippi State left two on base in the bottom of the sixth as it remained a 3-0 game heading to the seventh. With a runner at second and nobody out in the top of the seventh, Demi Turner laced a single through the right side but the runner was tagged out at home trying to score, though Turner did advance to second on the throw. Alabama ultimately would not score in the top-half of the inning, as it remained a three-run game heading to the home half of the seventh.

Mississippi State didn’t go down quietly in the bottom of the seventh, with a one-out walk and a two-out base hit putting runners at the corners with the potential tying run now at the plate. A slow roller to Turner went for the easy groundout to end the game as Alabama held on to win, 3-0, and win the weekend series over the Bulldogs.

Next up, Alabama returns to Tuscaloosa to continue SEC play, hosting South Carolina (19-10, 1-5 SEC) for a three-game series beginning on Friday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. CT.