Murphy Outwits Himself As Alabama Softball Falls to C-USA’s 6th Place Team

Nobody truly expected to see Montana Fouts get the start on Sunday. Very few expected Lauren Esman to start either. But there she was. It didn’t help that a lifeless offense was there as well.

MTSU 4, ALABAMA 1

With Alex Salter getting shelled on Saturday and Jaala Torrence being overworked, Patrick Murphy’s Gut® went with his Michigan infielder-turned pitcher project Esman to start the game. The bad news is she gave up one run in the first inning. The good news is she ONLY gave up one run in the first inning. The Gut® must have felt real good about that because he left her in the game for a good long while. In the third inning, MTSU led off single-homer-double and Murphy thought that was just hunky-dory.

In the fifth, a Blue Raiders double and a single scored a fourth run for the C-USA’s regular season sixth place team. After Esman hit a batter with a pitch, that was the end of her day. Salter, who probably should have started, came in and closed out the game without allowing a hit.

Meanwhile on offense, outside of Ashley Prange’s double in the bottom of the first no Bama player reached base the first time through the order. Larissa Preuitt singled to lead off the fourth and Prange doubled again. Bailey Dowling popped out but Ally Shipman was able to pick up an RBI on a fly ball to centerfield. Prange’s second double would be the last Bama hit until Dowling had an infield single and was stranded at first base in the sixth inning. Emma Broadfoot singled in the seventh but she too was left on base.

The Middle Tennessee batters 1 through 5 were 8 for 19 against Alabama pitching. Batters 6 through 9 were 1 for 9.

Outside of Prange, Alabama struggled mightily against Gretchen Mead, scratching out five hits and no walks. The MTSU pitcher went the distance, yielding five hits while striking out only two Bama batters.

MVP

• PRANGE: 2-3, 2 DOUBLES

SCORES & SCHEDULE

• GAME 1: MTSU 8, Central Arkansas 0
• GAME 2: Alabama 5, LIU 0
• GAME 3: Alabama 12, MTSU 5
• GAME 4: Central Arkansas 15, LIU 0 (LIU goes home)
• GAME 5: MTSU 3, Central Arkansas 0 (UCA goes home)
• GAME 6: MTSU 4, Alabama 1
• GAME 7: Alabama vs MTSU (necessary) coming up soon. (Loser goes home)

TV... ALLEGEDLY

Game 7 will be aired on ESPNU and/or ESPNews TBA.

OTHER SUNDAY SCORES OF NOTE

Georgia 12 Virginia Tech 3 - UGA is heading to the WCWS.
Auburn 5 Clemson 2 - Forcing a second game.
South Carolina 4 FSU 0 - Also a second game.
FSU 1 South Carolina 0 (FSU moves on)
Oregon 14 Arkansas 4 (Ducks head to OKC)
Okie and Duke advance

#RollTide #Team27 #BoycottALdotcom