TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama softball won Friday’s series opener against Missouri, 4-2, at Rhoads Stadium.

Alabama (33-18, 9-10 SEC) struck first against Missouri (23-27, 4-15 SEC) in the bottom of the first inning, with Brooke Ellestad pulling a bases-loaded double down the line to drive in three runs. The Tigers responded with a run in the top of the second on a solo homer, but the Crimson Tide defense limited the damage getting out of a one-out bases loaded jam unscathed. The score remained the same until Audrey Vandagriff led off the home half of the fifth with a solo home run, extending the lead to 4-1.

With the score still 4-1 in the top of the seventh, Missouri got a run back on a two-out wild pitch and then brought the potential go-ahead run to the plate following a base hit and a walk. A first-pitch popup in the next at-bat halted the momentum as the Tide held on for the two-run win.

“Tonight was gritty, not pretty. As long as we get a ‘W,’ I don’t care what it looks like. Jocelyn [Briski] got out of some big jams. It’s the old ‘bend but don’t break’ and that’s exactly what happened. We made pitches when we needed to and we didn’t have any errors. Brooke [Ellestad] got a bases loaded double early and then it was back and forth for the rest of the night, then Audrey [Vandagriff] got the knockout with the home run.”

Highlights

• Alabama ended the third inning with its 27th double play of the year, setting a new single-season school record to beat the previous best of 26 set in 2003
• Audrey Vandagriff tallied her 48th stolen bases of the season, putting her in a three-way tie for fourth in UA single-season history with Elissa Brown (2019) and Brittany Rogers (2007)
• Jocelyn Briski earned the win behind a season-high 109 pitches with her six strikeouts as her most in SEC play this season
• Catelyn Riley earned her third save of the year, marking a new season best for the senior
• Brooke Ellestad’s three RBIs Friday give her a team-leading 12 multi-RBI games this season

Scoring Summary

• B1 | Brooke Ellestad cleared the bases with a double down the line (3-0, 2 Out)
• T2 | Taylor Ebbs led off the inning with a solo home run (3-1, 0 Out)
• B5 | Audrey Vandagriff led off the half-inning with a solo home run (4-1, 0 Out)
• T7 | Julia Crenshaw scored from third on a wild pitch (4-2, 2 Out)

Up Next: vs. Missouri (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

• Saturday, April 26 – 8 p.m. CT – SEC Network
• Sunday, April 27 – 2 p.m. CT