Alabama Defeats Georgia, 7-1, in Saturday Series Opener

Overcast skies cleared in time for Saturday’s series opener between Alabama and Georgia, with the Crimson Tide putting together a well-rounded performance to win, 7-1.

All nine of Alabama’s (40-4, 9-4 SEC) starting batters reached base safely at least once in the win over Georgia (30-12, 5-8 SEC), posting eight hits and 10 walks. They were swift on the base paths as well, stealing nine bases, the second-most in UA single-game history and the most since swiping nine vs. Green Bay on Feb. 9, 2013. Three of those stolen bases came from freshman Skylar Wallace, who also drove in a run on a fourth-inning single. An error-free defense backed up a stellar performance in the circle from junior Sarah Cornell (16-1), who allowed just one run on two hits in the complete-game victory with five strikeouts. The one run scored is the lowest of the season for the Bulldogs.

After retiring Georgia in order in the top of the first, junior Elissa Brown drew a four-pitch walk to start the bottom half of the inning. She stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error before sophomore Kaylee Tow drew a walk to put runners at the corners with nobody out. Junior Bailey Hemphill pulled a single through the left side, scoring Brown to give the Tide the 1-0 lead. Alabama would load the bases later in the inning with two out, but a force out kept it a one-run game.

Georgia tied it up in the next half-inning on an RBI double from Alysen Febrey but Tow put the Tide back on top in the bottom half with an RBI single. Senior Merris Schroder led off the bottom of the third with a sky-high solo home run to make it 3-1. Alabama got three runners on base via three walks in the bottom of the fourth and sophomore Maddie Morgan brought everyone home with an opposite-field double to stretch the lead to 6-1. Wallace kept it going with an RBI single before Georgia made a pitching change, trailing 7-1. Alabama would put a pair in scoring position with two out before a popup ended the inning.

Neither team scored in the fifth or sixth innings and Georgia could only muster a two-out walk in the top of the seventh, as the Tide held on for the six-run win.

Game two of the weekend series is set for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch Sunday, April 14 live on SEC Network.

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