Alabama Softball Blanks Samford 11-0 in Five Innings

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Behind the right arm of sophomore Leslie Jury, the top-ranked Alabama softball team blanked Samford, 11-0, Wednesday night at Rhoads Stadium. With the win, the Crimson Tide improves to 17-0 on the season.

Jury (6-0) held a no-hitter until the fifth and final inning, allowing just an infield single with one out in the fifth. Jury struck out two and walked one for her third straight shutout, and fourth in seven starts.

Alabama took advantage of four Samford (6-7) errors and banged out 10 hits, led by junior Kaila Hunt, who tallied two hits and two RBI. Senior Kayla Braud also collected two hits, scored twice and drove in one while junior Jackie Traina banged out two hits and had an RBI. On her birthday, sophomore Danielle Richard hit her second home run of the year and scored twice.

Alabama opened the scoring in the first frame when the Tide plated two runs. Braud started the game off on an infield single and later scored on a double by Hunt. The double was her sixth on the season. Hunt then scored on a shallow hit to center off the bat of Traina.

The Tide added three more in the second to take a 5-0 lead. Two scored on an error by the first baseman before Hunt drove in her second of the game on a base hit through the left side.

UA continued its scoring ways with two more in the third. After loading the bases, senior Keima Davis took a walk to plate Richard and then Braud walked to score sophomore Chaunsey Bell.

The Tide capped off its scoring with four runs in the fourth. UA took advantage of another Samford error that scored freshman pinch-runner Andrea Hawkins before Richard unloaded on her second home run in as many games, this one a two-run shot over the wall in left. A double by junior Molly Fichtner scored freshman pinch-runner Kallie Case to plate the 11th and final run for the Tide.