There are big innings and small ones. To the fourth-ranked University of Alabama softball team, all games are big.
The Crimson Tide had a couple of big innings on Tuesday at Rhoads Stadium and got a 10-0 victory over Samford that was big as much for where it fell on schedule as for any merit of its own.
Alabama (21-2) won by five innings via the mercy rule in its final outing before SEC play. UA visits LSU, also ranked fourth in a different poll, for a three-game weekend series.
Crimson Tide coach Patrick Murphy saw one thing he didn't like: a passed ball from pitcher Sydney Littlejohn after allowing a leadoff hit to Samford's Callie Brister, a Hillcrest High graduate, in the top of the first inning.
"The passed ball, that's ugly softball," the coach said. "I was a little bit worried, then after that she cleaned it up and our hitters did what they needed to do."
Samford (11-8) loaded the bases on two singles and a walk before Littlejohn (8-2) got out of the jam. The Bulldogs never threatened again, and were out of it after UA put up four runs in the third inning and another six in the fourth.
"It feels like coming home, it's a great place," Brister said. "They're a great team, they hit the ball well tonight, and sometimes you've just got to roll with it. We didn't have it in all aspects of the game."
Murphy has no opinion on whether he'd rather score a run or two every inning or bunch them up for the big outburst.
"I don't care as long as we win," he said.
Outfielder Andrea Hawkins, who went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored, contributed to both big innings.
"The big innings are fun," she said. "We get a lot of momentum and the dugout gets crazy. We just love that."
Demi Turner had a three-run triple in the fourth. Leona Lafaele, Marisa Runyon, Reagan Dykes and Merris Schroder each doubled.
Littlejohn allowed four hits with two strikeouts and one walk for the win. Former Shelton State pitcher Mollie Hanson (7-4) took the loss, giving up 10 runs on nine hits before leaving in the fourth.
Alabama will visit LSU for three games in three days, starting Friday at 6 p.m. The Saturday and Sunday games will be televised on the SEC Network.
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