When Alabama defeated the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devilettes at Rhoads Stadium Wednesday, it left the fifth-ranked Crimson Tide as the nation’s only undefeated team in major college softball. Top-ranked Florida State, previously undefeated, fell to Grand Canyon Wednesday night.

Coach Patrick Murphy’s Crimson Tide is now 22-0 following the 7-0 victory over Mississippi Valley State. The game ended Bama’s pre-Southeastern Conference schedule.

Patrick Murphy’s Crimson Tide is 22-0

This weekend, Alabama opens conference play with a three-game series against Missouri (11-7) at Rhoads Stadium. Action opens on Friday at 6:30 p.m. CST. Games against the Mizzou Tigers are also scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. CDT (Don’t forget to Spring Forward!) Sunday.

Junior Bailey Hemphill led the offense with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, scoring three times and driving in three runs on a second-inning home run, her team-leading ninth of the year. Senior Caroline Hardy, 2-for-3, drove in a pair of runs on a bases-loaded walk and a solo home run (her fourth).

Sophomore Kaylee Tow, batting in the leadoff position, had an interesting statistics line as she was 0-1, but scored two runs as she was walked three times, half of the six bases-on-balls awarded the Tide.

Junior Krystal Goodman (4-0) threw four shutout innings in the start to earn her fourth win of the season, allowing just one hit and one walk and striking out five. Sophomore Madison Preston and senior Courtney Gettins combined to throw three relief innings behind her with two hits, one walk and five strikeouts.

Alabama tallied the first run of the day in the bottom of the first, loading the bases with two outs before Hardy drew a walk to move everyone up 60 feet and make it 1-0.

With two on and two out in the bottom of the second, Hemphill blasted a three-run home run into center field as the lead swelled to 4-0.

A fielding error allowed Alabama to add another in the fourth and a solo home run from Hardy in the fifth increased the lead to 6-0.

The Delta Devilettes threatened in the top of the sixth, loading the bases but Preston left the bases stranded with a swinging strikeout to end the inning and hold the visitors scoreless.

In the bottom of the sixth, freshman Kayla Davis came off the bench as a pinch-hitter and dropped a double into the gap, driving in a run to make it 7-0.

Gettins entered to pitch in the top of the seventh and retired MVSU in order to close out the game.

Losing pitcher Alyssa Montes didn’t get much help from her Mississippi Valley State teammates as three errors (albeit, one of them hers) enabled Alabama to score five unearned runs. Montes gave up seven hits and walked six, but also struck out six. She stranded eight Alabama baserunners.