Even though Alabama softball’s 5-3 loss to LSU ended its season, the day wasn’t all bad for the No. 6 Crimson Tide. In fact, ask Alabama coach Patrick Murphy and he’d say it wasn’t bad at all.
“There’s no such thing as a bad day at the World Series,” Murphy said. “And I firmly believe that.”
Osorio has All-American season
Alabama freshman right-hander Alexis Osorio (22-9, 1.75 ERA) didn’t have her best stuff against 3-seed Michigan in the opening round. The Wolverines had four hits and four walks. Two of the hits were home runs.
One of the home runs was a grand slam after a 3-2 count.
“They’re a really good hitting team so hats off to them,” Osorio said. “And I missed my spot. They’re a really good hitting team.”
Osorio drew the loss after the team was shutout with four hits.
Two days later she faced off with Oregon. After allowing four hits on Thursday, she kept Oregon to three hits and a single run. She struck out nine for her 22nd win of the season.
“I thought Lexi came back bigger, better, stronger than she ever has this year, especially from Thursday night,” Murphy said.
In May, Osorio was named the SEC Freshman of the Year in softball. She was also named a second-team NFCA All-American and was one of three finalists for NFCA Freshman of the Year.
“Home” Runyon
Alabama may not have gotten to Oklahoma City without sophomore infielder Marisa Runyon’s late-game heroics against Oklahoma in the Super Regional.
Runyon may not have had the year she had if sophomore infielder Peyton Grantham hadn’t torn her ACL in the fall.
“It’s a weird blessing sort of thing,” Murphy said. “And I know Peyton wishes that she would have been out there every day, but she’ll be ready to go in the fall.”
The year Runyon had was nothing short of record breaking. She set the new Alabama single-season RBI record with 80, beating out Charlotte Morgan’s 79 in 2008. Her 19 home runs are third for a single season at Alabama.
Farewell to seniors
In Alabama’s final game of the season, its five seniors played. Chaunsey Bell, Danae Hays, Danielle Richard and Jadyn Spencer started in the final game of their careers. Right-hander Leslie Jury came in to pitch in the third inning. In three innings of relief, she allowed two hits and walked one. She struck out four and didn’t allow a run in the 5-3 loss to LSU.
“I know Leslie ended her career on an awesome note tonight,” Murphy said after the LSU loss. “I thought she was terrific.”
Jury ended her career 55-21 with a 2.63 ERA. She recorded her lowest ERA this season (2.40). After four years at Alabama, she had 377 strikeouts.
Hays hits .262 at Alabama with 18 doubles and 21 home runs. She had a .930 career fielding percentage after recording the least amount of errors in her final year. She was the only senior who had a starting role on the 2012 national championship team.
Bell finished her years at Alabama with a .270 batting average after hitting above .300 her senior year. She caught seven people stealing her final year, including three at the 2015 WCWS.
Richard hit .277 for her career with 17 doubles and 14 home runs. Spencer had 18 doubles and 26 home runs and hit .313 for her career.
The seniors finished with three WCWS appearances in four years, a national championship and a runner-up finish.
The season didn’t end how the seniors or anyone on the team wanted, but it was still one to be proud of.
“I don’t think a lot of people really even expected us to make it past Super Regionals,” Hays said. “So for us to have played three games at the World Series, I think it exceeded a lot of people’s expectations, and I think this is definitely a season we can be very proud of.”
