If you like a Cinderella story, you may not have enjoyed Saturday afternoon at Rhoads Stadium.
In its second straight shutout, Alabama softball (51-7) earned a 3-0 win over Belmont (41-12) on Saturday, May 16, to advance to Sunday’s Tuscaloosa Regional championship. In the process, the Crimson Tide also shut out plenty of pregame noise that had built throughout the week.
The matchup featured two top-10 Player of the Year finalists in the circle: Alabama’s Jocelyn Briski and Belmont’s Maya Johnson. Johnson entered the regional leading the NCAA with a 0.66 ERA, 381 strikeouts and an 11.91 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
After the NCAA tournament bracket reveal Sunday, she told ESPN’s Holly Rowe that Belmont was “fully expecting” to win and noted that the Bruins “wouldn’t be the first mid-major to beat Alabama this year.”
Johnson backed up the confidence with a complete game Saturday, striking out seven while allowing three runs on five hits and two walks.
But Briski was better.
The Alabama ace took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and finished with seven strikeouts, one walk and one hit allowed.
“Anybody who likes pitching, that was a good game,” Belmont coach Laura Matthews said. “Briski was awesome. … By the time we got some stuff going, I think it was a little bit late, and just couldn’t capitalize on anything there at the end.”
Alabama gave Briski early support with a three-run first inning, and coach Patrick Murphy said that was enough.
“The first inning was terrific, and Briski did the rest,” Murphy said.
Catcher Marlie Giles said Alabama’s approach against Johnson came from trusting the plan put together by the coaching staff, even against one of the best pitchers in the country. It isn’t anything new for the Crimson Tide.
“The SEC is just a league of its own, especially pitching-wise,” Giles said. “You can look at every single team, and they all have at least one elite pitcher that we all have to plan for and have to scout for. So, I think that that gives us an advantage, just because we’ve planned before and we’ve prepped before.”
Belmont third baseman Rylee Spindler said Thursday the Bruins were not intimidated by the regional’s pitching. By Saturday, she said the issue was timing.
“I don’t think we made the adjustments quite fast enough until later in the seventh,” Spindler said. “That’s what kind of bit us.”
Briski said her focus was back to the basics: attacking the zone and avoiding giving Belmont free chances.
“Something that I’ve kind of been able to fall back on a lot this year is just throwing strikes and pounding the zone,” Briski said, “and just really trying to take my time and make sure that I don’t give up any free passes.”
Tuscaloosa Regional full schedule, bracket
Friday, May 15
- Alabama 8, SC Upstate 0 (five innings)
- Belmont 2, Southeastern Louisiana 0
Saturday, May 16
- Game 3: Alabama 3, Belmont 0
- Game 4: SC Upstate vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 3:30 p.m. CT
- Game 5: Game 4 Winner vs. Belmont, 6 p.m. CT
Sunday, May 17
- Game 6: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, noon CT
- Game 7: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser (if necessary), 2:30 p.m. CT
Amelia Hurley covers high school and college sports for The Tuscaloosa News and USA TODAY Network. You can find her on X at ameliahurley_ or reach her at ahurley@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama softball ace Jocelyn Briski outduels AUSL-bound Maya Johnson