Lehigh softball stunned Alabama in a 7-4 victory in the Leadoff Classic tournament on Feb. 10.
According to the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, Alabama is ranked seventh in the nation.
Junior pitcher Katelyn Young pitched the entire game for the Mountain Hawks and only gave up 10 hits to Alabama.
The Crimson Tide finished with a 16-8 record last year in the Southeastern Conference before receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
Alabama hit a home run in their second at-bat of the game, which drove home their first two runs.
Trailing 2-0, Lehigh struck back in the top of the second when junior Amanda Greaney doubled to left center field, driving home sophomore Rory Dudley.
After a scoreless third frame, Lehigh tied the game on a double to center field off the bat of freshman Abbey Tabaka who entered the game as a pinch hitter. After junior Brooke Cannon scored, the game tied 2-2 heading into the middle of the fourth.
Alabama quickly followed a leadoff double by yet another home run, extending their lead back out to 4-2.
Lehigh mounted another comeback from two runs down in the fifth inning. Graduate student Carley Barjaktarovich singled and then stole second. Senior Emily Cimino, a second-team all-Patriot League selection last year, hit a home run to tie the game at four.
Young held runners on base in both the fifth and sixth innings, leading the Mountain Hawks to come to the plate in the top of the seventh.
Senior Josie Charles, freshman Lily Owens and Barjaktarovich all got on base for Lehigh. With only one out, Cimino doubled down the left field line and all three runners on base scored, allowing Cimino to finish the day with 5 RBIs.
Alabama mounted one last push in the bottom of the seventh, bringing the tying run to the plate with runners on first and third. After a groundout, Lehigh secured their first win in program history against a top 10 ranked opponent.
This was Alabama’s first game of the season. Earlier that day, Lehigh beat Georgia Southern 4-2. All eight of Lehigh’s starting fielders started in both games.
Lehigh will face both Alabama and Georgia Southern on the second day of the tournament on Saturday.
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