When former Elmore County star Elissa Brown chose to go to Tuscaloosa to extend her softball career, she expected to make it to Oklahoma City before her career was over. After a two-year drought, the Crimson Tide returned to the Women’s College World Series and Brown soaked in every moment of the experience.
“It was so much fun,” Brown said. “It actually all started with the sendoff and the parade so seeing all those fans and the support for Alabama softball was just unreal. Once we got to Oklahoma City, the atmosphere was really cool and just getting to play in it was unreal.”
kAmp=232>2 6?E6C65 E96 }rpp E@FC?2>6?E 2D E96 6:89E9 @G6C2== D665 3FE E96 E62> >256 :E :?E@ E96 D6>:7:?2=D 2?5 H2D @?6 H:? 7C@> E96 492>A:@?D9:A D6C:6D] w@H6G6C[ ~<=29@>2 <?@4<65 @77 E96 rC:>D@? %:56 E@ 6?5 E96:C D62D@? 3FE E96 E62> :D 2=C625J AC6A2C:?8 7@C 2 C6EFC? EC:A :? a_a_]k^Am
kAm“(6 H6C6 D@ 4=@D6 :? @FC 7:?2= 82>6[” qC@H? D2:5] “(6 8@E 2 =:EE=6 E2DE6 @7 :E E9:D J62C 3FE H6 H2?E E96 7F== E9:?8 ?6IE J62C] (6 A=2? E@ H@C< 92C5 2?5 H6 DE:== 92G6 E96 D2>6 8@2= E@ >2<6 :E 324< E96C6 ?6IE J62C] (6’C6 C625J]”k^Am
kAmx? 96C E9:C5 D62D@? 2E p=232>2[ qC@H? D6E 42C66C\9:89D H:E9 ed 9:ED[ d_ CF?D 2?5 cg DE@=6? 32D6D 2?5 H2D ?2>65 2D 2 D64@?5\E62> p==\$tr @FE7:6=56C] $96 DE2CE65 2== eg 82>6D :? 46?E6C 7:6=5 2?5 H2D E96 E62>’D =625@77 9:EE6C E9C@F89 2 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 D62D@?]k^Am
kAm“(6 H@? bb :? 2 C@H E@ DE2CE E96 J62C 2?5 2 =@E @7 E92E H2D 3642FD6 D96 H2D 86EE:?8 @? 32D6 D@ >2?J E:>6D[” p=232>2 4@249 !2EC:4< |FCA9J D2:5] “xE D2JD 2 =@E E@ E96 C6DE @7 E96 @776?D6 E92E H96? E96 E@A @7 E96 @C56C 86ED @? 2?5 E96 C6DE @7 E96 @776?D6 D2JD[ ‘x7 D96 42? 86E @?[ x 42? 86E @?]’”k^Am
kAmqC@H? 925 `e >F=E:\9:E 82>6D[ =625:?8 p=232>2 E@ 2 `b\b C64@C5 :? E9@D6 4@?E6DED] $96 2=D@ 7:?:D965 H:E9 >F=E:A=6 DE@=6? 32D6D :? `b 82>6D :?4=F5:?8 2 42C66C\9:89 7@FC DE@=6? 32D6D 282:?DE |:DD@FC: $E2E6]k^Am
kAm“x7 D96 86ED @? 7:CDE 32D6[ :E’D 2=>@DE 2=H2JD 2? :>>65:2E6 DE@=6? 32D6[” |FCA9J D2:5] “~FC 8@2= E9:D J62C H2D d_ 7@C 96C 3FE H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 86E E92E ?6IE J62C 7@C DFC6] (6 H2?E E@ 86E 96C :? E96 E@A 7:G6 :? E96 4@F?ECJ ?6IE J62C]”k^Am
kAmp7E6C 2 DF446DD7F= C68F=2C D62D@? 2E E96 A=2E6[ qC@H? 42CC:65 E92E >@>6?EF> :?E@ E96 %FD42=@@D2 #68:@?2= H96C6 D96 8@E D:I 9:ED[ :?4=F5:?8 E9C66 :? E96 7:?2= 82>6 282:?DE pC:K@?2 $E2E6] w@H6G6C[ H96? E96 rC:>D@? %:56 9@DE65 %6I2D :? E96 DFA6C C68:@?2=[ qC@H? DE2CE65 E@ DECF88=6 5F6 E@ D@>6 42==D 2E E96 A=2E6]k^Am
kAmpD 2 D=2AA6C :? D@7E32==[ J@F 92G6 E@ <66A 3@E9 766E :?D:56 E96 3@I F?E:= J@F 4@?E24E E96 32==] qC@H? H2D 42==65 @FE E9C66 E:>6D 5FC:?8 E96 DFA6C C68:@?2= 7@C 9:EE:?8 E96 32== H9:=6 @FE @7 E96 3@I]k^Am
kAm“w6C C68:@?2= A6C7@C>2?46 H2D :?4C65:3=6 3FE E96 ?6IE H66<6?5[ :E’D ;FDE @?6 @7 E9@D6 E9:?8D E92E 56A6?5D @? E96 F>A:C6[” |FCA9J D2:5] “xE’D C62==J F?7@CEF?2E6 7@C D@>6 @7 E9@D6 <:5D… 3FE D96 92?5=65 :E =:<6 2 492>A] $96 925 2 C62==J <6J 2E 32E 282:?DE pC:K@?2]”k^Am
kAmqC@H? H2D >@G65 E@ E96 }@] h 9@=6 :? E96 32EE:?8 @C56C 7@C E96 (r($ 3FE D96 DE:== 925 2 >2;@C :>A24E @? E96 E@FC?2>6?E] sFC:?8 2? 6=:>:?2E:@? 82>6 282:?DE pC:K@?2[ D96 C624965 32D6 @? 2 7:6=56C’D 49@:46 367@C6 DE62=:?8 D64@?5 2?5 D4@C:?8 @? 2? #qx 5@F3=6 7C@> q2:=6J w6>A9:== H9:49 =65 E@ 2 a\_ p=232>2 H:?]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D 567:?:E6=J 7CFDEC2E:?8 7@C >6 E@ 92G6 E@ 3C62< E9:?8D 5@H? 2?5 E9:?< 23@FE DE2J:?8 :? E96 3@I[” qC@H? D2:5] “x 2AAC64:2E65 |FCA9 7@C D66:?8 9@H x 76=E 2?5 96 >@G65 >6 5@H? :? E96 =:?6FA E@ >2<6 >6 >@C6 4@>7@CE23=6 2?5 x 5:5] xE’D 2 E6DE2>6?E E@ 9:> 3642FD6 96 42? D66 H96? H6 ?665 D@>6E9:?8]”k^Am
kAm|FCA9J D2:5 96 H2D ?6G6C H@CC:65 23@FE 9@H qC@H? H@F=5 92?5=6 E96 492?86 E@ E96 32EE:?8 @C56C 3642FD6 @7 E96 492C24E6C D96 92D D9@H? 5FC:?8 96C E9C66 J62CD :? %FD42=@@D2]k^Am
kAm“$96’D 2 G6CJ D6=7=6DD <:5 D@ x H2D?’E H@CC:65 23@FE E92E[” |FCA9J D2:5] “$96’D 2? @FEDE2?5:?8 A6CD@? 2?5 x ;FDE H2?E 6G6CJ@?6 5@H? E96C6 E@ C62=:K6 9@H H6== D96’D C6AC6D6?E65 96C 4@>>F?:EJ 2E p=232>2 H:E9 E96 72?D[ E96 >65:2 2?5 C62==J H:E9 2?J@?6 E92E :?E6C24ED H:E9 96C] x’> AC@F5 E@ D2J D96’D @?6 @7 @FCD]”k^Am
kAm(:E9 @?6 D62D@? C6>2:?:?8 :? 96C 4@==68:2E6 42C66C[ qC@H? 92D 96C 6J6D D6E @? 2?@E96C EC:A E@ ~<=29@>2 r:EJ 2?5 86EE:?8 E92E 6=FD:G6 d_ DE@=6? 32D6D :? 2 D:?8=6 D62D@?] $96 A2DD65 E96 46?EFCJ >2C< E9:D J62C 7@C 96C 42C66C 2?5 4FCC6?E=J D:ED @? `_g DE@=6? 32D6D]k^Am
kAm“(6 <?6H 7C@> E96 368:??:?8 9@H H6 C62==J H2?E65 E@ AFD9 E96 DA665 E9:D J62C[” qC@H? D2:5] “xE H2D C62==J 4@@= E@ C6249 `__ E@ 36 :? E96 3@@< H:E9 E96 @E96C p=232>2 8:C=D =:<6 w2J=:6 |4r=6?6J 2?5 qC:EE2?J #@86CD] x H2?E E@ 86E @? 32D6 >@C6 ?6IE J62C D@ x 42? C6249 E9@D6 d_ DE@=6? 32D6D 9@A67F==J]”k^Am
kAmqC@H? 92D @E96C 8@2=D 7@C 96C D6?:@C D62D@? E92E 2C6 @FED:56 @7 ;FDE 2? :>AC@G65 DE2E =:?6] $96 H:== 36 @?6 @7 D6G6? D6?:@CD @? E96 C@DE6C ?6IE J62C 2?5 D96 D2:5 E96J <?@H E96C6 H:== 36 9:89 6IA64E2E:@?D @? E96> :? E96:C 7:?2= D62D@?]k^Am
kAm“x ;FDE H2?E E@ 36 2 C@=6 >@56= E@ 6G6CJ@?6 6=D6[” qC@H? D2:5] “(6 <?@H H92E’D 6IA64E65 @7 FD 7C@> E96 4@2496D 2?5 H92E H6 6IA64E @7 6249 @E96C] x H2?E E@ 36 2 ?2EFC2= =6256C 7@C E96>] p?5 x ;FDE C62==J H2?E 86E E@ E9@D6 d_ DE@=6? 32D6D]”k^Am
kAm%@ 9@?@C :ED D6?:@CD[ p=232>2 92D 925 2 9:DE@CJ @7 D4965F=:?8 82>6D 2D 2 9@>64@>:?8 7@C D6G6C2= @7 :ED A=2J6CD] |FCA9J D2:5 E96C6 :D 2=C625J 2 A=2? :? H@C<D E@ 86E E96 rC:>D@? %:56 2 82>6 4=@D6C E@ t=>@C6 r@F?EJ]k^Am
kAm“~?6 E9:?8 H6’C6 C62==J =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ :D H6’C6 9@A:?8 E@ 4@>6 5@H? E@ p=232>2 $E2E6 7@C =:<6 2 9@>64@>:?8 82>6 7@C t=:DD2[” |FCA9J D2:5] “(6 H2?E 2== @7 96C 7C:6?5D 2?5 72>:=J E@ 86E :? E96 42C 2?5 >2<6 2 =@E D9@CE6C 5C:G6 7C@> t4=64E:4 E@ |@?E8@>6CJ E92? :E :D E@ %FD42=@@D2]”k^Am
