Crimson Red Sports

When Amanda Locke made her first official recruiting visit to the University of Alabama, she came down an escalator in the Birmingham airport to find Crimson Tide softball coach Patrick Murphy waiting with, as she put it, a "big freaking smile" and a hug to welcome her to the state.

The native Texan knew where she was going to school before she ever set foot on campus.

Saturday, his shirt freshly drenched from a surprise encounter with a water bucket, it was Murphy who turned to find Locke waiting with a smile and a bear hug on the field at Rhoads Stadium. And if the softball world beyond Tuscaloosa will, to borrow a phrase, little note nor long remember the five innings she threw Saturday against Florida, the effort tells you all you need to know about this program.

Alabama didn't need Locke, a fifth-year senior making just her fifth start of the season, to be perfect to win the SEC championship game. The Crimson Tide completed a sweep of the regular-season and tournament titles with a 10-1 win against the Gators on the strength of an offense that got at least one run or one RBI, if not both, from the first eight players in the batting order.

But Alabama needed a player whose more familiar role is that of all-conference slugger to take the ball and do what she could in the circle. And in truth, Alabama needs Locke for this team to be Alabama.