MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Jessica Ford tied a program record by hitting three home runs in four at-bats and led UWF Softball in a 15-1 rout of the Montevallo Falcons (20-20, 13-9) Friday night. 
 
The record was first claimed when Tabitha Hairelson hit three home runs against West Alabama on April 14, 2006. Now, Ford joins Hairelson in sharing the record, with one of the blasts being a grand slam in the top of the third inning. In total, Ford went 4-4 with a single, the three home runs, and nine RBI. 
 
Ford is also in a three-way tie for third-most home runs in a season in UWF softball history with 14. Current player Jessie Baughan currently holds the second spot with 16. Jill Burnett owns the record with 19 in the 1998 season. 
 
The win marks the fifteenth straight for UWF and the ninth in run-rule fashion. UWF stays in a three-way tie for second in the conference with a 16-6 record in GSC play.
 
The Argos' lineup recorded nine extra base hits, with Madelyn Vasquez and Ford accounting for three each. Vasquez added two doubles and a home run in the winning effort, and Erin Moon added her seventh home run of the season. 
 
Montana Young (16-4) posted a 1.40 ERA and allowed just three hits with two strikeouts in the win over the Falcons. Her season ERA improves to 3.73. UWF leads the GSC in ERA among conference-only results. 
 
UWF 15, Montevallo 1
 
Vasquez homered to right center on a two-RBI home run scoring Moon in the first inning. Montevallo scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the first on a solo home run of their own. 
 
In the second, Ford hit the first of her three long balls on the day, a three-RBI home run to center field that began the rout for UWF. In the third inning, Moon hit her solo shot to left center. Shortly after, it was followed by Ford's grand slam that scored Baughan, Hannah Harper, and Vasquez. After the volley, the total was 10-1 Argos. 
 
Entering the fourth inning, Young continued to hold the Falcons in check and the Argos' lineup continued to churn out extra-base hits. A Baughan line-out scored Vasquez, followed by Ford's record tying third home run to score Cameron Wolfenden. Gianna Guerriero hit an RBI double scoring Chelsea Dumas, and Emma Brice cleaned up the bases with another RBI double to score Guerriero. 
 
At the end of the fourth, UWF led 15-1 and didn't add any more in the fifth. Montevallo only managed to get one runner on in the last two innings of play, and went down in order in the fifth to secure the run-rule victory for the Argos in game one. 
 
---
 
The Argos face the Falcons in two more games tomorrow to decide the series. Game one of the twin bill begins at 1:00 p.m. CT.
 
Keep up on West Florida Softball by following @UWFSoftball on X, Instagram, and Facebook.