| BSB/SB Alabama Shuts Out UAB, 8-0, Wednesday in Birmingham (Tide stands as the last undefeated team in the SEC)

[UA Press Release]

THIS WEEK: NO. 6/5 ALABAMA (15-0) AT UAB (8-7)

• Wednesday, Feb. 27 – 6 p.m. CT
• Birmingham, Ala. – Mary Bowers Field

SCOUTING ALABAMA

• Alabama is undefeated at 15-0 to start the 2019 season, winning five games at last weekend's Easton Bama Bash in Tuscaloosa, including two against then-No. 24 Minnesota
• The 15-0 start is the Crimson Tide's best since 2013, winning 22 before its first loss
• The Tide moved up to No. 5 in this week's ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, while remaining at No. 6 in the USA Today/NFCA poll for the second-straight week
• Freshman Montana Fouts earned her second-consecutive SEC Freshman of the Week award after going 2-0 in the circle with two wins over the Gophers, including the first shutout loss of the season for Minnesota
• Seven of the Tide's nine regular starters are hitting above .300, led by sophomore Kaylee Tow at .389 (14-for-36)
• Alabama leads the SEC with 38 stolen bases, which ranks ninth nationally

ALL-TIME VS. UAB

• Overall: 24th Meeting (Alabama leads 23-0)
• In Birmingham: 10-0 | In Tuscaloosa: 12-0 | At Neutral Sites: 1-0
• Current Streak: Alabama +23
• Last Meeting: March 20, 2018 - Tuscaloosa, Ala. - W, 10-5
• Last Meeting in Birmingham: Feb. 27, 2018 - W, 4-0

LAST TIME OUT: EASTON BAMA BASH

• Alabama went 5-0 at last weekend's Easton Bama Bash, pushing its record to 15-0 through three weeks of play
• The wins included two against then-No. 24 Minnesota, giving the Tide three ranked wins through 15 games
• The 11-1 run-rule victory over Missouri State Friday marked the fifth run-rule victory so far this year for Alabama
• The 1-0 shutout over the 24th-ranked Gophers Friday is the sixth shutout victory of the season for the Tide
• Alabama is now 532-88 (.858) all-time at Rhoads Stadium and 84-11 (.884) at the Easton Bama Bash

MONTANA FOUTS EARNS SECOND-STRAIGHT SEC WEEKLY AWARD

• For the second-consecutive week, Alabama freshman pitcher Montana Fouts is the SEC Freshman of the Week
• The Grayson, Ky., native earned a pair of wins over 24th-ranked Minnesota at last weekend's Easton Bama Bash in Tuscaloosa, holding the Gophers to two runs over 12.0 innings pitched with 15 strikeouts
• Her complete-game shutout on Friday marked the first shutout loss of the season for Minnesota
• It was Fouts' second-consecutive SEC Freshman of the Week award and the third for Alabama in as many weeks, after sophomore Kaylee Tow was named SEC Player of the Week following opening weekend
• This marks the 21st SEC Freshman of the Week award in program history and makes Fouts the first two-time winner for UA since Demi Turner in 2015

REAGAN DYKES FIVE AWAY FROM CAUGHT STEALING RECORD

• With two runners caught stealing over last weekend's games, Reagan Dykes is now tied with Lacy Prejean (2000-03) for second all-time at UA with 39 career runners caught stealing
• She is five shy of Kendall Dawson's (2009-12) record total of 44
• Dykes' 16 runners caught stealing last year was one off the single-season school record of 17 set by Dawson in 2011
• Dykes, Dawson and Prejean are the only three catchers in school history with at least 16 runners caught stealing in a season

ELISSA BROWN SWIPS SCHOOL-RECORD FOUR BASES
Junior Elissa Brown stole four bases in Alabama's win over Missouri State Saturday, tying the single-game school record

Four Stolen Bases in a Game

• Elissa Brown vs. Missouri State - Feb. 23, 2019
• Kallie Case vs. Virginia Tech - Feb. 22, 2014
• Kayla Braud vs. Green Bay - Feb. 9, 2013
• Jennifer Fenton at Mississippi State - March 30, 2012
• Kayla Braud vs. Troy - Feb. 13, 2011
• Jennifer Fenton vs. MVSU - March 12, 2009
• Mandy Burford at Ole Miss - April 21, 2007
• Kelly Kretschman at Arkansas - March 21, 1999

INSIDE THE PARK

• Freshman Skylar Wallace's first career home run was a memorable one, legging out an inside-the-park home run against Missouri State on Feb. 23
• It is the seventh inside-the-park home run in program history, all but two of which have occured at Rhoads Stadium
• Wallace is just the second Alabama freshman to hit an inside-the-park home run, joining Haylie McCleney in 2013

Alabama Inside-the-Park Home Runs

• Skylar Wallace - Feb. 23, 2019 vs. Missouri State
• Merris Schroder - Feb. 9, 2018 vs. Lamar
• Haylie McCleney - Feb. 9, 2013 vs. Drake
• Ryan Iamurri - March 2, 2012 vs. Maryland
• Brittany Rogers - May 16, 2008 vs. Jacksonville State
• Brittany Rogers - Feb. 17, 2007 vs. Toledo
• Leah White - Feb. 13, 2004 vs. Lipscomb

ALABAMA MOVES TO TOP FIVE IN WEEK THREE USA SOFTBALL POLL

• Alabama softball moved up to No. 5 in this week's ESPN.com/USA Softball poll while remaining at No. 6 for the second straight week in the USA Today/NFCA poll
• Alabama is one of four undefeated teams in the top 10 and is the second-highest ranked SEC team, trailing only Florida (3/3)
• Other top-10 SEC teams include Tennessee (7/7), Georgia (8/8) and LSU (10/9)

 

[UA Press Release]

Alabama Shuts Out UAB, 8-0, Wednesday in Birmingham - Alabama Athletics

Alabama posted its seventh shutout of the season Wednesday night over UAB, defeating the Blazers 8-0 in six innings.

rolltide.com

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama posted its seventh shutout of the season Wednesday night over UAB, defeating the Blazers 8-0 in six innings.

Alabama (16-0) scored in five of the six innings it came to the plate against UAB (8-8), including a four-run second inning. The win marks the seventh shutout of the season for the Crimson Tide and its seventh run-rule win. Three players had multi-hit performances, including a pair of home runs from junior Bailey Hemphill. Freshman Skylar Wallace went 2-for-3, hitting her second home run of the season, and senior Reagan Dykes tallied her third two-hit performance of the season. In the circle, junior Sarah Cornell (5-0) went the distance for the shutout victory, striking out five.

After a pair of first-pitch outs in the top of the first, Hemphill blasted a solo home run to the parking lot past left field to give Alabama the 1-0 lead. Sophomore Maddie Morgan and Wallace led off the top of the second with back-to-back singles and junior Claire Jenkins battled through a long at-bat to load the bases with nobody out. An RBI groundout made it 2-0 and a failed rundown attempt in between third and home in the next at-bat stretched it to 3-0. With runners now at the corners and one out, a deep fly ball to the warning track in center was dropped, allowing one to score on the error before a passed ball brought another home to make it 5-0.

In the top of the third, Wallace crushed a one-out solo home run off the scoreboard in right field as the lead increased to 6-0. A double, hit-by-pitch and single loaded the bases for Alabama with one out in the top of the fifth and another walk to senior Merris Schroder tacked on a run to make it 7-0.

In the top of the sixth, Hemphill hit her second home run of the day, another solo home run to nearly the same spot as her first-inning long ball. Leading by eight heading to the bottom of the sixth, UAB needed to score a run to avoid the run-rule loss. The Blazers hit back-to-back singles with one out but a fly ball and strikeout ended the game with the Tide claiming the run-rule victory.

Next up, Alabama returns home to host the Easton Crimson Classic March 1-3 at Rhoads Stadium. The Tide will play five games over three days against Michigan State, Southern Miss and Saint Francis.