⚾ 🥎 Black and Gold Tournament-#9 Bama falls to #11 Baylor-- Bama 3-1 in B&G tourney

[UA Press Release]

THIS WEEKEND: BLACK AND GOLD INVITATIONAL
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Southern Miss Softball Complex

Friday, Feb. 16

• vs. Southern Miss (2-4) – 1 p.m. CT

Saturday, Feb. 17

• vs. No. 24/RV McNeese State (4-0) – 1 p.m. CT
• vs. Mississippi Valley State (0-4) – 4 p.m. CT

Sunday, Feb. 18

• vs. No. 11/12 Baylor (3-0) – 1 p.m. CT

SCOUTING ALABAMA

• Alabama is 3-0 to start the season with three shutout victories last weekend. The Crimson Tide opened play with a 1-0 win at South Alabama before defeating Penn State, 10-0, and Lamar, 13-0, at the Sand Dollar Classic in Gulf Shores, Ala. Alabama was scheduled to play two additional games but inclement weather forced the final day of tournament play to be canceled.
• All three of Alabama's pitchers tossed complete-game shutouts on opening weekend. Senior Alexis Osoriowent the distance against South Alabama, fanning eight batters while allowing just three hits. Freshman Madison Preston allowed only one hit in her Crimson Tide debut against Penn State, while junior Courtney Gettins took it one step further in her first game in crimson and white, throwing a no-hitter against Lamar.
• Sophomore Bailey Hemphill led the Tide at the plate, going 4-6 (.667) last week with four RBI. Sophomore Gabby Callaway drove in a team-leading five runs with junior Merris Schroder close behind at three, all of which came on an inside-the-park home run against Lamar.
• Alabama is ranked No. 9 in both national polls this week. The Tide will face two ranked teams this weekend in No. 24/RV McNeese State on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT and No. 11/12 Baylor on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.

Baylor
The Lady Bears enter this weekend 3-0 after sweeping the series with Northwestern State, 8-0, 8-4, 4-1. Baylor went 45-14 last year making their fourth World Series appearance. Baylor had appearances in 2007, 2011, 2014, and 2017 making regional appearances 12 times over the last 14 seasons.

McNeese
The Cowgirls opened the season with a home tournament with Tulsa, Virginia, Southern and Houston Baptist. McNeese picked up two wins over Virginia and two wins over preseason ranked #20 Tulsa. The Cowgirls come in to this weekend with a 4-1 record after dropping a midweek matchup with LA Tech 8-7 on Wednesday. McNeese cracked the top 25 this week landing at #24 in the NFCA.com rankings.

Mississippi Valley State
The Devilettes enter the tournament 0-4, after dropping games against Missouri State, Nebraska at Omaha, and two versus the Bulldogs of Mississippi State. Mississippi Valley State went 13-33 last year in the SWAC.

 

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[UA Press Release]

Alabama Softball Opens Week Two with 11-1 Win Over Southern Miss Friday

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Alabama softball opened play at the Black and Gold Invitational Friday with a convincing 11-1 win over the host Southern Miss Golden Eagles.

Ninth-ranked Alabama (4-0) took a three-run lead in the top of the second over Southern Miss (2-5) and then added some cushion later with four-run fifth and sixth innings to build an 11-run lead. The Golden Eagles avoided the shutout with a lone run in the bottom of the sixth but the Tide held on to win, 11-1.

Alabama hit three home runs, the most in a game since the April 1 win at Missouri last season and it is the first time at least three different players hit a home run since the 2017 season opener against Towson. Junior Caroline Hardy led the offense with a career day at the plate, going 3-3 with a career-high three RBI, including a two-run home run in the second inning. Senior Peyton Grantham also had a three-hit day at the plate, scoring twice and driving in two runs. Additional home runs came off the bats of sophomore Claire Jenkins and junior Merris Schroder in back-to-back at-bats in the fifth inning.

In the circle, senior Alexis Osorio (2-0) threw 5.0 shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out nine, and freshman Madison Preston tossed a scoreless fifth inning. Southern Miss starter Jillian Johnson (0-1) took the loss, lasting just 2.0 innings.

After leaving two on base in the top of the first, Alabama scored early in the top of the second. Grantham led off the inning with a single up the middle and Hardy followed with a no-doubt home run to straightaway center as the Tide pulled ahead 2-0. Jenkins drew a four-pitch walk and Schroder was hit by a pitch to turn it back to the top of the order, and sophomore Elissa Brown laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the pair into scoring position. Freshman Maddie Morgan fired a line drive to center field, allowing Jenkins to tag up at score on the sacrifice fly and make it 3-0 before a groundout ended the half-inning.

Grantham and Hardy tallied their second hits of the day in the top of the third, putting runners at the corners but the Tide could not score in the half-inning. Southern Miss earned its first hit of the day in the bottom half of the inning, leading off with a single and walk before two strikeouts and a groundout ended the inning to keep the score at 3-0.

With senior pinch-runner Rachel Bobo at second base and two out in the top of the fifth, Hardy pulled a hard-hit single through the left side, scoring Bobo to extend Alabama's lead to 4-0. Jenkins followed that with a towering home run down the left field line, plating two to make it a 6-0 game. Schroder followed that with a solo home run to center field before a popup ended the half-inning with Alabama now leading 7-0.

With two on and one out in the top of the sixth, junior Reagan Dykes reached on an infield single and Morgan rounded third to score on a fielding error to make it 8-0. Later with two in scoring position, Grantham dropped a single into shallow center field, scoring both as she advanced to second on the throw with the score now 10-0. On a ground ball later in the inning, Grantham advanced to third and then made a heads-up break for home on a slow double play attempt, sliding under the tag to make it 11-0.

In the bottom of the sixth, the first two runners reached base safely for Southern Miss and a fielding error on a double play attempt allowed the Golden Eagles to plate its first run of the day. That would be the only run of the day for Southern Miss, as the inning ended with the score 11-1 Alabama.

Alabama continues play at the Black and Gold Invitational Saturday, facing No. 24 McNeese State (4-1) at 1 p.m. CT and Mississippi Valley State (0-4) at 4 p.m. CT.

Alabama Softball Opens Week Two with 11-1 Win Over Southern Miss Friday - Alabama Athletics

 

[UA Press Release]

Alabama Softball Improves to 6-0 with Two Wins Saturday in Hattiesburg

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Alabama softball remains undefeated on the young season, earning two convincing wins Saturday at the Black and Gold Invitational against McNeese, 11-1, and Mississippi Valley State, 11-0.

Alabama (6-0) scored 11 runs in each game, holding McNeese (5-3) to just one run while blanking Mississippi Valley State (0-6), the Crimson Tide's fourth shutout of the season. Freshman Kaylee Tow had a stellar day at the plate, going a combined 3-5 between the two games with a three-run home run against the Cowgirls and an RBI triple against the Devilettes. Tow's home run was one of four on the day for Alabama, with additional long balls coming from junior Reagan Dykes, senior Peyton Grantham and sophomore Claire Jenkins.

Junior Courtney Gettins (2-0) earned her second win of the season with a 5.0-inning effort against McNeese, allowing just one run on three hits and freshman Madison Preston (2-0) nearly threw a no-hitter against MVSU, allowing two late hits in the fifth inning but otherwise holding the Devilettes scoreless.

GAME ONE: ALABAMA 11, MCNEESE 1 (5 INN.)
After two hitless innings at the plate, Alabama led off the bottom of the third with three-straight hits to quickly load the bases. Sophomore Bailey Hemphill lifted a high fly ball to left field, allowing junior Merris Schroder to tag up and score on the sacrifice fly. Sophomore Gabby Callaway then bounced a double off the wall in center field, scoring Tow from second to make it 2-0.

Following Callaway's double, Grantham turned on the first pitch of her at-bat, bouncing the ball off the scoreboard for a three-run home run to make it 5-0. Two batters later, Jenkins blasted a solo shot to center field to stretch the lead to 6-0 and McNeese made a pitching change. Freshman Amber Coons got the Cowgirls out of the inning, forcing a popup as the Tide took a six-run lead to the fourth inning.

In the top of the fifth with two in scoring position and one out, McNeese scratched a run across with an RBI groundout to cut Alabama's lead to 6-1. In the bottom half of the inning with the bases loaded for the Tide, Dykes knocked a two-run single up the middle to make it 8-1 and Tow ended it with a three-run home run to center field as Alabama took home the 11-1 run-rule victory.

GAME TWO: ALABAMA 11, MVSU 0 (5 INN.)
A pair of walks and a bunt single quickly loaded the bases for Alabama in the bottom of the first and another walk to junior Caroline Hardy moved everyone up 60 feet to plate the Tide's first run of the day. The carousel continued with a walk and hit-by-pitch before MVSU was forced to make a pitching change trailing 3-0 with nobody out. Another bases-loaded walk made it 4-0 and an RBI single from senior Carrigan Fain increased it to 5-0. Sophomore Elissa Brown then dropped a two-run single into shallow center, pushing the lead to 7-0. A pair of strikeouts and a popup eventually got the Devilettes out of the inning facing a seven-run deficit.

Junior Caroline Hardy led off the second inning with a single and Grantham bounced a double off the wall in left center to put two in scoring position with nobody out. Jenkins then blasted a long fly ball to center field and Hardy tagged up to score on the sacrifice fly and make it 8-0. In the bottom of the third, Brown laid down a bunt single and advanced to second on a throwing error before coming home on an RBI triple from Tow to make it 9-0. Fellow freshman KB Sides ripped a hard-hit single through the right side to score Tow and give Alabama a double-digit lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, Dykes entered to pinch hit and blasted a solo home run to center field, increasing the lead to 11-0. In the top of fifth, MVSU broke up Preston's no-hit bid with a one-out single down the left-field line, and would eventually load the bases with one out. A strikeout and groundout would end the game and preserve the shutout, as Alabama won 11-0.

Alabama concludes its weekend at the Black and Gold Invitational Sunday with a ranked matchup against No. 11/12 Baylor (5-0).

Alabama Softball Improves to 6-0 with Two Wins Saturday in Hattiesburg - Alabama Athletics

 

[UA Press Release]

Ninth-Ranked Alabama Softball Takes First Loss of 2018 Season, Falling 2-1 to 11th-Ranked Baylor

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Facing a one-run deficit in the seventh inning, ninth-ranked Alabama put two in scoring position with one out but could not complete the rally as 11th-ranked Baylor handed the Crimson Tide its first loss of the 2018 season, 2-1, Sunday at the Black and Gold Invitational.

Alabama (6-1) battled to the very end in a close contest against Baylor (7-0), taking an early two-run deficit in the first inning before cutting it in half on a solo home run from freshman Kaylee Tow in the third inning. Back-to-back singles from junior Caroline Hardy and sophomore Claire Jenkins along with some heads-up baserunning put two in scoring position for the Tide in the seventh inning, but the Bears tiptoed out of danger with a strikeout and popup to end the game.

Alabama tallied four hits on the day against Baylor starter Gia Rodini (3-0), who earned the complete-game victory while Tide starter Alexis Osorio (2-1) took the tough complete-game loss in the circle, striking out five.

Baylor threatened early in the bottom of the first, with a double, walk and sac bunt putting two in scoring position with one out. A strikeout went for out number two before Carlee Wallace drove both runners in on a tough infield single. A walk put another runner on but a strikeout ended the inning and limited the damage to two runs. Baylor hit a two-out single in the bottom of the second but the runner was caught stealing in the next at-bat on a great throw and catch from junior Reagan Dykes to freshman Maddie Morgan to keep it a two-run game.

Alabama's first hit of the day was a big one, as Tow went opposite field with a solo home run in the top of the third inning to cut the deficit to 2-1. Baylor had two on and one out in the bottom half of the inning, but senior Peyton Grantham scooped up a hard grounder, tagged third and firing over to first for a 5-3 double play to end the inning.

The Bears led off the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back singles and, following a strikeout, Jenkins fielded a grounder up the middle, touched second and threw to first for an inning-ending double play. Sophomore Elissa Brownled off the top of the sixth with an infield single and then slid under a close tag attempt at second on a stolen base in the next at-bat. A strikeout went for out number one and a groundout moved Brown up to third base but a second strikeout ended the inning and stranded Brown 60 feet away as it remained a 2-1 lead for Baylor.

The Bears could not add to its one-run lead in the bottom of the sixth and the Tide put the potential tying run on base with a one-out single from Hardy in the top of the seventh. With senior Rachel Bobo pinch-running at first base, Jenkins pulled a one-out single through the left side, advancing to second on the throw as Bobo slid into third. A called strikeout and popup would end the rally attempt however, as the Bears held on to take the narrow 2-1 victory over the Tide.

Next weekend, Alabama makes its home debut, hosting the Easton Bama Bash Feb. 23-25 at Rhoads Stadium. The Tide will play five games over three days, welcoming Georgia State, Northern Iowa and No. 8/6 Florida State.

Ninth-Ranked Alabama Softball Takes First Loss of 2018 Season, Falling 2-1 to 11th-Ranked Baylor - Alabama Athletics

 

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same old same old every time face decent pitcher no offense can`t hit
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[18Champs]

same old same old every time face decent pitcher no offense can`t hit
``

This is one confusing observation. A team faces a good pitcher, one from one of the top ranked teams in the country, and you're complaining about a team trying to hit a good pitcher?

 

[TerryP]

same old same old every time face decent pitcher no offense can`t hit
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You realize they fielded four players where two of them were true frosh and two had very little experience, right? It's exhibition ball where Murph is experimenting with lineups and getting younger players playing time. Half of the lineup were sophomores and freshman.

You're right, it's the "same old, same old" because he's done this with his younger players every year he's been here.