⚾ 🥎 NCAA Super Regionals: Bama's season ends dropping GM 3 to Florida

[RTB X Bot]

 

[RTB X Bot]

 

[UA Press Release]

Alabama Softball Capitalizes on Fifth-Inning Miscues to Shut Out Florida, 3-0, in Super Regional Play Thursday


GAINESVILLE, Fla. – With two of the nation's best pitchers in the circle, Alabama softball and Florida were locked in a scoreless battle for 4.0 innings before the Tide executed some small-ball offense in the fifth inning and capitalized on two Gator errors to score three runs, which proved enough to win 3-0.

Alabama (46-16) was again led by a stellar pitching performance from Alexis Osorio (23-7), earning the complete-game shutout win while limiting No. 1-seeded Florida (53-8) to just three hits. Tide pitching has only allowed one run during the NCAA Tournament, including a current streak of 28.2 scoreless innings. Thursday's shutout was the 27th of the season for Alabama, which sets a new single-season school record.

Alabama scored all three of its runs in the top of the fifth, capitalizing on two throwing errors by Florida starter Kelly Barnhill (23-3) on a pair of sacrifice bunt attempts. The three runs scored are the most allowed by the Gators since its 3-1 loss to Florida State on May 3.

Florida got a pair of runners on base in both the first and second innings, but Alabama got out of the jam each time, doing so on a strikeout in the first and a pickoff at second base in the second. The Tide's leadoff single by Demi Turner in the top of the first would be its lone base runner until the fifth inning, as Barnhill retired 11-straight before Bailey Hemphill drew a leadoff walk in the top of the fifth.

With pinch-runner Mari Cranek on first base for Hemphill, Reagan Dykes laid down a bunt in the next at-bat and the throw to second was not in time which put two on base with nobody out. Chandler Dare followed with another bunt, attempting to move the runners into scoring position, but the throw to first sailed over the first baseman's head, allowing two runs to come home on the error and give Alabama a 2-0 lead. Another sac bunt attempt by Sydney Booker resulted in yet another throwing error, scoring Dare from second to make it 3-0.

Florida would load the bases with two out in the bottom of the fifth and Janell Wheaton would battle through a 12-pitch at bat but a fly ball to left would get Alabama out of the jam and keep it a 3-0 game. A pair of walks put two runners on base for Alabama to start the top of the sixth and that ended Barnhill's outing with right fielder Aleshia Ocasio moving into the circle to pitch. The junior righty got the Gators out of the tough spot with a lineout double play and a groundout as the score remained 3-0.

Alabama could not add to its three-run lead in the top of the seventh and Florida was quickly brought down to its final out with two strikeouts to start the bottom half of the inning. Amanda Lorenz drew a walk to extend the inning but a deep popup to second base ended it as the Tide held on to win, 3-0.

Game two of the best-of-three series is set for a 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT start on Friday, May 26 live on ESPN.

Alabama Softball Capitalizes on Fifth-Inning Miscues to Shut Out Florida, 3-0, in Super Regional Play Thursday

 

[TerryP]

Her last name Knoblach?

What you may not realize is that was one of the first cases of politics entering the softball arena since one of those errant throws hit Olberman's mom.

 

[18Champs]

Do we know if AO or SL pitches today?

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Baseball is so boring when its a pitchers duel ( to me).....but softball...wow..these girls..
Eventually Bama has to have some of those "almost" hits fall with runners on base...cant count on these pitchers to throw shutouts every time up...although they are doing it

 

[TerryP]

Do we know if AO or SL pitches today?

I'm guessing it is Sydney, but I've not seen anything official yet (haven't really looked.) I know last year can't be used as 100% indicator, but she did have a better ERA than Lexi did against the Gators when they faced each other in '16.

 

[BAMAneck]

I hope Sidney gets the start , show a little confidence in your senior pitcher.

I gotta hand it to u Terry P , you and your when Demi starts stat . I'm not sure we can bunt our way to a victory today but the aggression the girls played with yesterday was something I hadn't seen from them in a while .

The pitching will only get better though , hope The girls play for the win and not to try and not lose ... Go for it ladies .

 

[TerryP]

I'm not sure we can bunt our way to a victory today but the aggression

Sorry for the football analogy, but that was the equivalent of "we're going to run at you until you stop us." I'd seen the tendencies for pressure induced mistakes from Florida and it certainly reared its ugly head last night.

I'm still baffled how Barnhill wasn't getting illegal pitches called against her last night.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Terry ...curious..what was illegal?

 

[TerryP]

Terry ...curious..what was illegal?

It's her pitching form/motion. She's basically leaping, then planting, then the release. I'll leave the times I saw her leave the pitching lane alone for now--happened a few times last night.

But, in essence, that leap is putting here almost 2' feet close to the plate on the release. She's required to have contact with the ground at all times--and she wasn't a lot of the time last night. If you really want to get into specifics, that extra couple of feet translates to a quicker time required for the batter to react, it also means the ball is moving faster (mph) when it reaches the plate.

That's one of the home field advantages a softball coach has ... select/hiring your own umps.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

It's her pitching form/motion. She's basically leaping, then planting, then the release. I'll leave the times I saw her leave the pitching lane alone for now--happened a few times last night.

But, in essence, that leap is putting here almost 2' feet close to the plate on the release. She's required to have contact with the ground at all times--and she wasn't a lot of the time last night. If you really want to get into specifics, that extra couple of feet translates to a quicker time required for the batter to react, it also means the ball is moving faster (mph) when it reaches the plate.

That's one of the home field advantages a softball coach has ... select/hiring your own umps.

Never knew that...will watch for it tonight...
Thanks

 

[TerryP]

Never knew that...will watch for it tonight...

I hope we see her pitch again tonight. It's my thought Walton is going to start Gourley so if we do see Barnhill it'll likely mean Florida is in trouble.

 

[TerryP]

@50+yeartidefan

 

[18Champs]

can't stand gasso from ou
can't stand meyer from au
but this isn't a boring softball game

 

[TerryP]

I hope Sidney gets the start , show a little confidence in your senior pitcher.

She is. Starting Bobo in left field today.

 

[PurlJam]

Gave up a two run shot....gonna have to come from behind.

 

[bamabigdawg]

@TerryP you were not the only one wondering that last nite about Barnhill. i had around 5 or 6 friends that were asking the same thing. Almost every pitch she throws could be called illegal. Lorenz is the only batter that Florida has that can do anything right now but thats enough. Unless the bases are loaded tomorrow (less somehow bama comes back in this game) id intentionally walk her all game. Let Lexi handle the rest. It is amazing how much different the attitude of the girls seems when Demi is in the lineup though

 

[bamabigdawg]

and the ump just totally screwed Bama in that inning. Runyan may not be able to hit worth a crap anymore but she has an excellent eye and it should have been 2 on with no out. Changed the whole momentum of that inning. That pitch he called strike 2 was nowhere near the strikezone

 

[BAMAneck]

At least we hit the ball , unfortunately straight to people .... I thought Littlejohn done well only giving up 2 runs ...
You got to score runs to win and we should win if we only give up two runs . It looks as though at time they are deciding to swing before the pitch .