Alabama
UAB
Alabama Softball Faces UAB Tuesday in Birmingham
2/26/2018 4:13:00 PM | Softball
THIS WEEK: #10/13 ALABAMA (9-1) AT UAB (6-9)
Birmingham, Ala. – Mary Bowers Field
Tuesday, Feb. 27 – 6 p.m. CT
SCOUTING ALABAMA
- Alabama is 9-2 heading into week four after a 3-1 weekend at the Easton Bama Bash, defeating Georgia State and Northern Iowa while splitting a pair of games against ninth-ranked Florida State.
- The Tide is now 2-2 this season facing ranked teams. In each game, Alabama has held the opposing team to three or fewer runs.
- The Crimson Tide is hitting .333 as a team, which ranks third in the SEC. Its .523 slugging percentage ranks second and its .436 on-base percentage ranks fourth. Alabama is one of five SEC teams with a team ERA under 1.00 and has allowed the fewest earned runs (9) and total runs (11) and second-fewest hits (39). On defense, Alabama's .983 fielding percentage trails only Florida's .984 among SEC teams.
- Alabama is ranked No. 10 in last week's USA Today/NFCA poll and No. 13 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. Alabama has played four games against ranked opponents so far this season with two more due up this weekend against top-ranked Washington.
LAST TIME OUT: EASTON BAMA BASH
- Alabama went 3-1 last weekend in its home debut at the Easton Bama Bash. The Tide earned two wins on Friday, defeating Georgia State, 5-1, and ninth-ranked Florida State, 3-0. On Saturday, Alabama split its two games with an 11-3 win over Northern Iowa and a 3-1 loss to the Seminoles. Sunday's scheduled game against Georgia State was canceled due to inclement weather.
- The Tide opened its weekend with a 5-1 win over Georgia State on Friday. The Panthers grabbed an early 1-0 lead on an Alabama throwing error but senior Peyton Grantham quickly put the Tide back in front with a two-run home run. An RBI single from freshman Kaylee Tow and a two-run double from sophomore Gabby Callaway would tally the final runs of the day for Alabama. Defensively, freshman Maddie Morgan tied an Alabama record with nine assists in the game.
- In a top-10 matchup against Florida State Friday night, senior Alexis Osorio was masterful in the circle, throwing a complete-game shutout with a season-high 10 strikeouts as Alabama won, 3-0. A first-inning RBI groundout from sophomore Bailey Hemphill scored the first run of the game and a fourth-inning RBI single from junior Reagan Dykes doubled the lead to 2-0. The final run of the game came on a sacrifice fly from Callaway in the fifth inning, scoring senior Demi Turner from third following her leadoff triple in the inning.
- Alabama posted its sixth run-rule victory of the season Saturday against Northern Iowa, defeating the Panthers, 11-3, in six innings. The visitors scored a pair of runs in the first inning and led 2-0 until the bottom of the second, when the Tide answered with four runs to move in front 4-2. The Tide added some cushion in the third and fourth innings on two hits from sophomore Bailey Hemphill, an RBI single and three-run double to lead 8-2. UNI would scratch across an unearned run in the fifth but sophomore Claire Jenkins and freshman Kyra Lockhart would combine to drive in three runs in the bottom of the sixth to end the game, 11-3.
- The Tide fell in its final game of the weekend to the Seminoles, 3-1. Solo home runs in the second and third innings gave Florida State a two-run lead and an RBI single in the fifth stretched it to 3-0. Alabama drew back within two on an RBI single from senior Sydney Booker in the fifth and, in the bottom of the seventh with a runner on second and two out, a hit-by-pitch and infield single would load the bases for Alabama. A popup in foul territory ended the rally, as the Tide fell 3-1.
OSORIO NAMED SEC CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Senior pitcher Alexis Osorio's complete-game shutout over ninth-ranked Florida State helped the Riverside, Calif., native capture Co-Pitcher of the Week honors from the Southeastern Conference, it was announced Monday.
This week's award is the first this season for Osorio and the fifth of her career. Overall, Alabama has won SEC Pitcher of the Week 38 times in program history.
Osorio pitched just one game this week but made the most of her lone start, throwing a complete-game shutout over ninth-ranked Florida State Friday night in Tuscaloosa. It was just the second time the Seminoles have been shut out this season and the most times they had been struck out, as Osorio fanned a season-high 10 batters. Only two of Florida State's seven baserunners in the game made it to scoring position.
The 3-0 win improved Osorio's season record to 3-1, owning a 0.56 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 25.0 innings pitched. The game pushed her career strikeout total to 866 as she continues to charge towards the 1,000-strikeout milestone at Alabama.
BROWN AMONG TIDE ELITE IN STOLEN BASES
Sophomore Elissa Brown stole three bases in Saturday's game against Florida State, the second game of her career with three stolen bases. She is just the sixth player in program history to have three or more stolen bases in multiple career games.
Career Games With 3+ Stolen Bases
- Kayla Braud (2010-13): 11
- Brittany Rogers (2006-09): 7
- Jennifer Fenton (2009-12): 5
- Kelly Kretschman (1998-2001): 5
- Haylie McCleney (2013-16): 3
- Elissa Brown (2017-pres.): 2
MORGAN TIES SINGLE-GAME ASSISTS RECORD
Freshman Maddie Morgan got plenty of glove work in Friday's win over Georgia State, fielding nine assists at second base. This ties the single-game school record originally set by Staci Ramsey in 2003.
Single-Game Assists at Alabama
- Maddie Morgan vs. Georgia State (2/23/18): 9
- Staci Ramsey at South Carolina (4/19/03): 9
- Kelley Montalvo vs. Memphis (2/7/09): 8
- Kelly Kretschman at Ole Miss (4/9/99): 8
- Kelly Kretschman vs. LSU (5/9/98): 8
- Christy Kyle at Arkansas (3/15/97): 8
OSORIO APPROACHING 1,000 CAREER STRIKEOUTS
Senior Alexis Osorio is approaching a rare milestone at Alabama, as she is just 134 strikeouts away from the 1,000th of her career. She would be just the fourth player in program history to hit the 1,000 strikeout mark and the first since Kelsi Dunne (2008-11). Currently she sits at fifth all-time at Alabama, just 110 away from passing Jaclyn Traina (2011-14).
Alabama Career Strikeout Leaders
- Kelsi Dunne (2008-11): 1,219
- Stephanie VanBrakle (2003-06): 1,113
- Shelley Laird (1999-2002): 1,045
- Jaclyn Traina (2011-14): 976
- Alexis Osorio (2015-pres.): 866
UP NEXT
Alabama travels to Seattle, Wash., for the Husky Classic, hosted by Washington. There, the Tide will play two games against the top-ranked Huskies as well as BYU, Portland State and Northwestern starting Friday, March 2.
