Alabama Crimson Tide Softball Gorges on Cupcakes

You have to give Team 29 some credit. They play hard and do so with enthusiasm. But they still have yet to defeat a team that is of SEC caliber. Now at this point, you are probably pointing fingers at wins over Washington and a split with Va Tech. But the truth is that the Huskies are a mess (14-7) and the Hokies are rather meh. Both teams resemble the Tide and may be on the same level. That said, Alabama swept the weekend in mostly dominating fashion – but that is what was expected of them against these three creampuffs. In short, the message is: congrats on doing your job but don’t expect this same result for the rest of the season. Things get tougher from here on out.

GAME 1: ALABAMA 15, BIRMINGHAM U 1 (5 Inn. Run Rule)

Bama starter Jocelyn Briski got off to a rocky in the circle. With one out, the second Birmingham batter singled and then advanced to both second and third bases on wild pitches. After a four-pitch walk, third baseman Kennedy Marceaux committed a throwing error that scored a run. Briski settled down and struck out the next two batters.

The Dragons were probably hoping this was a one inning game after the Tide went down in order in the bottom of the 1st frame.

The 2nd inning was a different story when Alabama put a 3-spot on the scoreboard. Kali Heivilin produced the game’s only round-tripper.

A ten run 4th inning put this game out of reach. Bama tallied up 11 hits with three doubles and the dinger.

Briski tossed 4.0 innings, allowing only the one hit and an unearned run while whiffing seven. Alea Johnson pitched the 5th and ended the game on nine pitches.

But all was not rosy for the crimson and white as the defense committed three errors for the game. Marceaux had two and Heivilin had one.

GAME 2: ALABAMA 12, FURMAN 2 (5 Inn. Run Rule)

With Emily Winstead pitching, the Paladins struck first for a run in the top of the 2nd inning. Again it was a defense letdown when a walk and the throwing error by Mari Hubbard put two on with no outs. A sac bunt would move the runners up and a sac fly would get in a run.

Alabama again waited until the 2nd inning to get going in the nightcap. After loading the bases, a walk would plate one run. Lauren Johnson then had a big blow that cleared the bases.

Later in the inning, Hubbard singled in a pair. A throwing error followed by a passed ball would make the score 9-1 Bama after two.

Furman got one back in the 3rd on a walk and a double, which is strange because the Rainbow Unicorn Lollipop Brigade were so convinced after last weekend that Winstead was awesome.

Three more runs in the 4th made it 12-2.

Alea again closed it out, but this time she struck out the side – all swinging!

GAME 3: ALABAMA 7, SIUE 4

The Crimson Tide blew a chance for another Run Rule victory when the pitching fell to pieces and the bats fell asleep after three frames. Alabama scored seven on eight hits in the first three innings and decided that they could take it easy from there on. Bama had one hit after going up by a touchdown.

Catelyn Riley got the start on her Senior Day and had a no-hitter going through five. In the 6th with Bama still up 7-0 and one run short of the mercy rule, Sieuxsie Sieu and the Banshees mounted a rally. The first batter singled and was moved up on a sac bunt. Another single put runners on the corners. After an RBI ground out, a single and a walk loaded the bases. The fourth single of the inning plated two more. Riley was hooked in favor of Winstead who got the last out. But she did not fare so well in the 7th. The leadoff batter doubled and a sac fly moved her up a station. That base runner would score on a throwing error by Winstead (does Murphy teach his pitchers how to field their position??) Suddenly, it is a three run game with one out. The next two batters did not produce but this one was much closer than it should have been.

Not just the sketchy pitching was to blame. The offense put it in cruise control after the third inning. Three more errors for the Tide: Alexis Pupillo, Winstead, and Hubbard.

GAME 4: ALABAMA 8, FURMAN 0 (6 Inn. Run Rule)

Audrey Vandagriff broke out of a mini-slump (0-1, 0-2, 0-0) with a leadoff triple and then scored on a wild pitch in the 1st. Salen Hawkins walked and stole second in the 2nd. Kristen White beat out a throw on an infield single and Hawkins came around to score to make it 2-0 Bama.

Pupillo notched another run in the 3rd on a homer with nobody on base.

Vandagriff did the ol’ one-two to leadoff the 4th. Eventually, Lauren Johnson would end up at second and AV at third. Abby Duchscherer took advantage of the situation and doubled them both in. But the scoring didn’t end there. Brooke Ellestad would smash a ball over the center field wall to make it 7-0.

Bama picked up the clinching 8th run in the 6th on a trio of singles. Lotsa a small ball going on Saturday. Patrick Murphy must have been in heaven.

Alea Johnson got the start for the Tide and went 4.0 innings. She allowed two hits and two walks to go with 6 Ks. Briski pitched the final 2 frames with no hits allowed but did have a pair of walks in the 6th to go with two whiffs in the 5th.

GAME 5: ALABAMA 6, BIRMINGHAM U 3

Catelyn Riley got the start and, boy, did she have a rough beginning. After getting the first batter of the game out, the next two singled. The next Dragon hit a chopper to Riley’s right that she literally booted. She fielded it and had momentum to throw to third base for the force out but never secured the ball and kicked it into left field. 1-0 Dragons. With runners on second and third, the next batter knocked them in with a single.

In the bottom of the 1st, Vandagriff of course singled and stole second but was left stranded.

Winstead came in to pitch the 2nd inning and had no issues. In the bottom of that frame, Bama put runners on second and third with two outs. A Kristen White slap scored one, and a Vandagriff double scored another. A walk to Preuitt loaded the bases and a bases on balls to Pupillo tied the score at 3-3.

Winstead seemed to be doing fine but Briski started the 5th inning for some reason. (Gut®!) She was greeted with yet ANOTHER error by her teammates. This time it was Brooke Ellestad who had just moved over to third from shortstop to relieve Riley Valentine (Hawkins came in at short).

The game remained deadlocked until the 5th when Duchscherer doubled and a couple of ground outs put the Tide ahead. In the 6th, Vandagriff single-stole and advanced to third on a sac bunt. Pupillo followed up with a dinger.

Briski was looking rocky in the 7th up 6-3. The first batter singled. The next hit a rocket to right-centerfield but the lead runner was thrown out at the plate.

Despite the defensive effort, Murphy was not dumb enough to leave Briski in the game. Alea Johnson entered the game and struck out the final two batters for the save.

NOTES

• Alabama set a school record of six straight run rule victories in a row going back to last weekend.
• The Tide made some good defensive plays but also had EIGHT errors over the weekend. That is not going to fly come SEC play.
• After being hitless in the first three games (0-3, 3 walks), Vandagriff went 6 for 8 in the last two.
• Larissa Preuitt went 0 for 9 with 3 walks but did have some sac bunts to move runners up (mostly Vandagriff).
• Mari Hubbard had 4 hits in 8 at bats with 3 runs and 5 RBI, but also committed two errors at third base.
• Alexis Pupillo led the team with 7 RBI to go with a pair of four-baggers.
• There was no one dominating pitcher outside of Alea Johnson. But how will she do against the big dogs?

MVP

• DUCHSCHERER – 7 for 10 (.700), 3 DBL, 4 RUNS, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 0 K
• ALEA – 6.2 innings over 4 games, 2 hits allowed, 2 BB, 0 runs, 11 Ks.
• DUNCAN HINES

UPCOMING ALABAMA SCHEDULE

MIDWEEK ROAD TRIP

• Tuesday, Mar 4 at Samford 6pm/7pm Birmingham, AL – ESPN+

SPRING BREAK SHOWDOWN

The competition gets a little tougher. But the bigger story might be the return of the Prodigal Daughter, Alyson Habetz, back to Tuscaloosa.

• Friday, Mar 7 vs ULL 4pm/5pm Tuscaloosa, AL
• Friday, Mar 7 vs Iowa 6pm/7pm* Tuscaloosa, AL
• Saturday, Mar 8 vs Iowa 1pm/2pm Tuscaloosa, AL
• Saturday, Mar 8 vs ULL 3pm/4pm* Tuscaloosa, AL

* Doubtful that these games start on time.

HOW TO WATCH

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Alabama is not scheduled to have a game televised on regular TV until March 19 vs Florida State. In the meantime, keep shelling out that $12 a month to fill ESPN’s coffers.

#RollTide #Team29