So, this is who Alabama softball is now? Dominated by… South Carolina? For the third time in four meetings, the Crimson Tide was defeated by the Gamecocks. The perennial doormat team appears to be on the rise, while Bama is stuck in the mud.
SOUTH CAROLINA 6, ALABAMA 2
Yet again, it was Audrey Vandagriff getting the engine running in the opening frame when she led off the game with a solo home run.
Lauren Johnson walked and would eventually come around to score on a fielder’s choice. The Cocks’ pitcher made a diving stop on a Salen Hawkins groundball back to the circle. Her throw would’ve been in time to the plate, but the catcher dropped the ball and LoJo scored.
And that was it for the offense.
SC got one back in the bottom of the inning off inconsistent Bama starter Catelyn Riley on a bases loaded fielder’s choice. It could have been a lot worse, but The Tide held a precarious 2-1 lead.
Carolina put two on in the 2nd, but could not score. In the 3rd, the Gamecocks tied the game with a one-out RBI double. Jocelyn Briski relieved Riley to start the 4th and hurled a 1-2-3 frame. But the 5th inning was a different story.
I dunno, Murph. Ya think maybe pitch around the girl who already has 14 dingers on the season in a tied game?
In the bottom of the 6th, Briski served up another two-run homer to make it 6-2. Emily Winstead pitched out the rest of the inning.
In the top of the 7th inning, The Gut® went buck-wild. Mari Hubbard pinch hit for ice cold Brooke Ellestad and doubled. Gutty McGutterson (patent pending) was absolutely thrilled with his genius move and proceeded to pinch hit the next three batters in favor of scrubs. PH-ing for Ellestad is understandable. The Tide’s starting third baseman hasn’t had a hit since the Mizzou series. But to hit Kennedy Marceaux for Abby Duchscherer seemed like a mistake. Marceaux grounded out. Alexis Pupillo struck out for Riley Valentine and Kendall Clark struck out for Larissa Preuitt.
NOTES:
- Five hits for the Tide and only ONE walk. As a team, Alabama has the least number of walks on the season among SEC teams.
- In the top of the 2nd, Preuitt tried to stretch a single into a double and was thrown out at second base. Whose bright idea was that? Preuitt? Murphy? Braud?
- Ellestad’s BA has dropped from .326 to .299 in the span of five games. Yet she has not had an error since April 5. It’s a Sophie’s choice. Do you keep her for her defense or put in someone who can hit?
SCHEDULE
The Crimson Tide sits and waits on their NCAA Tournament assignment that will be announced on Sunday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
TWO CENT ANALYSIS (one cent for every run Bama got)
That was a poor performance. Defense was sharp as it has been of late, but the batting was flaccid. We thought that maybe Briski and the pitching staff were getting over their woes. Now, it’s like they are back to square one.
Alabama will undoubtedly participate in the NCAA Tournament. The question is where they will be placed. Before the SECT began, the Tide was ranked 15/16/20/20. Their RPI sits at No. 18. Will the nameless faceless Selection Committee once again gift this team with a Top 16 seed and role as a Regional host?
