It was heartbreak for Team29 as they lost both of their games on Friday in Clearwater.
And these were supposed to be the easy ones…
GAME 1: SAN DIEGO STATE 4, ALABAMA 1
Bama Lineup:
In theory, starting four lefties followed by four righties is not optimal. But you have to go with what is working.
LF Audrey Vandagriff L
RF Larissa Preuitt L
SS Brooke Ellestad L
DP Alexis Pupillo L
3B Mari Hubbard R
C Riley Valentine R
2B Kali Heivilin R
1B Abby Duchscherer R
CF Kristen White L
The Crimson Tide got going early with Audrey Vandagriff doing what she does best in singling and naturally stealing second base to start the game. A ground out moved the fab freshman to third and she scored on a Brooke Ellestad single. And then the next 8 Alabama batters produced nothing but outs.
Starting Tide pitcher Catelyn Riley was humming along until the 4th when she hit a batter with two outs. Two Aztec singles later would knot the score at 1-1.
The Bama hitting drought ended in the 4th when Ellestad singled, but she was erased on Alexis Pupillo grounding into double play.
SDSU took the lead in the top of the 5th on a single and a double. In the bottom of that same frame, Kali Heivilin tripled with one out and Abby Duchscherer was hit by pitch. But those two base runners were left stranded at their stations.
After getting two ground outs in the top of the 6th inning, Riley allowed a pair of singles and coach Patrick Murphy had seen enough. Emily Winstead came in to get the last out of the inning. Pupillo hit a two out double in the bottom or the inning but was left standing there.
Alea Johnson entered the fray in the 7th but struggled to find the strike zone. She walked the only two batters she faced. Desperate Murphy brought in Jocelyn Briski and she got an out, but walked the bases loaded. A fielder’s choice scored one (below) and a sac fly converted another. Two runs would cross the plate without the benefit of a hit.
Bama did a whole lot of nothing in the bottom of the frame and fell to 4-2 on the season.
GAME 2: LIBERTY 7, ALABAMA 6
Bama Lineup:
LF Audrey Vandagriff L
RF Larissa Preuitt L
3B Brooke Ellestad L
1B Alexis Pupillo L
C Marlie Giles R
2B Kali Heivilin R
DP Kennedy Marceaux R
SS Salen Hawkins R
CF Lauren Johnson R
Once again, Vandagriff singled to lead off the game. But the early threat disappeared when Ellestad grounded into double play. In the 2nd, the first two batters singled but were left there.
Libby also had two singles in the bottom of the 2nd, but unlike the Tide, they made something of it. A triple and single gave the Flamers an early 3-0 advantage.
It is hard to understand why with a lefty at the plate that the Alabama left fielder was playing so far over to the left. Also, Lauren Johnson had a sad and unsuccessful attempt to cut that ball off. Kristen White, who started the game off on the bench, probably would have gotten to that ball and held the runner at second base or would have thrown her out.
Alabama struck back in the 3rd after Pupillo singled in a pair of runners who had walked ahead of her. The Crimson Tide would then take the lead in the 4th. After three UA singles tied the game 3-3, Libby made a pitching change and Larissa Preuitt greeted the new pitcher with a 2-RBI single to center field.
Up 5-3 in the 6th, Alabama had a chance to put the game away when the first two Tide batters singled, but the Tide could not advance the runners.
In the bottom of the frame, everything fell to pieces for starter Jocelyn Briski. A single and a throwing error by Salen Hawkins put two in scoring position. The next two Flamers singled to tie the game at 5-5. Catelyn Riley relieved Briski and got one out but then gave up a single that plated two more runs for a two run advantage.
In the 7th, Marlie Giles hit a one-out triple and scored on a ground out. However, the Tide would get no more and lose 7-6.
NOTES
- Alabama now has a two-game losing streak to Liberty going back to the ill-fated late season midweek trip to West Virginia two season ago.
- Somehow, Savannah Woodard is still at Liberty after leaving Alabama two years ago. She was 1 for 4 with an RBI in the leadoff spot. Her batting average sits at solid .393.
- Abby Duchscherer is still hitless on the season.
- It’s gonna be a loooong season.
UPCOMING ALABAMA SCHEDULE
Oh, the humanity.
- Saturday, Feb 15 vs Ohio State 9am/10am ESPN+
- Saturday, Feb 15 vs UCLA** 3pm/4pm ESPNU
- Sunday, Feb 16 vs Oklahoma State** 5pm/6pm ESPN
#RollTide #Team29
