Alabama Crimson Tide Softball Plays Jekyll and Hyde vs Texas A&M Aggies

Alabama lost two of three to the Aggies in College Station.

GAME 1: TEXAS A&M 5, ALABAMA 4

Once again, Jocelyn Briski let the first batter she faced in the game reach base. However following that no-hitter break-up, she was mowing Aggies down for the first nine outs. Just like in the FSU game, she hit the 4th inning wall and gave up three singles and a walk – all with two outs. Fortunately, it only cost the Tide one run.

Bama scored one run in the top of the 3rd when Salen Hawkins doubled, Audrey Vandagriff singled, and Kali Heivilin picked up the RBI on a sac fly. But that is all the Tide could manage for that rally.

In the 5th, Marlie Giles made it all the way to third base on an outfield error. Hawkins again doubled to make it 2-1 Bama. But this time Vandagriff did not follow up with a single.

Man. did she crush that one.

Despite a 4-1 advantage, Briski started to crumble. In the bottom of 5th, she again let the leadoff batter single. That runner would eventually come around to score. In the 6th, it was deja vu all over again when the leadoff hitter smoked a ball over the left field fence.

The next TAMU batter singled and the day was over for Briski. But her stats for the game were not. Patrick Murphy brought in Alea Johnson – and more deja vu – she gave up a leadoff dinger to the first batter she faced. And then got three outs with no problem! Eerily similar to what happened in the FSU game.

NOTES:

• The problem seems to lie in Patrick Murphy’s inability to come up with a way to manage his pitching staff. He is clearly going all in on Jocelyn Briski, as his No. 1 pitcher, but he needs to come to terms with the fact that she is not a seven inning pitcher. Not yet at least. She also is not a Osario-Fouts-Beaver type pitcher who can go 15-17 innings a weekend, but that is the Gut® fantasy.
• As for the bullpen, Murphy has a tendency to go back to a reliever that he just used in a previous game instead of spreading it around which seems to have more success. In addition to that, he needs to make pitching substitutions at the beginning of innings – instead of willy-nilly changes in the middle of an inning – to help his pitchers better prepare to enter a game. There is a big psychological difference in the two situations.
• Vandagriff’s amazing game went to waste. She got on base on all four at bats with two singles, a walk and a homer. She also added two more stolen bases. Hawkins made her two doubles count. Two other Tide players had singles and that was it for the Bama offense.
• No errors for Alabama.

GAME 2: ALABAMA 2, TEXAS A&M 1

Audrey Vandagriff is simply amazing. The true freshman is winning games by herself. It didn’t take long for her to get into the heads of her opponents. On Saturday, she led off the game with a ground ball misplayed at first base for an error. Vandagriff, as she is wont to do, then swiped second base and took third on an errant throw. A sac fly by Larissa Preuitt made it an early 1-0 lead for the Tide.

Not to be outdone, TAMU’s second batter singled off Bama starter Catelyn Riley and proceeded to steal second AND third bases on Marlie Giles (more on that in a moment*). On the play, Giles threw down to second instead of ahead of the runner to third. That runner would come in to score on a ground out to knot it up. Granted it was a mistake, but that is something that coaches should have taught her by now.

Alabama loaded the bases in the top of the 3rd inning, but Alexis Pupillo struck out swinging to end the threat (more on that below**).

Though she gave up a hit in each of the first three innings, Riley and Alabama were clinging to the 1-1 tie. That changed in the 4th when batting for herself, the Crimson Tide pitcher stroked a ball over dead center field for a 2-1 advantage.

Riley would be relieved by Mary Elizabeth Emily Winstead entering the bottom of the 4th and she hurled a 1-2-3 inning.

*Giles seems like a really nice person, a good leader, and is a good hitter. But she is not the strongest of catchers. While it is unclear why she was substituted for Riley Valentine in the 4th inning, the move paid immediate dividends as Valentine threw out one of the faster Aggies trying to steal second base in the 5th inning. It was such a strong throw that she made it look easy.

Of note, the next batter doubled but A&M would not score.

Winstead had a rocky 5th inning, allowing a single and a double, but got out of the jam. After getting one out in the 6th on one pitch, Murphy did that weird thing where he makes a pitching change after one batter. This time it worked out as Briski struck out the next two Aggs. She would finish out the game and pick up her first save of the season.

NOTES:

• **Pupillo came out of the game after striking out with the bases loaded in the 2nd inning. It is an unusual move so early in the game. Since Murphy is determined to keep team info locked up in a vault, we are left to speculate: 1) She injured herself; 2) Pup is a fiery competitor – and I love her for that. Did she react to the strikeout in a way that Murphy did not approve? 3) The Gut® had a feeling that Kristen White was due to hit the first home run of her career (that last one needed a sarcasm font).
• Murphy blessed Lauren Johnson with a pinch hitting appearance. She singled, advancing a runner to second, but the Tide failed to score in that frame. See ya in another week, LoJo.
• Vandagriff stole her 40th base of the year, moving her into a tie for 10th place in Alabama single-season history. She was the only Tide player with two hits on the day.
• Look what happens when you have no errors!

GAME 3: GAME 1: TEXAS A&M 9, ALABAMA 7

Briski again started and – surprise sruprsie – she struggled in the 1st inning. The Tide pitcher beaned the second and third batters of the game. One TAMU run would score on a single.

Preuitt tied it up in the 3rd on a solo home run to right field.

But the Aggies answered right back in the bottom of the 3rd on a leadoff double, a walk and a couple of ground outs.

Murphy was really pushing it by putting Winstead back out there a second day in a row. A&M put two on base via single and HBP, and those two Aggs were doubled in to make it 4-1. For some weird-ass reason, Murphy sent Winstead back out there in the 4th and she immediately gave up a single. As he does, Murphy pulled her in favor of Riley. But she did not fare much better as the first batter she face singled. Another single loaded the bases for the home team. Riley generously donated a run to the Aggie cause on a wild pitch. A sixth run crossed the plate on a sac fly.

So you are down 6-1 in the 6th inning. Who would you want coming to the plate for Alabama? You got it. Vandagriff started the Tide out with a walk. Preuitt then walked and Kali Heivilin loaded the bases with a single. That is when Brooke Ellestad cleared the bases with a grand slam.

Suddenly, it’s 6-5! But Bama was not done there. Lauren Johnson made her second appearance of the weekend and was hit by a pitch. Riley followed with a single. After an out, Giles was hit by a pitch to load ‘em up again. Hawkins stayed hot at the plate by slapping a single through the right side of the infield to knock in a pair and Alabama took a 7-6 lead.

Unfortunately, the Alabama pitching had another meltdown. Mr. Hyde Alea Johnson showed up again and gave up three singles in the bottom of the frame that tied the score. After delivering a base on balls, Briski re-entered the game. With the bases loaded, she proceeded to walk in the go-ahead run and an insurance run on the first two batters. Comically, Riley came back in the game as well. After getting an out at home, Riley struck out the last batter of the frame.

Alabama went down in order in the 7th to end the game and the series.

NOTES:

• No stolen bases or errors for either team.

NOTES

• The term “Green Light Girls” is defined by Murphy as runners who have the green light to attempt to steal a base. However, it is more like “Green Light Girl”. Vandagriff seems to be the only one running these days. Only two Tide players have more than four thefts. Larissa Preuitt is 12 for 12 but has not taken a base against a Power team since playing Washington in the opening weekend. Kristen White is 11-11 but has not stolen against a Power since Virginia Tech back in February.
• Vandagriff has reached base in 22 straight games.
• Saturday’s win marked Patrick Muprhy’s 1,299th at Alabama. He is now just one win shy of becoming the seventh Division I head coach to win 1,300 games at one program.
• Lauren Johnson had two at bats and got on base both times. Murphy has been playing Pupillo in the outfield but she can play first base. And who is on first base you ask? Abby Duchscherer who did not show up this weekend. Duke and Pup both went 0 for 8 with no walks or HBP. Duke is hitless in the last five games.
• Marlie Giles was 0 for 6 but was HBP and scored one run.
• Kendal Clark had one at bat, striking out as a pinch hitter. Maybe being captain is not a good thing. LOL
• Kristen White has seen her playing time shrink. She had one at bat and one pinch run appearance. The U of A softball AD assured me she is not injured.

MVP

• VANDAGRIFF – 5 for 9 (.500), 3 runs, 2 RBI, HR, 3 BB, 3 SB, 0 K
• HAWKINS – 4 for 8 (.500), 2 runs, 3 RBI, 2 DBL, 1 BB, 1 K, hits in all 3 games, no errors!

UPCOMING ALABAMA SCHEDULE

UNNECESSARY MIDWEEK ROAD GAME

NEXT WEEKEND

• Friday, Mar 28 vs Georgia 6pm/7pm Tuscaloosa, AL
• Saturday, Mar 29 vs Georgia 2pm/3pm Tuscaloosa, AL – “Wear Teal”, fight against ovarian cancer.
• Sunday, Mar 30 vs Georgia 11am/noon Tuscaloosa, AL ESPN2 with Roy Philpott and Amanda Scarborough – a good duo.

THE REST OF THE SEC WAY

Coming into this season, I took a gander at the ol’ SEC schedule and thought WOOF! is it rough. Looking at the end of the regular season, I consoled “well, at least they finish with South Carolina.” Guess what. The Gamecocks are good. Real good. Like 24-6 good. They are 10th ranked having swept former #8 now #13 Duke and taken two of three from #19 UGA. SC lost three at top ranked Oklahoma but each defeat came by one run. This past weekend, they took 2 of 3 games from #11 Texas Tech.

BAMA SEC OPPONENTS

• vs #19 Georgia
• at #4 LSU
• vs #1 Oklahoma
• at #3 Florida
• vs NR Missouri – unranked but handed Oklahoma their first defeat.
• at #10 South Carolina

HOW TO WATCH

The UNA game and the first two games with UGA will be on that $12 ghetto streaming service. The finale is on the Deuce.

#RollTide #Team29