Kerflop in Clearwater for Alabama Crimson Tide Softball

FRIDAY GAME 1: SAN DIEGO STATE 4, ALABAMA 1

FRIDAY GAME 2: LIBERTY 7, ALABAMA 6

SATURDAY

GAME 3: ALABAMA 9, OHIO STATE 5

Bama Lineup:

1. LF Audrey Vandagriff
2. RF Larissa Preuitt
3. DP Alexis Pupillo
4. C Marlie Giles
5. 3B Brooke Ellestad
6. 2B Kali Heivilin
7. 1B Abby Duchscherer
8. SS Salen Hawkins
9. CF Kristen White

Catelyn Riley got the start for Alabama and immediately gave up a home run to the first batter of the game. She would go on to give up two more singles in the opening inning but a double play would wipe that threat out.

ONCE AGAIN! Audrey Vandagriff donned her Super Woman cape by leading off with a walk and proceeding to steal second and third bases and scoring on a throwing error by the catcher. It is hard to imagine where this team would be without her.

In the 2nd, Salen Hawkins singled and took second on a fielding error on a Kristen White bunt. Again it was Vandagriff with the big hit smacking a single through the right side of the infield, knocking in Hawkins. Vandagriff would of course steal second base but she and White were left stranded.

In the third, it was senior Kali Heivilin with the no-doubt four bagger to make it 2-1.

One inning later, Bama loaded the bases and made it 4-1 on a Pupillo ground out. Next, it was Marlie Giles’s turn to send one out of the park – this time with two runners on base.

At this point, the Tide is feeling pretty good up 7-1. After getting two outs in the 5th, coach Patrick Murphy hooked Riley in favor of Emily Winstead for some reason. Riley had only thrown 72 pitches and allowed only three hits and the one run to this point.

In the top of the 6th with Winstead in the circle, anOSU walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a double. The next batter reached on a fielder’s choice and a throwing error by Brooke Ellestad which scored another Buckys run to make it 7-3.

In the bottom of the frame, it was GUESS WHO? Vandagriff with a leadoff bunt single and a theft of second base – her fourth stolen base of the day. Larissa Preuitt followed with a single and a steal of second. Alexis Pupillo got one run back on a sac fly and Giles doubled in another. But then the next three Tide batters produced outs, leaving Alabama ahead 9-3.

In the 7th, Murphy replaced Winstead with Jocelyn Briski. Again, she struggled with her control. A pair of walks and a single loaded the bases with no outs. After a strikeout, a walk brought in the fourth OSU run of the game and a hit-by-pitch brought in a fifth. Briski struck out the next batter and induced a ground out to end the game.

GAME 4: UCLA 6, ALABAMA 3

Bama Lineup:

1. LF Audrey Vandagriff
2. RF Larissa Preuitt
3. 1B Alexis Pupillo
4. C Marlie Giles
5. 3B Brooke Ellestad
6. DH/P Catelyn Riley – Started as DH and later pitched, 1-3, 2 Ks
7. 2B Kali Heivilin
8. SS Salen Hawkins
9. CF Kristen White

Alabama got out to a great start as the amazing Audrey Vandagriff hit a leadoff home run off preseason All-American pitcher Taylor Tinsley.

In the 2nd, it was Kali Heivilin’s turn again with her second round-tripper of the day.

Later in that same inning, Kristen White had a slap single and then stole second without a throw. Vandagriff again came through with the big hit with an RBI double that bounced off the deepest part of the center field wall and was about a foot away from leaving the park.

After a pitching change, Larissa Preuitt singled a high chopper to shortstop and beat the throw to first base. On the play, Vandagriff circled third and was thrown out at home plate by a mile. WTF was Murphy thinking there? The rally ended with the Tide leading 3-0.

Jocelyn Briski got the start in the circle and was looking as good as she ever has in an Alabama uniform. Through five innings, she had struck out four and allowed only three singles – all in separate innings – and no bases on balls. And then, a disastrous 6th inning came around. UCLA opened with a walk and then on a little dribbler up the first base line, first baseman Alexis Pupillo could not make the tag. The next two Bruins hit seeing-eye singles that the Tide infield could not corral cutting the deficit to 3-2. [IMHO, a mound visit/pep talk probably would have helped at this point.] The next batter hit a pop fly that landed in between three Alabama players but at least they were able to get the runner at second base. A groundout put runners at second and third with two outs. Briski would go to full counts on each of the next two batters that turned into walks and a tie game. [Mound visit, Murph? Nah, he’s good.] The next batter sent a towering shot over the head of White in centerfield that cleared the bases and made the score 6-3.

Briski had a pretty good performance. Outside of one devastating swing, she made some pretty good pitches. The batted balls were just finding grass instead of leather.

SUNDAY

GAME 3: OKLAHOMA STATE 4, ALABAMA 3 – Walk Off

Alabama had a prime opportunity to salvage the weekend with a win over the 9th ranked Cowgirls. But a late game collapse doomed the Tide.

It was all zeroes on the scoreboard for the first three innings. In the top of the 4th, Larissa Preuitt sent the first pitch down the left field line and found another gear as she motored around first and safely slid into second under the tag. On the very next pitch, Alexis Pupillo smacked the ball over the OSU left fielder’s head for a 1-0 advantage.

After a couple of outs, Kali Heivilin hit a missle up the middle that deflected off the pitcher for a single. Riley Valentine hit a shot to the hot corner that the third baseman could not handle and the Crimson Tide led 2-0.

Okie Lite got one run back in the bottom of 5th with two outs when a runner on third scored on a dribbler to pitcher Jocelyn Briski whose thrown high to first. [We have seen Montana Fouts and a few other Tide pitchers have this same issue in past seasons.]

In the top of the 6th, Bama put two runners on base with one out but could not add to their lead. In the 7th, Salen Hawkins led off with a single. Kristen White dropped a nice bunt down that moved Hawkins over to second base. Vandagriff followed that up with a single over the shortstop to make it 3-1.

In the bottom of the frame, a bloop single and bunt that traveled about 10 inches into the field of play put two on base for the orange and black. A double scored one run and put runners at second and third. After a mound visit, a chopper was hit to Briski who gunned the runner down at the plate to preserve the 3-2 lead. After the tag out, it was baffling what catcher Riley Valentine was doing as she stood there with the ball in her glove as she allowed the batter to move up to second base. With the count 0-1 on the next Cowpoke batter, Briski delivered a pitch that looked like it was right down the pipe – but no call from Stevie Wonder behind the plate. A few pitches later, that batter knocked in two runs with a shot to right field and the OSU took the walk-off win.

NOTES

• “We can still win the SEC regular season title.” Can you believe the cult naivete denial of some of this fan base? lol
• Over the weekend, Briski went really deep into counts on batters – often times going to full counts. For the most part, she pitched okay. But the more pitches an opposition sees, the better they can figure a pitcher out. It seems like perhaps a change in pitch calls might be needed by whoever on the staff is making those calls.
• The offense missed out on a good deal of scoring opportunities. They had more success when they swung early in the count.
• Abby Duchscherer is still hitless on the season.
• Kali Heivilin had two round-trippers in the five games, but only 3 runs scored and 3 RBI.
• Kristen White was 1 for 10 with her bunt/slap strategy.
• Salen Hawkins was 5 for 11 (.455) with a walk, 3 runs and an RBI.
• Hawkins and Brooke Ellestad have four errors apiece on the young season. The Tide has 14 overall and a .954 fielding percentage which puts them somewhere around 140th in the nation.
• Briski’s ERA is 3.94 and Winstead’s is 3.36. Only Riley has a respectable number at 1.89. Team ERA is in an unfamiliar territory for the Alabama standard at 3.32.
• Vandagriff is now 14 of 14 on stolen bases. National stats have not been released yet, but she has to be near the top.
• Alabama is now 5-5 on the season. The polls are not out yet, but expect Team29 to take a tumble.

WEEKEND MVP

• VANDAGRIFF – 8 for 17 (.471), 5 RUNS, 4 RBI, HR, DBL, 5 SB

UPCOMING ALABAMA SCHEDULE

Rocket City Trash Pandas Stadium

• Wednesday, Feb 19 at Jacksonville State 6:30/7:30 Huntsville, AL

Easton Bama Bash, Tuscaloosa, AL

• Friday, Feb 21 vs Virginia Tech 4pm/5pm
• Friday, Feb 21 vs Southern Utah 6:30/7:30
• Saturday, Feb 22 vs Drake 11am/noon
• Saturday, Feb 22 vs Drake 1:30/2:30
• Sunday, Feb 23 vs Virginia Tech 12:30/1:30

HOW TO WATCH

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#RollTide #Team29