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Alabama Softball At South Carolina

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The Crimson Tide had better not take the Gamecocks lightly.

Can Bama get someone besides Ally Shipman to come up with big hits?
@AlabamaSB

Alabama dispatched of UAB 8-1 on Wednesday. Alex Salter gave up five hits and a run over the first three innings. Jaala Torrence (5-1) came in and hurled four innings of no-hit ball.

The offense took a minute to get going but exploded for six runs in the sixth thanks in part to two Blazers errors. Bama had one multi-base hit in the game, a double by Ally Shipman.

Shipman and Jenna Johnson had two hits apiece.

Savannah Woodard struck out in two at bats and was replaced by Kat Grill who was 1 for 2 with two runs scored. Kaylee Tow (,231 BA) did not play. It will be interesting to see how she responds.

This weekend, the Crimson Tide (25-4) hits the road for another SEC matchup.

SCHEDULE

The last time the Crimson Tide traveled to Columbia, SC was in 2019 in which the Gamecocks won two of three. That World Series finalist Bama team scored all of one run in the two defeats (and, no, Stephen Garcia was not pitching). I hope Patrick Murphy reminds Team26 of this and they do not take this trip lightly.

  • Friday, March 25 at South Carolina 5 p.m. CT
  • Saturday, March 26 at South Carolina 1 p.m. CT
  • Sunday, March 27 at South Carolina 12 p.m. CT

HOW TO WATCH... ALLEGEDLY

Yep. More ESPN+/SECN+ streaming.

SOUTH CAROLINA

The Gamecocks (18-10) have not played the toughest of schedules. The two ranked non-conference teams they played, Va Tech and UCF beat them. However in their first two SEC series of the season Georgia and Auburn, they managed to take one of the three games. Alabama needs to avoid this outcome.

OFFENSE

SC has some hitters. They brag a .321 team batting average which is 23 points higher than Alabama (.298). They top the Tide in almost ever offensive category. However, they are also tops in the SEC in grounding into double plays (10) - and odd stat since they are 45-53 in stolen bases. The ‘Cocks are fourth in most strikeouts at the plate in the conference.

South Carolina has six starters hitting .321 or better. Katie Prebble is only hitting .292 but has 10 home runs, five two-baggers, 28 RBI, and has scored 25 runs. Jordan Fabian is at .321, six round-trippers, seven doubles, 28 RBI, and 28 runs, plus 12 stolen bases in 13 attempts.

Riley Blampied leads the team in BA at .395. She has four dingers, eight doubles, 20 RBI and 21 runs scored. Maddie Gallagher is at .341, seven 2B, 21 RBI, 24 runs.

TEAM AVG G AB R R/G H 2B 3B HR RBI SLG% BB HBP SO GDP OB% SB-ATT
South Carolina 0.321 28 760 191 6.8 244 41 9 28 176 0.509 108 20 144 10 0.415 45-53
Alabama 0.298 28 672 161 5.8 200 36 6 26 147 0.485 102 19 108 4 0.399 33-43

PITCHING

Stop me if you have heard this one before: Carolina has utilized six different pitchers this year. Must be nice. Unfortunately for the Gamecocks, none of them have been very effective. The team ERA is at 4.01 and that is with 22 of their eye-popping 130 runs given up being unearned. Alabama has yielded only 62 runs, 51 earned.

Bailey Betenbaugh has been the best of the bunch (4-1, 2.70 ERA). Leah Powell (3-1, 4.52) and Kelsey Oh (5-1, 4.52 ERA) are next on the list. :-/

DEFENSE

Yeesh. 40 errors in 28 games. I’m guessing that is not good. That number and the .953 fielding percentage are the worst in the SEC. Twelve of the boots come from Riley Blampied at third base. Shortstop Emma Sellers has five. Three others have four each.

Alabama has 16 errors. Only Florida has less in the SEC at 14.

#Team26 #RollTide