The Crimson Tide (31-5) is flying high after two dominating efforts against the No. 15/18 Georgia Bulldogs. The fans were really into it as well.
The Sand Mountain Showdown against Jacksonville State in Albertville, AL scheduled for Wednesday was cancelled a second time due to weather. There will be no rescheduled spring date, though efforts are underway to play this upcoming fall.
ACCOLADES
It’s been awhile since the SEC recognized a Tide player with their weekly awards.
Surprisingly, Bama dropped to #5 in two polls but stayed #4 in the other two. Virginia Tech of all teams, leapfrogged them. The real goal is to be in the top eight so that your team can host a Regional and Super-Regional. At least two wins this weekend will help keep the Tide in that vicinity.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
It’s another one of those odd Sat-Sun-Mon series that probably have come at the behest of the 4-letter network to give them Monday night programming that they KNOW people will watch.
- Saturday, April 9 at Florida 4 p.m. CT - ESPN
- Sunday, April 10 at Florida 3 p.m. CT - ESPN2
- Monday, April 11 at Florida 6 p.m. CT - SECN
HOW TO WATCH... ALLEGEDLY
ESPN must be digging the TV ratings for Alabama softball because they moved Game 1 from 2 p.m. CT on the Deuce to 4 p.m. CT on the Granddaddy.
FLORIDA
The Gators (30-7) are an elite. They are candidates for a return to the World Series. Florida is led by Natty Light-swilling Tim Walton now in his 15th season. Of note, both of his assistant coaches are men, one of whom was a baseball teammate at Oklahoma.
On Wednesday, Florida lost a ten inning nail-biter to FSU by the score of 4-2.
Last season, the Crimson Tide lost two of three to UF in the regular season but beat them in the SEC Softball Tournament Championship Game 4-0.
OFFENSE
This year’s Gators team looks somewhat like Alabama’s Team26. UF is last in the SEC in home runs with 26 and tied with Bama in tenth place in extra base hits (XBH) at 87. They are hitting .334 as a team.
One way that the Gators make up for their lack of extra base hits is stealing bases. They LOVE to run and have swiped an outstanding 89 bases in 100 attempts. That is tops among Power 5 teams in the nation. The next closest stolen base total in the SEC is 67 by Texas A&M.
The offense is led by none other than former Tide player Skylar Wallace who is hitting .482 with 43 RUNS, 4 HR and 24 RBI. She also has swiped 31 bases, more than Arkansas (29) and Mississippi State (13) have as teams.
First team All-American Charla Echols’s average is down to .280 but she leads the team in RBI with 34. Freshman Kendra Falby (.418, 39 RUNS, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 25 SB) ignites the offense with her speed. Hannah Adams (.386, 27 RUNS, 3 HR, 22 RBI) was a second team All-American in 2021. Reagan Walsh (.292, 15 RUNS, 8 2B, 5 HR, 32 RBI) is also a force with the bat.
TEAM | AVG | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | XBH | RBI | SLG% | BB | SO | HBP | GDP | OB% | SB-ATT | E | FLD% |
Alabama | 0.307 | 36 | 893 | 221 | 274 | 47 | 7 | 33 | 87 | 197 | 0.486 | 139 | 140 | 25 | 5 | 0.409 | 46-58 | 19 | 0.980 |
Florida | 0.334 | 37 | 988 | 234 | 330 | 46 | 15 | 26 | 87 | 207 | 0.490 | 125 | 136 | 25 | 7 | 0.415 | 89-100 | 17 | 0.983 |
PITCHING
Surprise surprise, UF had six pitchers. Two names who should be familiar to Alabama fans are seniors Natalie Lugo (7-3, 1.74 ERA) and Elizabeth Hightower (10-2, 1.84 ERA). Those two along with freshman Lexie Delbrey (9-2, 2.48 ERA) get the bulk of the innings. Walton is not shy about throwing his other three pitcher in the fray at any time.
P5 ERA RANK | TEAM | G | IP | R | ER | ERA |
13 | Alabama | 36 | 233 | 79 | 68 | 2.04 |
14 | Florida | 36 | 235 | 75 | 69 | 2.06 |
DEFENSE
Also like Alabama, Florida is very clean in the defense department with just 17 errors. They top the conference in fielding percentage at .983, which is second best in the nation behind FSU. As a team, they have given up a remarkable six unearned runs. Bama has allowed 11.
Alabama has 19 errors and a .980 fielding percentage. That percent is the 4th lowest in the nation among Power-5s behind FSU, Florida, and Oklahoma State.
ALABAMA
This three-game set will be the toughest one of the regular season for Alabama.
A big question for the Crimson Tide in this series is who will get the start in Game 1. Montana Fouts is the ace but Lexi Kilfoyl is red hot. That query also bring up the subject as to who will start Game 3.
Comments
Bleh?
By CarrotTop4 on 04.08.22 1:44pm
¯\ツ/¯
By CB969 on 04.08.22 1:49pm
Remind me why S.W. left the team?
By ATLTIDE on 04.09.22 10:39am
From rolltidebama.com back in 2020...
https://www.rolltidebama.com/forum/threads/skylar-wallace-ss-has-entered-the-transfer-portal.522770/
By TUAMuchTuna on 04.09.22 11:36am
You may recall, Murphy was forced to play Hemphill there
To her credit, she played exceptional but she had been at first base the previous years.
By CB969 on 04.09.22 4:26pm
RTR
Also, Piper, I’m at my first track meet ever cheering my daughter on, should be entertaining!
By Ma Deuce on 04.09.22 1:04pm
/Miyagi nods.gif
What events?
#PipersOnlineCoaching
By PiperTJ on 04.09.22 3:00pm
4x100 and 100m sprint
Won both
By Ma Deuce on 04.09.22 3:01pm
SPeed SPeed SPeed
By PiperTJ on 04.09.22 3:12pm
It was pretty cool but good lord we just got home.
By Ma Deuce on 04.09.22 3:30pm
Fouts strikes out Wallace in her first at-bat.
By TUAMuchTuna on 04.09.22 4:16pm
That made me EXTREMELY happy
By PiperTJ on 04.09.22 4:32pm
There will be Bloodworth
walked for bases loaded with one out!
By PiperTJ on 04.09.22 4:27pm
12 pitch at bat
No swinging or taken strikes. She fouled off 8 pitches.
By CB969 on 04.09.22 4:28pm
Good Lord!
By PiperTJ on 04.09.22 4:30pm
JINX!
By TUAMuchTuna on 04.09.22 4:31pm
Good Lord! What a hit!
By TUAMuchTuna on 04.09.22 4:30pm
Do they have an angle down the line?
By PiperTJ on 04.09.22 4:31pm
I was thinking they were appealing Tow leaving second too soon
She was practically at third by the time the ball went by the Gata.
By CB969 on 04.09.22 4:41pm
#BamaSpeed
By PiperTJ on 04.09.22 4:42pm
Ozzie Dowling!
By PiperTJ on 04.09.22 4:39pm
Strike Fouts!
By PiperTJ on 04.09.22 4:41pm
Prange's eyelashes had a triple on that
By PiperTJ on 04.09.22 4:46pm
Pinball Wizard!
By PiperTJ on 04.09.22 4:47pm
Ka-Tow!
By PiperTJ on 04.09.22 4:51pm