Tide Softball Hosts Two Mid-Week Non-Conference Games
3/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
 |
|
The No. 18 (ESPN.com/USA Softball) ranked University of Alabama softball team will take a step away from its rigorous SEC schedule this week as they host the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and the Troy St. Trojans in single game sets on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Tide and the Golden Eagles are scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch on Tuesday while first pitch for the Alabama and Troy State game is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, both games being played at the UA Softball Complex.
Alabama and Southern Miss will attempt to get together after having been rained out in their previous attempt. The game between Alabama and Southern Miss on Feb. 26 was cancelled due to inclement weather. Alabama won’t be the first SEC foe for Southern Miss this season. The Golden Eagles dropped a 3-1 game to Mississippi State to open the season; they lost to the Florida Gators 7-0 and then dropped a 3-0 decision to then No. 8 ranked LSU.
Alabama leads the all-time series with Southern Miss 2-1 with both wins coming last season, 2-0 and 2-1. The first meeting between the two schools came in the 2000 season in Oklahoma City at the Women’s College World Series. USM rode the strong right arm of Courtney Blades en route to a 3-0 Golden Eagle victory.
Following the Tide’s one-game affair with Southern Miss, Alabama will turn its focus on the Troy State Trojans. The Trojans play a doubleheader against Florida A&M on Tuesday but prior to that match up, the Trojans have won four of their last five games including a 4-3 win over No. 3 Nebraska.
Alabama comes into the week off a series victory in Knoxville over the weekend a series that saw the Tide bats come back to life. Alabama out scored the Tennessee Lady Vols 18-3 while out hitting UT 31-17.
Senior shortstop Jennifer Reach currently leads the Crimson Tide in hitting with a .362 average while freshman Stephanie VanBrakle is the team leader with five home runs and junior first baseman Jackie McClain leads the team with 21 RBI.
The Alabama pitching staff is led by VanBrakle with a 1.32 ERA and Erin Wright who owns a 10-4 record and is the staff leader with 83 strikeouts.
The Crimson Tide leads the all-time series with Troy State 6-0 including last year’s 4-2 defeat of the Trojans in Troy, Alabama.
