Tide Softball Opens 2005 Season Hosting Bama Bash!
2/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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The University of Alabama softball team opens its 2005 season this weekend as the team hosts the Bama Bash! playing the likes of in-state rival UAB, long time Bash participant Evansville and first-time opponent Georgia Southern.
The Bama Bash! is a tournament Alabama has dominated in recent years, winning four consecutive Bash championships while winning 19 of its last 20 games in the tournament.
The Evansville Purple Aces have twice participated in the Bash, being named co-champions in 1999. Their last trip to Tuscaloosa was in the 2002 tournament where they turned in a 2-3 performance. They have an overall record of 5-4 in the tournament and their nine games played is the third most by an opponent behind Eastern Kentucky (12) and Samford (10).
Alabama has faced the teams in the tournament a total of six times running up a 6-0 record. The Tide and the Purple Aces have seen each other the most, playing a total of five times. Two of those meetings came in the 2002 Bama Bash! with Alabama defeating Evansville 6-0 and 3-1 with the latter game coming in the championship.
UAB and Alabama have only played once in their history but it was a significant match-up. The Tide and the Blazers played the first ever softball game at the UA Softball Complex on Feb. 23, 2000. UAB took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth, but Alabama tied the game in the bottom of the fifth and scored six runs in the sixth inning en route to a 7-1 victory in their only meeting.
Georgia Southern and Alabama will be meeting each other for the first time in softball.
The tournament is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. Friday with Georgia Southern taking on Evansville in the first game followed by a 1:30 p.m. match-up between UAB and Georgia Southern. Alabama will play its first game at 4:00 p.m. against UAB followed by a 6:00 p.m. contest against Evansville.
