Alabama Claims SEC West Division Title with Sweep of Arkansas
5/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
TUSCALOOSA — The ninth-ranked Crimson Tide softball team (53-11, 23-7) won its second SEC West division title in three years after sweeping the Arkansas Lady Razorbacks (19-43, 4-25 SEC) in a doubleheader 4-0 and 8-1.
Bama's victory in the first game of the doubleheader clinched the division title and also sewed up the No. 2 seed at next week's SEC Tournament in Gainesville, Florida.
The Tide struck first on a Dani Woods (FR, Cockeysville, Md.) run scoring single in the second inning scoring Capper Reed (SR, Guntersville, Ala.) who had doubled earlier in the inning.
The Tide added to its lead in the fifth inning plating three more runs. Woods led off the inning with a single and was pinch run for by Deasy Phillips (SR, Katy, Texas). Emily Currie (SR, Huntsville, Ala.) walked advancing Phillips to second. Both runners advanced on a Leah White (SR, Grayson, Ga.) sacrifice. Jackie Wilkins (SR, Miami, Fla.) then singled to left field scoring Phillips. Arkansas left fielder Zenobia Davison let the ball skip under her glove and roll all the way to the wall allowing Currie to score and sending Wilkins to third. Jordan Praytor (FR, Vancouver, Wash.) followed with a single scoring Wilkins and Alabama had a 4-0 lead.
Four runs was more than enough for Tide starting pitcher Jennifer Wright (SR, Brentwood, Tenn.). Wright (17-4) went the distance scattering five hits while striking out four batters.
Woods paced the Tide offense going 2-3 with a RBI.
"I hope the team knows that offensively they can bury people," said head coach Patrick Murphy. "If they do what they're supposed to do, if they get on a roll, we're not going to have to worry about each pitch, each out."
And bury they did in picking up the series and doubleheader sweep in Game Three, scoring eight runs in three straight innings to put Arkansas away 8-1.
With the Tide leading 1-0 going to the fifth, the Lady Razorbacks scored their only run of the series on a Dayna Huckabee run scoring double tying the game at 1-1. Alabama answered in the bottom of the inning, reclaiming the lead with four runs.
Reed drew a leadoff walk and was sacrificed to second by Woods. Wilkins delivered a two-out single scoring Reed from second for a 2-1 Bama lead. Wilkins stole second and then scored a single from Praytor. Ashley Courtney (SR, Vero Beach, Fla.) lined a single off the glove of first baseman Samantha Buckner advancing Praytor to third. Lady Razorback catcher Shana Easley then attempted a pick off of Praytor at third while Courtney stole second, but Easley's throw skipped into the outfield allowing Praytor to score. When Davison had trouble picking up the ball in left field, Courtney came around to score pushing Alabama's lead to 5-1.
The Crimson Tide was not finished though plating three more runs in the sixth inning highlighted by run scoring doubles from Reed and Staci Ramsey (JR, Houston, Texas) for the final 8-1 margin for the Tide.
Stephanie VanBrakle (JR, Chambersburg, Pa.) picked up her 27th win pushing her record to 27-5 on the season. She allowed one run on three hits in five innings while striking out five batters.
The Tide has one more stop before heading to the SEC Tournament as the team travels to Nashville, Tennessee on Sunday for a 2:00 p.m. date with the Lipscomb Bisons. The game will be a homecoming for Wright who hails from Brentwood, a suburb of Nashville. Fans can hear all the action on www.rolltide.com. The broadcast will also be available in the Tuscaloosa area on WVUA 90.7 FM where Nic Hoch will call all the balls and strikes.
