Ramsey Homers Tide to Doubleheader Sweep of Mississippi State
4/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
STARKVILLE, MS??It was a struggle for the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide (44-8, 22-2 SEC) but they persevered, sweeping a doubleheader with the Mississippi State Bulldogs (30-28, 4-22) 5-4 in eight innings and 6-3.
Alabama issued three walks, seven wild pitches and three passed balls in the two games but was able to slug itself to the two victories.
Mississippi State took a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning when Sammie Jo Bailey laid down a bunt on a squeeze play scoring Hayle Guess.
The Bulldogs made it a two-run affair in the second inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Nakita Boyce to claim a 2-0 lead.
Alabama finally got on the board in the fourth inning, loading the bases with two outs. Ashley Holcombe was hit by a pitch scoring Dani Woods, cutting the lead in half. Mandy Burford followed with a single up the middle that scored Kelley Montalvo and Dominique Accetturo giving Bama its first lead of the day at 3-2. The Tide then executed a double steal with Burford stealing second and Holcombe stealing home to push Alabama's lead to 4-2.
The Bulldogs tied the game at 4-4 in the sixth inning on a two-out, two-run single by Nakita Boyce.
Alabama worked its way out of a jam in the seventh inning when the Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out. Chrissy Owens came on in relief of Stephanie VanBrakle and got Lindsay Hundley to fly out to right fielder Mandy Burford who then threw home to cut down Courtney Bures who had tagged on the play.
The Crimson Tide used the momentum in the top of the eighth to reclaim the lead. Woods led off the inning with a walk and was pinch run for by Mallory Benak. Kellie Eubanks pinch hit for VanBrakle and sacrificed Benak to second. Kelley Montalvo then singled back up the middle scoring Benak and Alabama was back on top 5-4.
Owens retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth to pick up the win in relief. She went 1.2 innings allowing no runs or hits while striking out a batter. VanBrakle started the game and allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits while striking out 10 batters in 6.1 innings.
Bama didn't waste any time in the nightcap, riding a Staci Ramsey solo-shot over the left field fence for a 1-0 lead.
However, Tide miscues in the bottom half of the first cost them again as the Bulldogs plated two runs on two hits and one Bama error. Alabama had an opportunity to get out of the inning with a 1-1 tie but with runners on first and third, Katie Cooley hit a bouncer to Dominique Accetturo at shortstop. Accetturo attempted to make the force out at second but Blair Geddings beat her to the bag allowing Bures to score for the 2-1 Mississippi St. lead.
Alabama reclaimed the lead in the top of the third inning thanks again in large part to Ramsey. Brittany Rogers got the rally going with a two-out single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Jordan Praytor then doubled to left centerfield scoring Rogers to tie the game at 2-2. Ramsey then stepped to the plate and delivered her second home run of the game, a two-run shot off the scoreboard in left field to put Alabama on top 4-2.
The Crimson Tide added to its lead in the fifth inning once again with Rogers leading the charge. Rogers reached on a lead-off double and was sacrificed to third by Praytor. Ramsey then grounded out to second scoring Rogers for a 5-2 Bama lead.
The Bulldogs cut into the Alabama lead in the sixth on an RBI single from Callye Williams making it a 5-3 affair.
Praytor provided the Tide with a little insurance in the seventh when she hit her team best eighth home run of the season over the center field fence for a 6-3 lead.
Owens (17-4) collected her second win of the day allowing three runs, one earned, on six hits while striking out eight batters.
Alabama will go for the sweep on Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. scheduled start. An Alabama win combined with Georgia and LSU losses will clinch the Crimson Tide its first ever SEC regular season championship. Fans can follow all the action on www.rolltide.com where live stats and audio will be available. In the Tuscaloosa area, fans can tune into WVUA 90.7 FM where Nic Hoch will call all the balls and strikes.
GAME NOTES
Gm. 1
--Brittany Rogers lead off walk marked the 23rd time in 50 games that she has reached base to lead off the game.
--Stephanie VanBrakle recorded her 1,046th career strikeout in the first inning breaking Shelley Laird's (1999-02) all-time school record of 1,045.
--Rogers recorded her 22nd multi-hit game of the season.
--VanBrakle recorded 15th double-digit strikeout game of the season and her first in her last seven appearances.
--VanBrakle's four wild pitches is the second most in a game in program history.
--Jordan Praytor's 25-game hitting streak came to an end as she went 0-4.
--Alabama committed three errors in a game for the third time this season.
--Alabama is 3-0 in extra-inning games this season.
Gm. 2
--Staci Ramsey moved to fourth on Alabama's all-time home run list with her 29th in the first inning.
--Ramsey recorded her third multi-home run game of her career. She hit two against Ole Miss on April 5, 2003 and two at Mississippi State on April 9, 2004.
--Chrissy Owens recorded her career high 147th strikeout of the season.
--Owens recorded her career high 115.1 inning pitch of the season.
--Ramsey moved to third on Alabama's all-time RBI list with her 167th.
--Jordan Praytor took the team lead in home runs with her eighth of the season in the top of the seventh inning.
