Tide Softball Drops Semifinal Game to No. 5 Tennessee
5/12/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
ATHENS, GA??The fourth ranked Crimson Tide (49-9) could not muster enough offense against the fifth-ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers as they dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker in the semifinals of the 2006 SEC Tournament.
Tennessee took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning when it looked like the Tide was going to work its way out of a two-out jam. Tonya Callahan hit a line drive that was misplayed by Staci Ramsey allowing India Chiles to score from second. A wild pitch to the next batter allowed Lindsay Schutzler to score for the two-run Lady Vol lead.
Alabama cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third when Stephanie VanBrakle broke her 0-25 slump with a solo home run to left centerfield, her fifth home run of the season, and her first hit since a grand slam against Troy on April 11, making it a 2-1 affair, but Bama could get no closer.
VanBrakle (25-5) took the loss for the Tide, allowing two runs, neither earned, on six hits while striking out eight Tennessee batters.
Tennessee starter Megan Rhodes (16-2) held the potent Alabama offense to just one run on three hits.
VanBrakle was the bright spot in the Alabama lineup providing the only run with her home run.
“It’s always going to be a great game against Tennessee,” said assistant coach Alyson Habetz. “They came out and scored early. We had opportunities to answer and just couldn’t pull it through.
“The main thing is that while we want to win (the SEC Tournament) it’s also preparation for something bigger and better. We’ve just got to get our mental focus, and our confidence and the fundamentals of the game back in check and we’ll be good to go.”
The Crimson Tide now returns home to await its fate in next week’s NCAA Regional Championships. The NCAA Selection Show will air live on ESPNews at 2:30 p.m. CT. In anticipation of The University of Alabama hosting a 2006 NCAA Division I Softball Regional and/or Super Regional championship, the UA Athletics Ticket Office is now allowing a pre-order for tickets.
The pre-order is for tournament passes only.
Tournament dates are May 19-21 for the Regional Championships and May 26-27 for Super Regional Championships.
Regional sites, seeds and pairings will be announced on the NCAA Softball Selection show which will air live on ESPNews on Sunday, May 14 at 2:30 p.m. CT.
If fans are unable to pre-order then tickets will also be on sale beginning Monday, May 15, beginning at 8:00 a.m. CT. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting or calling the UA Athletic Ticket Office at 205.348.BAMA (2262) or by going online at Softball Regional Pre-Sale.
GAME NOTES
--Brittany Rogers reached in her first five plate appearances in the SEC history going 4-4 in the first game against Ole Miss and drawing a walk in her first appearance against Tennessee.
--Stephanie VanBrakle broke her 0-25 slump with a home run in the bottom of the third inning. Her last hit was a grand slam against Troy on April 11.
--Patrick Murphy was ejected in the bottom of the third inning.
--Alabama’s three hits was the fewest amount of hits since the team recorded four hits in a 5-1 victory over Southern Miss on May 3.
