Softball Opens SEC Play Against No. 4 Tennessee
3/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama (18-1) renews a crucial SEC series with No. 4 ranked Tennessee (20-1) this weekend at the Alabama Softball Complex. The Tide, ranked No. 1 in both major polls last week, is now No. 2 in the USA Today/NFCA rankings and No. 3 by ESPN.com/Softball USA. First pitch is scheduled for Saturday, March 8 at 1:00 p.m.
Tennessee enters this weekend's action fresh off a 1-0 victory over in-state foe Tennessee Tech on Wednesday at Lee Softball Stadium that stretched the squad's winning streak to 12. UT currently possesses a .330 team batting average, to rate second in the league, while plating 6.1 runs-per-contest. The Lady Vols have swiped 46 bases in 51 attempts, tallied 28 doubles and 13 HR's and knocked in 117 of its 129 total scores.
All-American Tonya Callahan continues to lead the way for the Big Orange offense at .424 (25-of-59) with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and 20 RBI. In the circle, the duo of senior Megan Rhodes and freshman Ashton Ward have combined to limit the opposition to just a .140 batting average to go along with a 0.96 ERA. Ward has been outstanding to begin her career in the Orange & White by getting off to the second-best start for a hurler in program history at 12-1.
Alabama holds a 22-13 lead in the all-time series. After losing three of the first four meetings with the Lady Vols, the Tide went on to win 10 of the next 11 contests and 15 of the next 17 from 1999-2004. Last season Alabama was swept by Tennessee in Knoxville 9-2, 4-0. The Lady Vols have now gone on a series run by winning eight of the last 13 contests. The last win for the Tide over the Lady Vols was on March 26, 2006 in Tuscaloosa. UA won that game 6-3 over No. 2 ranked UT and swept the series with a pair of victories the day before (3-2, 5-4).
Tennessee avenged a three-game sweep by Alabama with a sweep of its own in Knoxville. UT swept UA with two wins, 9-2, 4-0 to clinch the SEC title in the last regular season series on the 2007 season. Brittany Rogers paced the Tide in the series by collecting five hits for a .625 batting clip. UT hurler Monica Abbott tossed a total of 10 innings and struck out 11.
The University of Alabama softball team used power at the plate and solid pitching to defeat the UAB Blazers, 10-1, Thursday night at George Ward Park in Birmingham. Ashley Holcombe, Lauren Parker and Charlotte Morgan blasted home runs as the Tide overcame an early 1-0 deficit. Alabama received good pitching efforts from starter Charlotte Morgan, Kelsi Dunne and Allison Moore to shut down the Blazers as the Tide allowed only three hits while notching 12 strikeouts. On the mound, Dunne picked up the win for Alabama with three innings of hitless relief work to improve to 7-1 on the season. Alabama rapped out 11 hits and only allowed three on the evening. Parker drove in five runs while Holcombe was a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate.
After the loss at Washington, Alabama fell to second in the USA Today/NFCA rankings with a 17-1 record, despite having more first-place votes (10) than top-ranked Arizona State (9). The Tide now ranks third in the ESPN.com/Softball USA rankings behind ASU and UCLA. Following its perfect 15-0 start and three dominating performances at its first three tournaments, the Tide held on to the No. 1 ranking in both of softball's national polls (ESPN.com/USA Softball and USA Today/NFCA) on Tuesday, Feb. 26. The Tide, ranked fourth in the preseason and No. 2 in the first week's poll, earned the top spot for the second time in program history on Feb. 19.
The University of Alabama has played solid softball during non-conference play and it has shown in the SEC statistics. Alabama is in the top three in 11 offensive categories and paces the conference in seven of them, including batting average (.357), slugging percentage (.568), on-base-percentage (.477) and stolen bases (61).
University of Alabama senior utility player Jordan Praytor was recently selected by the New England Riptide of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Softball League in its annual Senior Draft. Praytor, a two-time All-Southeastern Conference selection (2006-07) and a 2008 Preseason All-American by ESPN.com, was taken with the 22nd selection overall in the fourth round of the draft.
Alabama wrapped up its non-conference play with a near-perfect record. The Tide came out of the gate with 17-straight victories. The lone blemish on the record came against No. 25 ranked Washington in the Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash. Alabama is a combined 57-3 in its last three seasons against its preseason opponents. Alabama went a perfect 21-0 last year before SEC play.
The Crimson Tide will remain at the friendly confines of the Alabama Softball Complex for a mid-week doubleheader against SEC foe No. 5-ranked Florida. The first of two games is scheduled for Wednesday, March 12 with first pitch slated for 5:00 p.m. Alabama will then hit the road and play No. 19 Mississippi State in Starkville for a three-game set, starting on Saturday, March 15 at 1:00 p.m. at the MSU Softball Field.
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