Alabama Softball Notebook - April 13
4/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 13, 2008
April 7-13, 2008
Week: 4-0
Overall Record: 39-3
SEC Record: 18-2 - 1st SEC West; 2nd SEC Overall
Thursday, April 10: Alabama 11, Troy 0
Saturday, April 12 (1): Alabama 5, Auburn 4 (8 inns.)
Saturday, April 12 (2): Alabama 12, Auburn 1
Sunday, April 13: Alabama 4, Auburn 2
Noting the Crimson Tide
No. 2 Alabama (39-3, 18-2 SEC) put together another impressive week with a 4-0 record that included a SEC sweep of Auburn on the Plains ... the Crimson Tide has reeled off 18-consecutive wins, including 15-straight in conference play ... UA has not lost since March 12 when they split a doubleheader with then-No. 4 Florida ... Alabama (18-2 SEC) has a commanding eight-game lead in the loss column over LSU (11-8) in the SEC West while sitting one-game back in the loss column of Florida (18-1) for the overall SEC lead ... the Tide began a seven-game road trip on Thursday at Troy with a decisive 11-0 win ... Dani Woods hit her first of four home runs this week, a three-run shot in the first inning, and finished with four RBI ... Kelsi Dunne and Chrissy Owens combined for the shutout in the circle, allowing just one hit ... Dunne came back with in the opening game of a doubleheader at Auburn on Saturday to go the distance in a 5-4 extra-innings win over the Tigers and improve to 16-3 on the season ... she pitched eight innings and struck out a career-high 15, which is the most for a UA pitcher since Stephanie VanBrakle fanned 15 vs. Ole Miss on April 8, 2006 ... Kellie Eubanks' two-out home run in the top of the eighth inning was the difference ... Woods went 2 for 4 with a double in that game while Charlotte Morgan homered and drove in two runs ... Alabama crushed the Tigers in the second game of the doubleheader, 12-1, as Morgan earned the win on the mound, allowing one run on four hits in 5.2 innings of work ... the Tide cranked three home runs with Jordan Praytor, Woods and Kelley Montalvo going deep ... Woods was again 2 for 4 with two runs scored a double and a home run ... all but one starter collected a hit as UA pounded out 10 hits and scored in double-figures for the second time in three games ... Alabama again played long ball in the series finale at Auburn, scoring four runs on three home runs in a 4-2 win that completed the sweep ... Woods was the hero with two home runs and three RBI, while Morgan connected for a solo home run - her second of the series ... Morgan also earned her second-straight win of the series in the circle, throwing 6.1 innings and allowing just two runs - one earned - with four strikeouts ... Chrissy Owens made her third appearance of the week and earned her fifth save of the season ... retiring the only two Tigers hitters she faced ... at the plate the Crimson Tide hit .319 for the week with nine doubles, nine home runs and a .627 slugging percentage ... in the circle, Dunne, Morgan and Owens combined to post a 1.00 ERA with 29 strikeouts and a .160 opponent batting average ... Woods led the charge at the plate, hitting .467 (7 for 15) with four home runs, two doubles, six runs scored and 12 RBI ... she posted a 1.400 slugging percentage and reached base at a .500 clip ... Woods is second on the squad with nine home runs and 38 RBI ... Kelley Montalvo was right behind her with a .444 (4 for 9) average, a home run and a .583 on-base percentage ... Morgan and Brittany Rogers both hit .400 (6 for 15) for the week ... Morgan connected for two more home runs for a team-high 12 and four RBI for 52 while Rogers swiped three bases and had a .471 on-base percentage ... Rogers has 43 stolen bases on the season and 129 for her career, just five shy of breaking UA great Kelly Kretschman's record of 133 ... Alabama will play Team USA on Tuesday, April 15, at Liberty Park in Vestavia Hills, Ala. ... Kretschman is on Team USA and will be playing in her second Olympic Games later this year in Beijing, China ... The Crimson Tide then ventures to Fayetteville, Ark., for a midweek doubleheader against the Razorbacks before returning home for a three-game set with South Carolina next weekend at the Alabama Softball Complex.
Freshman/Pitcher of the Week Nominee
Kelsi Dunne * Freshman * Right-Handed Pitcher
Port Orange, Fla. / Spruce Creek HS
• Kelsi Dunne posted a 2-0 record this week with wins at Troy and at Auburn.
• Dunne allowed just two earned runs in 12 innings of work for a 1.17 ERA and 20 strikeouts.
• She fanned a career-high 15 in a complete-game win at Auburn on Saturday where she pitched eight innings.
• The 15 strikeouts were the most by a Crimson Tide pitcher since Stephanie VanBrakle sat down 15 vs. Ole Miss on April 8, 2006.
• Dunne held opposing batters to a .167 average.
• She allowed just one hit at Troy to earn the win on Thursday while striking out five Trojans.
Player of the Week Nominee
Dani Woods * Senior * OF/1B
Cockeysville, Md./Dulaney HS
• Dani Woods mashed four home runs and hit .467 (7 for 5) in four starts for Alabama this week.
• Woods drove in 12 runs and posted a .1400 slugging percentage while reaching base a .500 clip.
• She has five home runs in her last five games and the second-most home runs on the team this season with nine.
• Woods connected for two home runs on Sunday at Auburn as the Tide completed a three-game sweep of the Tigers.
• She hit three home runs in three games at Auburn - all off Tiger ace Anna Thompson - including two opposite-field shots that hit the top of the Auburn scoreboard in left-center field.
Next Week
Tuesday, April 15: Alabama vs. U.S. Olympic Team at Liberty Park, Vestavia Hills, Ala.: 6:35 p.m. (exh.)
Thursday, April 17: Alabama at Arkansas, 5 p.m. (DH)
Saturday, April 19: South Carolina at Alabama, 1 p.m. (DH)
Sunday, April 20: South Carolina at Alabama, 1:30 p.m.
