No. 2 Softball Heads to No. 20 LSU
3/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 17, 2009
ALABAMA 23-2
TV: None
Radio: 90.7 (Play by Play - James Hardy)
Internet Radio: thecapstone.ua.edu
Live Stats: rolltide.com
Video Streaming: LSUsports.net
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The No. 2 ranked Alabama softball team (23-2, 3-0 SEC) will head to Baton Rouge, La. to face No. 20 ranked LSU (15-6, 2-2 SEC) to open its road portion of the Southeastern Conference circuit. The two teams will square off in a midweek doubleheader with the first game slated for Wednesday, March 18 at 5:00 p.m. at the new Tiger Park.
Last Time Out
Alabama opened SEC play by sweeping nearby Mississippi State in three games. The Crimson Tide opened the series by taking a doubleheader by the scores of 4-0 and 7-1. Alabama secured the sweep with a 3-2 win behind a sixth inning two-run double off the bat of freshman Amanda Locke. Junior Charlotte Morgan batted .625 over the weekend and added a home run and six RBI. Morgan also struck out a career-high 12 in her lone appearance in the circle on the weekend.
Who to Watch
Junior Charlotte Morgan returned to form on the weekend to open SEC play. In five games last week the Moreno Valley, Calif. native batted .533 (8-for-15) and added a team-leading seven RBI. During the three game series Morgan batted .625 (5-for-8) with a home run, double and six RBI while slugging 1.125. In game two of the series Morgan took to the circle and struck out a career-best 12 in a complete game win. Newcomer Jennifer Fenton also put together a stellar week. The rookie batted .479 (9-for-19) with a team-leading nine runs and nine stolen bases in nine attempts. Fenton collected a hit in all six games on the week.
Scouting the Competition
LSU: The Tigers will host the Crimson Tide with a 15-6 overall record and a 2-2 SEC mark. LSU is coming off a weekend where two of its games where rained out. The Tigers did manage to get in one game but fell to Georgia by the score of 6-5. The two wins for LSU in conference play came against Kentucky at home by the scores of 3-2 and 10-2. As a team LSU is batting .288 and is pitching at a 2.36 clip. Opponents are hitting just .218 and are pitching at a 3.97 ledger. Individually Kirsten Shortridg leads the team with a .380 batting average and 13 stolen bases. Ashley Langoli has provided the punch with three home runs and a team-leading 13 RBI. In the circle Cody Trahan paces the team with a 1.67 ERA in 54.1 innings pitched. Brittany Mack has posted an identical 5-1 record and leads the team with 63 strikeouts on top of a 2.32.
Series History
The two programs will meet for the 54th and 55th time with the Tigers holding a 29-24 advantage. The teams last met at the SEC Tournament on May 7 with the Crimson Tide earning a 7-4 victory in Baton Rouge. Jordan Praytor batted 3-for-4 in the game while Charlotte Morgan and Whitney Larsen went deep for the Tide. Alabama swept LSU in three games last season in Tuscaloosa.
Last Five Games
Alabama is a perfect 5-0 in its last five games, including three wins in SEC play. As a team the Crimson Tide is batting .353 and pitching at a 1.27 clip. Charlotte Morgan leads the team at the plate, batting .583 with a home run and seven RBI. Freshman Jennifer Fenton is batting .533 with eight runs and nine stolen bases. In the circle Kelsi Dunne and Amanda Locke posted two wins while Dunne has struck out 16 over that span. Five Alabama hitters hit over .400 over the course of the five games.
SEC Rankings
Alabama continues to rank atop the conference in ERA as the Crimson Tide checks in at number two with a 1.16 mark. Senior Brittany Rogers ranks fourth in the league in batting with a .475 average. Rogers also ranks second in stolen bases with 20. Jennifer Fenton closely follows in sixth with a .434 mark. In the circle Kelsi Dunne leads the league in ERA with a 0.30 ledger.
Dunne-believable
Sophomore hurler Kelsi Dunne has been lights out in her second season at the Capstone. Dunne is a perfect 10-0 with a video game like 0.30 ERA in 70 innings pitched. Of her 13 appearances the Port Orange, Fla. native has only allowed an earned run in one contest. Dunne has not allowed an earned run since Feb. 21 and has already posted six shutouts. The right hander has fanned 96 and only walked 25. The six shutouts already ties Dunne for the 10th most in a single season in school history. Dunne posted 10 as a freshman, which ranks fourth all-time in the UA annals.
Freshman Sensations
Alabama has enjoyed immediate success from its freshman class. Four rookies are batting over .300 and two have hit at over a .450 clip. Jennifer Fenton leads the way with a .434 average and a25 runs. The rookie is a perfect 17-for-17 in stolen base attempts. Jazlyn Lunceford is hitting .500 in her 24 at bats with a home run and nine RBI. Amanda Locke came through in the clutch to deliver a 3-2 win for the Tide against the Bulldogs with a RBI double in the sixth of the final game of the series. Locke is hitting .327 with three home runs and 12 RBI. Cassandra Reilly-Boccia is also putting together a nice rookie campaign as she is hitting .314 with a home run and 14 RBI.
Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Alabama seniors Brittany Rogers and Ashley Holcombe were named Lowe's Senior CLASS Award candidates. The Alabama duo is among 30 candidates. UA is the only program with two candidates on the 30 name list. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages those leaders to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: Classroom, Character, Community, and Competition.
Next Time Out
Alabama will continue its Spring Break road trip by heading to Oxford, Miss. to face the University of Mississippi. The two teams will play a three game weekend series with the first contest slated for Saturday, March 21 at 1:00 p.m. Saturday will feature a doubleheader and the two teams will wrap up the series in Sunday at 3:00 p.m.
