Softball to Conclude Road Trip at Troy on Tuesday
4/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 11, 2011
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama softball team (37-5, 12-4 SEC) will close out its two-week road trip as it will face the Troy Trojans (25-18, 6-7 Sun Belt) on Tuesday, April 12. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. CDT inside the Troy Softball Complex.
LAST TIME OUT
The Alabama softball team was swept in a three-game series for the first time since 2004 as the LSU Tigers held the Crimson Tide to just two runs on the weekend. In the second-longest game in Alabama softball history, the Crimson Tide fell 2-1 in 14 innings to LSU at Tiger Park on Friday night in the series opener. In game two, Alabama dropped the series on another walk-off homer, this time in a 10-inning affair, falling to the Tigers, 3-1, Saturday night. In the series finale on Sunday, Alabama pitchers Jackie Traina and Kelsi Dunne combined to pitch a no-hitter but it was not enough as LSU claimed game three by the score of 2-0. The Tide threw a no-hitter and lost for just the second time in the history of the program as Stephanie VanBrakle was tagged with the loss against Georgia Tech in 2004. It is the first time in school history that Alabama has scored one or less runs in four straight games. This series loss is the first of the season for the Crimson Tide and the first in the last 57 SEC series.
WHO TO WATCH
Over the last 10 games, Alabama sophomore Kayla Braud has set the table atop the lineup. Braud leads the team over that span with a .382 average, 13 hits, 10 runs and four stolen bases. Senior Whitney Larsen closely follows with a .367 average, 11 hits, two home runs and a team-best nine RBI. Juniors Jennifer Fenton and Amanda Locke have hit a team-best three home runs apiece while Fenton has hit .321 and Locke has added a .318 average over that span. In the circle, freshman Jackie Traina sports a 2-2 record with a 0.58 ERA while fanning 26 in 24 innings. Senior Kelsi Dunne is 4-1 with a 0.99 ERA. The right-hander has struck out 56 in 42.1 innings.
SCOUTING TROY
The Troy softball team claimed its first series win in Sun Belt Conference play, sweeping Western Kentucky University in a weekend series at the Troy Softball Complex. On Saturday, Troy used the arm of senior Ashlyn Williams to claim a 1-0 victory in game one of the series, before coming from behind in the nightcap for a 7-6 victory in game two. In the opener, Williams evened her record for the year as she pitched her second complete game of the week and 14th of the season. It is the 33rd time in her career that Williams has not allowed a run in an outing for the Trojans. Troy scored the lone run of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning after the two teams were caught in a pitcher's duel between Williams and WKU's Kim Wagner. In the nightcap, Troy started a comeback in the bottom of the sixth for the second straight contest as the Trojans sent seven batters to the plate to face a pair of Lady Topper pitchers. Taylor Smartt got things rolling for the Trojans in the bottom of the sixth inning as she drew a two-out walk, followed by a wild pitch to get her to second and another two-out walk to Nikki Hollett. Kim Wagner came on to pitch to Hayden Gann, who was promptly walked to load the bases. Junior Randi Ashworth delivered the big blow for the Trojans as she connected on a two-out, two-strike triple to left to clear the bases and give the Trojans the lead, which was extended to 7-5 after a throwing error on the play allowed the junior to score. Troy walked their way to victory, literally, on Sunday as they drew eight walks and used a walk-off home run to complete the sweep of WKU, 9-0. Troy won their fourth consecutive game, and their fifth in six conference games, as they scored in four of the six innings against the Lady Toppers. Williams pitched her third complete game this week, allowing just four hits in six innings with two strikeouts. Hollett has been swinging a hot bat for the Trojans as she owns a .396 average. Hollett leads the team in runs (44), hits (57), doubles (13), home runs (18), runs batted in (52) and slugging percentage (.917). After earning two wins on the weekend, Williams improved her record to 12-11 with a 2.08 ERA and 190 strikeouts.
SERIES HISTORY
Troy: The Alabama softball team concluded the Easton/Hibbett Sports All-Alabama Classic with a 9-1 win in six innings over Troy on Feb. 13. Junior Olivia Gibson went deep twice and freshman Kaila Hunt also hit a home run. Sophomore Kayla Braud collected two hits, scored three times and swiped four bases for the Tide. Kelsi Dunne improved to 2-0 on the season by allowing one unearned run on three hits while striking out nine and walking two in six innings. With the win, Alabama now holds a 14-0 series advantage over Troy. The last time Alabama played at Troy was in 2008, where the Tide earned an 11-0 win in six innings.
MURPHY NEARS 700 CAREER WINS
Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy enters the week with 696 career victories, closing in on 700 wins. Murphy started off his career with 28 wins at Northwest Missouri State and has racked up 668 wins at the helm of the Crimson Tide program. Murphy earned his 600th win in walk-off fashion as Whitney Larsen belted a solo homer in the eighth inning to down Kentucky, 2-1, in the SEC Tournament semifinals in 2009. Overall, Murphy sports a 696-204 career record as he enters his 14th season as a head coach.
DUNNE CONTINUES TO CLIMB CAREER STRIKEOUTS LIST; SITS AT 102 CAREER TOTAL WINS
Alabama senior pitcher Kelsi Dunne took sole possession of second in total career strikeouts on March 26 against Arkansas. This past weekend, Dunne notched 13 strikeouts against LSU to mark her career total at 1,088 strikeouts. Next on the list for the right-hander is record-holder Stephanie VanBrakle (1,113). Dunne wasn't able to pick up a win this past weekend against LSU as the Tide provided little run support for the senior. Shelly Laird holds the record for wins with 115.
LARSEN MOVES UP THE HOME RUN LIST
Alabama senior Whitney Larsen has smacked nine home runs on the season, and now has 43 career homers which is third in UA history for career round-trippers. On the season, the senior has 41 RBI and is hitting .345. Charlotte Morgan ranks second all-time with 58 homers and Kelly Kretschman holds the top mark with 60 home runs.
ALABAMA REMAINS UNDEFEATED AT RHOADS STADIUM
The Crimson Tide is a perfect 17-0 at Rhoads Stadium for the 2011 season. Alabama is 5-0 against ranked opponents as well, including sweeps of then-No. 24 Auburn and then-No. 1 Georgia. Freshman Kaila Hunt has been more than impressive when at home this season, batting .483 with seven RBI and six runs. Junior Cassie Reilly-Boccia has knocked in 25 runs thus far and scored 16 times with a .340 batting average. Sophomore Kayla Braud is hitting a .418 average with 23 runs and nine swiped bases. Senior Kelsi Dunne has been marvelous inside the circle, compiling a 10-0 record with a 1.43 ERA and 91 strikeouts. The Tide has outscored their opponents 153 to 40 in front of an average attendance of 2,753 fans inside Rhoads Stadium.
ALABAMA AGAINST 2010 NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS
Alabama once again faces a tough schedule as the Crimson Tide has already played 27 games against teams that participated in the 2010 NCAA tournament. The Crimson Tide sports a 22-5 record in those games in 2011 with its only losses coming against No. 19 Louisiana-Lafayette (1-0, March 4), No. 8 Tennessee (4-1, March 22) and a series sweep provided by LSU (April 8-10). They are a perfect 13-0 against the 2010 tourney teams inside the friendly confines of Rhoads Stadium. The Tide has outscored those opponents 161-51 and is hitting .267 with 34 home runs and 148 RBI. In the circle, Alabama is pitching at a 1.49 clip and holding those teams to a .169 batting average. Sophomore Kayla Braud leads the team with a .429 average and has scored 27 runs and swiped 23 bases. Freshman Jackie Traina is batting .292 with eight home runs and 25 RBI. Cassie Reilly-Boccia leads the team with 27 RBI while adding a .293 average with five home runs. In the circle, senior Kelsi Dunne is 13-2 with a 1.20 ERA. She has struck out 156 in 105 innings.
ALABAMA AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
Alabama holds an 8-2 record against ranked opponents in 2011. The Tide has outscored its ranked opposition 54-24 while hitting .237 with 10 home runs and 46 RBI. In the circle, the Tide is pitching at a 2.09 clip and holding opponents to a .191 average. Alabama has now won seven of their last eight against ranked teams, including a three-game sweep of then-No. 1 Georgia. Individually, Jennifer Fenton is hitting a .348 average with seven runs batted in. Kayla Braud is batting .333 and has scored a team-best 10 runs while adding four doubles. In the circle, Kelsi Dunne is 6-1 with a 2.04 ERA and has struck out 64 in 44.2 innings.
SEC TEAM STANDINGS
With the hot start at the plate to the 2011 campaign, the Crimson Tide leads the Southeastern Conference in numerous statistical categories. Offensively, the Tide leads the circuit in: slugging percentage (.628), home runs (72) and stolen bases (102). The team ranks second in runs scored (309), runs batted in (288) and total bases (625). The Tide comes in at third in slugging percentage (.582) and doubles (59). In the circle, the Tide leads the circuit in ERA (1.32), opposing batting average (.166), strikeouts (371), total wins (37), hits allowed (158) and runs allowed (68).
SEC INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS
Numerous Alabama individuals currently pace the league in several categories. Kayla Braud leads the league in stolen bases (42), runs scored (51) and tied for first in hits (61). Braud ranks second in batting average (.459) and third in on-base percentage (.541). Jackie Traina comes in at third in both home runs (13) and slugging percentage (.794). In the circle, Kelsi Dunne is first in batters truck out (205) and opposing batting average (.136) while staying at second in ERA (1.09).
NEXT TIME OUT
The Alabama Crimson Tide will finally return home to Tuscaloosa after being on the road for its last eight games to clash with the Mississippi State Bulldogs on A-Day weekend. The two SEC western division foes will face off inside Rhoads Stadium with first pitch scheduled for Friday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m. CDT.
