Alabama Travels to UAB Tuesday for Midweek Matchup
2/24/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 24, 2014
THIS WEEK
Alabama (12-3) heads to Birmingham, Ala., for a midweek matchup against the UAB Blazers on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. CT.
The Tide on the Air
Tuesday's game can be heard locally on FM 95.3 The Bear or throughout the southeast on our Crimson Tide Sports Network affiliate stations. A link for an online audio stream is available on the softball schedule page at rolltide.com.
SCOUTING UAB
UAB (3-7, 0-0 C-USA) -The Blazers were the cinderella team in last season's NCAA Tournament, beating traditional powerhouse UCLA to win the Louisville Regional round before contending with Florida in the Gainesville Super Regional round, eventually falling 4-3 and 1-0. This year's UAB squad returns five position starters from 2013 including sophomore infielder Caitlin Attfield, who leads the team with a .432 average with 16 hits and a .475 on-base percentage. Senior Leigh Streetman (3-3) leads the pitching staff with a 1.64 ERA and 51 strikeouts over 38.1 innings. The Blazers have faced a tough schedule so far, playing three ranked teams: No. 14 Baylor (L, 4-2), No. 18 Missouri (L, 8-1) and two matchups against No. 20 South Alabama (L, 8-0, L, 2-1).
SERIES HISTORY
Alabama is undefeated against UAB, leading the all-time series 14-0. The most recent meeting between the teams was in Tuscaloosa on April 10, 2013. The Crimson Tide shut out the Blazers, 11-0, behind 6.0 strong innings by Leslie Jury in the circle, a 3-4 day at the plate by Kaila Hunt and a pinch-hit grand slam by Leona Lafaele in the sixth inning. Eariler that season, the two teams met at UAB Softball Field where Alabama won 8-4. Jaclyn Traina earned the win in the circle with nine strikeouts and also helped her own cause with a three-run homer in the first inning.
LAST TIME OUT: EASTON BAMA BASH
Alabama went 4-1 in its first home contests of the 2014 season, dispatching UCF and Virginia Tech twice before falling in the touranment finale to McNeese, 5-3. Alabama started the weekend strongly, shutting out Virginia Tech 8-0 in five innings on Friday, Feb. 21 before defeating UCF 8-3 later that night. The offense picked up where it left off on Saturday, Feb. 22, defeating Virginia Tech 14-5 with a season-high 14 hits, including a school record-tying four stolen bases from Kallie Case and four walks by Haylie McCleney. That night, the offense was quieted in a pitchers' duel against UCF, as the game-winning run for Alabama crossed the plate in the seventh inning off a bases-loaded error in the outfield as the Tide edged out the Knights, 1-0. On Sunday, Feb. 23, Alabama suffered its first home to a non-SEC opponent in nearly two years, falling to McNeese, 5-3. Alabama out-hit McNeese 9-7, but the difference was Alabama's 11 runners left on base.
PATRICK MURPHY EARNS 800TH WIN AT ALABAMA
With Saturday's win over Virginia Tech, Head Coach Patrick Murphy eclipsed the 800-win plateau as the University of Alabama's head coach. He is the 15th active Division-I head coach with at least 800 wins at their current school, while Murphy and Arizona's Mike Candrea are the only coaches among those 15 averaging over 50 wins per season. Over his Alabama career, Murphy owns a 801-216 (.788) record, while he is 829-236 (.778) all-time as a head coach, including 15-plus years at Alabama and one at Northwestern Missouri State.
BIRTHDAY BEST
A pair of gameday birthdays so far this season have proven very sucessful for the respective birthday girl. On Feb. 14, Danae Hays celebrated her 21st birthday by hitting a three-run homer in a 13-5 victory over Grand Canyon at the Hillenbrand Invitational. That home run was already her fourth of the season, surpassing her 2013 season total of two and nearing her freshman total of five. On Saturday, Feb. 22, Ryan Iamurri celebrated her senior day at Rhoads Stadium and her 22nd birthday by going a combined 2-6 in two starts against Virginia Tech and UCF. Against the Hokies, Iamurri drove in a pair of runs and scored two herself. In a scoreless tie against UCF, Iamurri ended up as the game-winning run as she sat at third with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh and came home off an outfield error to secure the 1-0 Alabama victory.
HOKIE HIGHS
Saturday's 13-5 win against Virginia Tech set multiple season highs and school records. Alabama's 14 hits is a season-high and is the most since Alabama hit 15 against Western Kentucky in the 2013 NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional round. The 11 walks drawn is also a season-high and is tied for sixth all-time in school history. Haylie McCleney accounted for four of those 11 walks, which is tied for a single-game school record. As a team, Alabama stole eight bases which is tied for third all-time. Kallie Case stole four of those bases, which also ties a single-game school record.
NEXT TIME OUT: EASTON CRIMSON CLASSIC
This weekend, the Tide returns home to host the Easton Crimson Classic. There, the Tide will play five games over three days, beginning with Purdue on Friday, Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. CT. Alabama will also play a pair of games against Houston and Florida State.
