Top 10 Matchup Awaits Softball this Weekend at Georgia
3/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
THIS WEEK: #5 ALABAMA AT #8 GEORGIA
Athens, Ga. - Jack Turner Stadium
Friday, March 13 - 5 p.m. CT
Saturday, March 14 - 2 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
Sunday, March 15 - 1 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
THE TIDE ON THE AIR
TV: Friday - SEC Network + (Online Only - WatchESPN.com)
Saturday/Sunday - SEC Network
Play-by-play: TBA, Color: Jessica Mendoza
RADIO: 95.3 FM (953thebear.com)
SCOUTING ALABAMA (18-4, 3-0 SEC)
- Alabama opened SEC play last weekend with a shutout sweep over Ole Miss at home, defeating the Rebels by a combined score of 23-0.
- Sophomore Sydney Littlejohn capped the weekend with a perfect game on Sunday, already her second this season. Prior to this year, there had only been one perfect game in program history, making Littlejohn the first Tide pitcher to throw multiple perfect games.
- The three shutouts mark the first time Alabama has won at least three straight shutouts since the 2011 postseason, when they defeated Stanford, 10-0 and 1-0, in the NCAA Super Regional before defeating Cal, 1-0, and Baylor, 3-0, to open play at the Women's College World Series. The last time Alabama shut out an SEC opponent in three games was also in 2011, when the Tide blanked South Carolina 7-0, 7-0 and 1-0 on April 1-3.
- Alabama is led on offense by two time All-American Haylie McCleney, hitting .500 with 32 hits, seven doubles, 17 RBI and 15 stolen bases. She has started all 22 games this season in center field and has batted leadoff in 20 of those 22 games.
- Freshman Alexis Osorio has started the most games (8) and thrown the most innings (50.0) of any Tide pitcher this season. She has struck out 64 batters, which ranks eighth in the SEC.
SCOUTING GEORGIA (23-3, 2-1 SEC)
- Georgia saw its nine-game winning streak snapped last weekend in the series finale against Mississippi State, falling 8-7 in extra innings via a walk-off home run.
- Like many other teams, weather has plagued the schedule so far for Georgia, forcing the cancellation of five games so far.
- The Bulldogs lead the SEC with a .402 team batting average. They are the only team hitting above .400. Four regular starters on the roster are hitting above .400, led by freshman Cortni Emanuel at .535 (46-86). She also leads the league with 33 stolen bases.
- 2014 All-American and SEC Tournament MVP Chelsea Wilkinson has thrown 94.2 of the team's 155.1 innings this season, owning a 13-3 record and 1.70 ERA with 116 strikeouts.
SERIES HISTORY
- All-Time Record vs. Georgia: 34-16
- Last Meeting: May 9, 2014 - L, 5-3 - Columbia, S.C. (SEC Tournament)
- First Meeting: April 27, 1997 - W, 4-0 - Athens, Ga.
- Last Meeting in Athens: April 21, 2012 - W, 6-4 - Athens, Ga.
- Current Streak: Georgia 1
LAST WEEK: ALABAMA VS. OLE MISS (TUSCALOOSA, ALA.)
- Alabama 6, Ole Miss 0: A first-inning grand slam by Marisa Runyon and a stellar complete game by Alexis Osorio guided Alabama to a 6-0 shutout over Ole Miss in Friday's SEC opener at Rhoads Stadium. Alabama drew a season high 10 walks as the Ole Miss pitching staff struggled to find the zone. Despite the lopsided win, the Tide left plenty of additional opportunities on base, stranding a season high 12 as well.
- Alabama 7, Ole Miss 0: Celebrating her senior day on Saturday, pitcher Leslie Jury helped guide Alabama to a 7-0 shutout win over Ole Miss, clinching the series for the Crimson Tide. Alabama shut out Ole Miss for the second straight game, following a similar formula to Friday's win by scoring early and holding the Rebels at bay with strong pitching. Jury earned the win for the Tide in the circle, throwing a complete game shutout with eight strikeouts and no walks.
- Alabama 10, Ole Miss 0 (5 Innings): The third shutout of the weekend for Alabama was its finest, as sophomore Sydney Littlejohn threw a perfect game against Ole Miss on Sunday, becoming the first player in program history to throw two perfect games. Littlejohn is the only player in Alabama history to throw two perfect games, both of which have come this season. Offensively for the Tide, Danae Hays and Chaunsey Bell were both 2-2 on Sunday with a combined five RBI while Marisa Runyon also drove in a pair on a first-inning double. Five of the Tide's 10 runs were unearned, as some early errors by the Ole Miss defense hurt starter Madi Osias' effort in the circle, as she left after just 1.2 innings pitched.
LITTLEJOHN MAKES UA HISTORY WITH SECOND PERFECT GAME
Sophomore Sydney Littlejohn's second perfect game of the season was a historic moment in Alabama softball history:
- She is the only pitcher in program history to throw multiple perfect games, as there was only one perfect game thrown by an Alabama pitcher prior to her two this season.
- It is the first time an Alabama pitcher has thrown multiple no-hitters in the same season since Kelsi Dunne in 2011.
- Only two other Tide pitchers have thrown multiple no-hitters in the same season: Stephanie VanBrakle and Kelsi Dunne. VanBrakle threw two in 2004 and three in 2006. Dunne threw three in 2009 and three in 2011.
LITTLEJOHN NAMED SEC PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Her historic second perfect game this season helped Sydney Littlejohn earn SEC Pitcher of the Week honors, announced by the Southeastern Conference on Monday:
- It is her second SEC Pitcher of the Week award this season. She earned her first one after throwing her first perfect game at the Sand Dollar Classic in Gulf Shores, Ala., on week one.
- It is the third SEC weekly honor overall for Alabama so far this season, as Haylie McCleney was named SEC Player of the Week following the Stanford Nike Invitational in week two.
- This is Littlejohn's third career conference honor, as her first came last year in the final week of the regular season when she clinched an outright SEC Championship for Alabama to earn SEC Freshman of the Week.
- She is the first Alabama pitcher to earn multiple SEC Pitcher of the Week awards in the same season since Jaclyn Traina in 2012.
Patrick Murphy APPROACHING CAREER WIN #900
Alabama Head Coach Patrick Murphy is just 12 wins shy of career win No. 900, owning an 888-250 (.780) record. He went 28-20 as the interim head coach at Northwest Missouri State in 1995 and has since earned an 860-230 record in 16-plus seasons at the helm of the Crimson Tide. Since taking over as the head coach at Alabama in 1999, he has made 16-straight NCAA Tournament appearances and nine Women's College World Series appearances, including a national championship in 2012. Alabama has won five SEC regular season titles and five SEC Tournament titles as well.
SOFTBALL RANKED FIFTH IN BOTH NATIONAL POLLS
Alabama softball is ranked at No. 5 this week in both the USA Today/NFCA poll and the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, released Tuesday.
Alabama is holding steady at No. 5 for the third straight week in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll and slid down one spot in the USA Today/NFCA poll, as undefeated LSU jumped Alabama into a tie at third place with Michigan. The Tigers are ranked No. 2 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, trailing Florida as the unanimous No. 1 team.
All nine SEC teams that have been ranked all season remain in the top 25 this week, including three in the top five and five in the top 10: Florida (1/1), LSU (3/2), Alabama (5/5), Georgia (8/8), Tennessee (9/15), Auburn (12/14), Kentucky (14/12), Texas A&M (19/21) and Missouri (21/19). Mississippi State and South Carolina are also receiving votes outside the top 25.
STRONG ON SENIOR DAY
If added pressure on a player's senior day has produced some less-than-stellar efforts in the past, this year's group has bucked the trend so far:
- Chaunsey Bell's senior day was on Saturday, Feb. 21 as the Tide faced Michigan and James Madison. Bell drove in the Tide's lone run vs. the Wolverines and then drove in another run in the win against the Dukes on a fifth-inning sacrifice fly.
- Danielle Richard's senior day was Sunday, Feb. 22 as Alabama closed its weekend with a win over Lipscomb. Richard only went 1-1 but drove in a career-high four RBI, knocking in a two-run single and a pair of sacrifice flies.
- Danae Hays only had one hit between the two games on her senior day vs. Louisiana, but the lone hit was a big one. Leading off the sixth inning in game one with a 4-1 lead, Hays tagged on some insurance for the Tide with a solo home run into left-center to make it 5-1, which proved final. The home run was her second of the season, both of which have come at Rhoads Stadium.
- Leslie Jury celebrated her senior day on Saturday, March 7 vs. Ole Miss by throwing a complete game shutout and securing the series win for the Crimson Tide. She allowed just six hits with no walks while striking out eight.
NEXT TIME OUT: ALABAMA VS. GEORGIA STATE / FLORIDA
Next up, Alabama hosts Georgia State in a midweek matchup on Wednesday, March 18 at 6 p.m. CT before hosting the top-ranked Florida Gators for a three-game weekend series in Tuscaloosa. The series will be a rematch of last season's national championship series.
Wednesday, March 18 vs. Georgia State - 6 p.m. CT
Saturday, March 21 vs. Florida - 1 p.m. (ESPNU)
Sunday, March 22 vs. Florida - 4:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Monday, March 23 vs. Florida - 6 p.m. (SEC Network)
