Softball to Host Georgia State Wednesday in Tuscaloosa
3/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
THIS WEEK
#5/4 Alabama vs. Georgia State
Tuscaloosa, Ala. - Rhoads Stadium
Wednesday, March 18 - 6 p.m. CT
THE TIDE ON THE AIR
TV: Online Only - SEC Network + (WatchESPN.com)
Play-by-play: Gary Harris, Color: Lauren Sewell
RADIO: 95.3 FM (953thebear.com)
SCOUTING ALABAMA (20-5, 5-1 SEC)
- Alabama won its second SEC series of the season last weekend, defeating eight-ranked Georgia twice in Athens. The teams both split comeback victories in a Saturday doubleheader before the Crimson Tide battled to a 4-2 win in Sunday's rubber match.
- Alabama has now won nine out of its last 11 games, including series victories over fifth-ranked Louisiana Lafayette and eighth-ranked Georgia.
- The Crimson Tide have played eight games against teams ranked in the top 10, which already matches the entire total from last year including the postseason.
- Freshman second baseman Demi Turner was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after a strong weekend in Athens as she now leads the team in batting average (.468), hits (37) and RBI (20).
- Freshman pitcher Alexis Osorio earned two quality wins last weekend against Georgia, throwing a season-high 9.0 innings in game one during the comeback victory and throwing 6.0 strong innings in the series finale on Sunday. Georgia came into the weekend hitting above .400 as a team and Osorio limited the Bulldogs to just 11 hits over 15.0 innings while striking out 14.
SCOUTING GEORGIA STATE (18-3, 5-1 SUN BELT)
- The game against Alabama will be the Panthers' second of the week as they host Chattanooga in Atlanta Tuesday before heading to Tuscaloosa on Wednesday.
- At 18-3, it is the best start through 20 games in program history.
- The Panthers saw a 15 game winning streak come to an end last week as they dropped the series finale against Sun Belt opponent Texas State, 5-4, on Sunday.
- This will be Georgia State's third game against a ranked opponent this season, as they previously took on Auburn twice, falling 20-8 and 10-0.
- Offensively, the Panthers are led by freshman catcher Ivie Drake, who has a .540 average on 34 hits, including nine doubles and eight home runs. She has driven in 30 runs and scored 34.
- Georgia State has struggled a bit in the circle, owning a 4.30 team ERA. Sophomore Taylor Thorpe is a perfect 10-0 (3.50 ERA) and has thrown 62.0 of the team's 138.1 innings.
ALL-TIME VS. GEORGIA STATE (4-1)
Last Meeting: March 19, 2014 - W, 3-1 - Tuscaloosa, Ala.
First Meeting: March 28, 1997 - W, 11-2 (5 Innings) - Marietta, Ga.
Last Meeting in Tuscaloosa: March 19, 2014 - W, 3-1 - Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Current Streak: Alabama 2
LAST WEEK: #5 ALABAMA AT #8 GEORGIA (ATHENS, GA.)
- Alabama 7, Georgia 4 (9 Innings): Trailing 4-3 in the top of the seventh inning, Alabama would go on to score four unanswered runs, taking the 7-4 comeback victory in extra innings over Georgia to open the weekend series. The late comeback was led by freshman Demi Turner with a pair of clutch late at-bats to tie it in the seventh inning and take a lead in the top of the ninth. Danae Hays went 3-4 from the plate, finishing a home run shy of the cycle, while Leona Lafaele drove in two runs on a two-run homer in the fourth inning. After giving up a solo homer in the top of the fourth, starter Alexis Osorio would go on to retire 18 straight batters to close out the complete game victory, striking out eight with zero walks.
- Georgia 7, Alabama 6: C Georgia fashioned its own comeback victory in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, scoring three late runs to defeat Alabama, 7-6. The Crimson Tide jumped out to a 6-2 lead before the Bulldogs would come back with five unanswered runs over the final four innings to earn the victory. McCleney and Turner went a combined 4-8 leading off the batting order while Runyon went 2-3 with a pair of RBI on a two-run homer. Tide starter Leslie Jury took a no-decision in the circle, throwing 4.1 innings while sophomore Sydney Littlejohn suffered the loss in relief, her first of the season.
- Alabama 4, Georgia 2: Alabama took the early lead before Georgia came back in the fifth to tie it, but a big two-run homer by Case in the sixth inning ultimately made the difference in Sunday's rubber match victory. The home run was Case's first of the season and just her second extra-base hit of the season. Demi Turner capped a strong weekend with a 3-4 performance, driving in one, while Alexis Osorio earned the win in the circle and Leslie Jury earned her second save of the season, throwing the final inning of the game.
Demi Turner NAMED SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
A hot weekend at the plate including a pair of crucial hits in game one helped Alabama freshman Demi Turner earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors, announced by the Southeastern Conference Monday.
- Hit .538 (7-13) with multiple hits in all three games.
- Her two hits in game one of Saturday's doubleheader were two of the most crucial ones in Alabama's victory, scorching a rocket single down the third base line in the seventh inning to score one and tie the game at 4-4 and then blasting a solo home run in the ninth inning to put the Tide ahead in the eventual 7-4 comeback victory.
- Went 2-4 with an RBI in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader and then followed that with a 3-4 performance on Sunday, earning a hit in each of her first three at-bats.
- Turner has now earned a hit in 12 of her last 14 games, including hits in all but one conference series so far this season.
- She currently leads the team and ranks seventh in the SEC with a .468 batting average, boasting a team-leading 37 hits and 20 RBI.
- Batting primarily in the two-hole this year, she has done a great job of advancing runners as well, dropping a team-leading seven sacrifice bunts. She has started all 25 games at second base.
SOFTBALL MAINTAINS TOP FIVE RANKING; 10 SEC TEAMS ARE IN TOP 25
A top 10 series win on the road helped Alabama maintain its top five ranking in the week six national polls, sliding up to a fourth-place tie in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll and holding steady at No. 5 in the USA Today/NFCA poll.
Alabama moved up one spot into a fourth place tie with Michigan in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll and is holding steady at No. 5 for the second straight week in the USA Today/NFCA poll. A big weekend series win for LSU over Florida helped the Tigers earn a No. 1 spot in both polls for the first time in program history. The Gators and the Oregon Ducks are each ranked second in one poll while the other is ranked third. Despite losing two out of three to the Tide last weekend, Georgia remains at No. 8 for a second straight week in both polls. Auburn is making its first top 10 appearance of the season in the coaches' poll, moving into ninth place after sweeping Ole Miss.
The SEC now has 10 ranked teams in both polls, as Mississippi State is making its first top 25 appearance of the season. Five SEC teams are ranked in the top 10, including three in the top five: LSU (1/1), Florida (3/2), Alabama (5/T4), Georgia (8/8), Auburn (9/11), Kentucky (13/12), Tennessee (14/19), Missouri (19/18), Texas A&M (23/23) and Mississippi State (24/24). South Carolina is also among the leading teams receiving votes outside the top 25.
NEXT TIME OUT: ALABAMA VS. FLORIDA
Next up, Alabama hosts the Florida Gators for a three-game weekend series in Tuscaloosa. The series will be a rematch of last season's national championship series and marks the Tide's third three-game series so far this season against a Top 10 opponent.
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)
