Softball Continues Home Stand Wednesday Against Georgia Tech
3/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
THIS WEEK
#5/5 Alabama vs. Georgia Tech
Tuscaloosa, Ala. - Rhoads Stadium
Wednesday, March 25 - 2 p.m. CT
THE TIDE ON THE AIR
TV: Online Only - SEC Network + (WatchESPN.com)
RADIO: 95.3 FM (953thebear.com)
SCOUTING ALABAMA (22-7, 6-3 SEC)
- Alabama is now 22-7 overall and 6-3 in conference play after falling twice to No. 2 Florida last weekend before rebounding with a 5-1 win in game three to prevent the series sweep.
- The Crimson Tide rank fifth in the latest national polls, as they have not dropped outside the top five all season.
- Freshman pitcher Alexis Osorio limited the defending national champions to just two runs, both unearned, over 14.2 innings with 14 strikeouts and just one walk. She took the tough-luck loss in the series opener but earned the complete game victory in game three. In SEC play, she leads the league in wins (4) and ERA (1.15).
- Haylie McCleney led the offense over the weekend, going 5-8 (.625) including a triple and a home run in game three. She is hitting .494 (42-85) overall this season with a team-leading nine doubles, 20 stolen bases, 20 walks and 23 RBI.
SCOUTING GEORGIA TECH (11-19, 4-8 ACC)
- The Yellow Jackets lost six straight games to open the season before earning their first win over No. 20 Nebraska, 11-2. After sweeping a three-game series vs. Virginia, Georgia Tech has since lost seven of their last eight games.
- Head Coach Shely Hoerner is in her second season at the helm after a successful run at the College of Charleston, where she compiled a 254-206 (.552) record.
- Offensively, senior Katie Johnsky leads the team with a .387 batting average and 29 hits, including six doubles. She is second on the team with 21 RBI, trailing only junior Courtney Ziese with 23. Ziese also has slugged a team-leading six home runs.
- The Yellow Jackets have struggled in the circle, owning a team ERA of 4.53. Senior Kylie Kleinschmidt has seen the most innings this season at 87.1, but has been roughed up to the tune of a 3-12 record and 3.69 ERA.
ALL-TIME VS. GEORGIA TECH (13-3)
Last Meeting: Feb. 17, 2012 - W, 12-9 - Auburn, Ala.
First Meeting: April 20, 1998 - W, 7-1 - Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Last Meeting in Tuscaloosa: Feb. 16, 2008 - W, 9-5 - Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Current Streak: Alabama 8
LAST TIME OUT: ALABAMA VS. FLORIDA
- GAME ONE: A sixth-inning fielding error by Alabama ultimately allowed the go-ahead run to cross the plate for Florida in the low-scoring affair. Alabama starter Alexis Osorio allowed just the one unearned run as she was otherwise stellar in the circle, striking out seven while allowing just six hits, five of which were singles. Florida senior Lauren Haeger matched Osorio's effort, shutting out a potent Tide offense with just four hits allowed. Two of Alabama's four hits came courtesy of Andrea Hawkins, marking her first multi-hit game of the season.
- GAME TWO: In a game that started on Saturday and ended on Monday due to bad weather, Florida rode a four-run fifth inning to a 4-1 victory, winning game two over Alabama and securing the series victory. The series loss is the first at home for Alabama since the final weekend of the 2013 season vs. 20th-ranked Kentucky, as Florida used a big fifth inning to take and hold the lead after resuming the game on Monday. Alabama was leading 1-0 in the top of the fifth on Saturday, March 21 before bad weather forced the game to be halted. Alabama's bats couldn't support starter Leslie Jury as she threw a total of 6.1 innings in the losing effort while the offense ultimately left nine runners on base. Haylie McCleney had a 2-2 day at the top of the order, while Danielle Richard scored the lone run of the game for Alabama on a throwing error following a stolen base in the second inning. Freshman Aleshia Ocasio earned the win for Florida.
- GAME THREE: Alabama avoided a series sweep with a big win in game three, scoring five runs in the fifth and sixth innings to defeat Florida, 5-1, at Rhoads Stadium. The pitching stayed strong in game three as it had throughout the weekend, with freshman Alexis Osorio earning her third win over a Top 10 opponent, limiting the Gators to just one run on four hits with seven strikeouts. Haylie McCleney accounted for four of the Tide's five runs, hitting a two-run homer in the fifth and a two-run triple in the sixth. McCleney was moved into the three-hole for just the third time this season, while senior Danielle Richard went 1-2 with two runs scored out of the leadoff position.
FAMIILIAR FOES
- Alabama and Georgia Tech have met 16 times in program history, the most between the Crimson Tide and any non-conference opponent from outside the state of Alabama.
- The only other such teams Alabama has faced more than 10 times are Michigan (15) and Arizona (14).
- Alabama has played all three of those teams in the NCAA Tournament, including Georgia Tech in the 2006 Regional round in Tuscaloosa, where Alabama won 8-5 and 7-2.
COACHING CONNECTION WITH GEORGIA TECH
Both of Georgia Tech's assistant coaches have a direct connection with Alabama softball:
- Charlotte Morgan was a three-time All American for the Crimson Tide, playing from 2007-2010. She is the only player in program history to be named SEC Player of the Year and she did it twice, winning in both 2009 and 2010. She holds the Alabama and SEC career record 264 RBI and her 58 home runs rank second in school history.
- Jake Jury is the older brother of Tide senior Leslie Jury and is entering his second season at Georgia Tech. He previously worked at the College of Charleston along with current Tech head coach Shelly Hoerner.
SOFTBALL RANKED NO. 5 IN BOTH NATIONAL POLLS
As it has for the entire 2015 season, Alabama softball is again ranked in the top five in this week's polls, coming in at No. 5 in both the USA Today/NFCA and the ESPN.com/USA Softball week seven polls.
Alabama is ranked No. 5 in the USA Today/NFCA poll for the third straight week and slides into fifth in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll after tying for fourth place last week with Michigan, who holds sole possession of the No. 4 spot this week. The top six in each poll remain the same as last week, while Auburn is now ranked in the top 10 in both polls, sliding from No. 11 last week to No. 9 this week in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. Mississippi State is the only team this week to drop out of the Top 25 after losing two games to Ole Miss last weekend.
The SEC has nine ranked teams in both polls, including five in the top 10 and three in the top five: LSU (1/1), Florida (3/2), Alabama (5/5), Georgia (7/7), Auburn (8/9), Kentucky (16/15), Tennessee (15/18), Missouri (20/20) and Texas A&M (23/23). South Carolina and Mississippi State are receiving votes outside the top 25.
NEXT TIME OUT: TEXAS A&M
Alabama continues SEC play this weekend, welcoming the Texas A&M Aggies for a three-game series starting on Friday, March 27. The games will be available online only on the SEC Network + on WatchESPN.com.
Friday, March 27 vs. Texas A&M - 6:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, March 28 vs. Texas A&M - 2 p.m. CT
Sunday, March 29 vs. Texas A&M - 1:30 p.m. CT
