Alabama Softball Opens SEC Play on the Road at LSU

March 10, 2016

THIS WEEK

#4/6 Alabama (21-2) at #6/4 LSU (21-2)
Baton Rouge, La. - Tiger Park

Friday, March 11 - 6 p.m. CT
Saturday, March 12 - 5 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
Sunday, March 13 - 2 p.m. CT (SEC Network)

FOLLOWING THE TIDE

Video: SEC Network (Saturday/Sunday)
- Play-by-Play: Jenn Hildreth
- Analyst: Michele Smith
Radio: 95.3 FM / 953thebear.com
Live Stats: rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaSB

SCOUTING ALABAMA (21-2)

Alabama opens SEC play with a 21-2 record after a 10-0 run-rule victory over Samford on Tuesaday in Tuscaloosa. The 21-2 record is the Tide's best start to the season since going 22-1 in 2013.
Alabama has outscored its opponents 167-41 and holds significant advantages in doubles (41-18), triples (12-1), RBIs (152-34), walks (92-28) and stolen bases (45-10).
All three of Alabama's pitchers have at least six wins, owning a staff ERA of 1.62 wit 152 strikeouts over 143.0 innings. Sydney Littlejohn leads the team with eight wins while Alexis Osorio has a team-leading 73 strikeouts.
The Alabama defense has been error-free in 15 of its 23 games, winning all 15 of those games.
Alabama has four wins over ranked opponents this season, defeating James Madison, Tennessee and Arizona twice.

THE OPPONENT

LSU Tigers

2016 Record: 21-2
2015 Record: 52-14
Head Coach: Beth Torina (5th Season)
Starters Returning/Lost: 7/1
Newcomers: 7

LSU Stat Leaders

Batting Avg. - Sahvanna Jaquish - .500
Hits - Sahvanna Jaquish - 28
Home Runs - Sahvanna Jaquish - 7
Wins - Carley Hoover - 8
ERA - Allie Walljasper - 0.42
Strikeouts - Carley Hoover - 74

ALL-TIME VS. THE OPPONENT

32-39 vs. LSU

Current Streak: LSU 1
First Meeting: March 9, 1997 - W, 4-1 - Atlanta, Ga. (Georgia State Invitational)
Last Meeting: May 30, 2015 - L, 5-3 - Oklahoma City, Okla. (WCWS)
Last Meeting in Baton Rouge: April 28, 2013 - L, 4-3

LAST TIME OUT: ALABAMA SHUTS OUT SAMFORD, 10-0

Alabama softball shined in its season debut on the SEC Network Tuesday night at Rhoads Stadium, shutting out Samford 10-0. Alabama was hitless until the third inning but then went on to score four runs that inning and six in the fourth to take a 10-run lead over Samford, which was enough to earn the run-rule victory in just over 90 minutes. Five of Alabama's nine hits were extra-base hits, including a three-run triple by Demi Turner. Andrea Hawkins went 2-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored batting ninth, raising her season average to .471. Sydney Littlejohn tallied her eighth victory in the circle, throwing a complete-game shutout with just four hits and one walk allowed.

ALABAMA ON THE SEC NETWORK

This weekend will mark Alabama's second and third SEC Network appearances of the season. Since the network debuted last season, the Tide is 9-1 in SEC Network games:

March 14, 2015 at Georgia: W 7-4
March 15, 2015 at Georgia: W, 4-2
March 21, 2015 vs. Florida: L, 4-1
March 23, 2015 vs. Florida: W, 5-1
April 5, 2015 at Kentucky: W, 2-0
April 15, 2015 vs. NC State: W, 2-0
May 7, 2015 vs. Georgia: W, 2-1 (SEC Tournament)
May 15, 2015 vs. Fairfield: W, 8-0 (NCAA Regional)
May 17, 2015 vs. Washington: W, 11-1 (NCAA Regional)
March 8, 2016 vs. Samford - W, 10-1

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

After owning a .231 average through the first six games of the season, Haylie McCleney has since raised her average to a team-leading .500. She also leads the team with 17 walks, good for a .661 on-base percentage. This raises her career average to .453 and her career on-base percentage to .569, both of which are currently school records.
Peyton Grantham and Leona Lafaele have proven a potent one-two punch in the third and fourth spot in the lineup. Lafaele is hitting .403 with two home runs and 24 RBIs while Grantham is hitting .362 with five home runs and 29 RBIs. Combined, the two account for 41 percent of the team's home runs and 35 percent of its RBIs.
Demi Turner leads the team with 30 hits and 10 stolen bases. She also leads the team with 10 multi-hit games and is tied for the team lead with seven multi-RBI games. Batting primarily second in the order, she has also been effective at moving runners over, laying down six sacrifice bunts.
Alexis Osorio's 16-strikeout performance on Sunday raised her season total to 73 over 48.1 innings, an average of 1.5 K/IP. With just 13 walks, she also sports a stellar 5.6 K:BB ratio. Junior Sydney Littlejohn has been equally efficient with her strikeouts and limiting walks, posting a 7.7 K:BB ratio with 54 strikeouts and just seven walks.

UP NEXT - ALABAMA AT EASTON TOURNAMENT (FULLERTON, CALIF.)

Thursday, March 17 at Cal State Fullerton - 7:30 p.m. CT
Friday, March 18 vs. Grand Canyon - 1 p.m. CT
Friday, March 18 vs. New Mexico - 3:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, March 18 vs. DePaul - 12:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, March 18 vs. #14/13 Oklahoma - 6 p.m. CT

University of Alabama Athletics