Alabama Softball Takes On Top-Ranked Florida in Gainesville

March 31, 2016

THIS WEEKEND

#6/8 Alabama (29-6, 3-3 SEc) at #1/1 Florida (33-1, 8-1 SEC)
Gainesville, Fla. - Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium

Friday, April 1 - 5 p.m. CT
Saturday, April 2 - 2:30 p.m. CT (ESPN2)
Sunday, April 3 - 12 p.m. CT

FOLLOWING THE TIDE

Video:
- Friday/Sunday - SEC Network+ (Online Only)
- Saturday - ESPN2
- PXP: Mark Neely, Analyst: Amanda Scarborough, Field: Laura Rutledge

Radio:

Friday - 790 AM / 790wtsk.com
Saturday/Sunday - 95.3 FM / 953thebear.com

Live Stats: rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaSB

SCOUTING ALABAMA

Alabama won three of its four games this week, defeating Alcorn State on Tuesday before taking two out of three games against SEC foe Missouri
All three of Alabama's victories this week came by way of the run rule. In those games, the Tide outscored its opponents by a combined score of 33-3.
The 16 runs scored against Missouri in the series finale is the most for Alabama in an SEC game since scoring 19 against South Carolina on April 15, 2012. The 14-run margin of victory is the largest for the Tide in SEC play since defeating Kentucky 14-0 on May 4, 2013.

THE OPPONENT

Florida Gators

2016 Record: 33-1 (8-1 SEC)
2015 Record: 60-7 (18-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Tim Walton (11th Season)
Starters Returning/Lost: 7/2
Newcomers: 7

Stat Leaders:

Batting Avg. - Kayli Kvistad - .420
Hits - Amanda Lorenz - 38
Home Runs - Kvistad/Wheaton - 5
Wins - Aleshia Ocasio - 12
ERA - Aleshia Ocasio - 0.36
Strikeouts - Kelly Barnhill - 106

ALL-TIME VS. THE OPPONENT

33-30 vs. Florida

Current Streak: Alabama 1
First Meeting: April 12, 1997 - L, 4-1 - Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Last Meeting: March 23, 2015 - W, 5-1 - Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Last Meeting in Gainesville: March 23, 2014 - W, 7-0

LAST TIME OUT: ALABAMA REBOUNDS TO TAKE SERIES OVER MIZZOU

Game One - Missouri 7, Alabama 3: The Tigers jumped ahead early with two runs in the first and three more in the third to give them enough cushion in a 7-3 win over the Tide. Alabama's offense was limited to three runs on four hits and three errors in the field would account for three unearned runs.
Game Two - Alabama 9, Missouri 1 (5 Inn.): Alabama wasted no time bouncing back to start game two, scoring five unanswered runs to start the game and ultimately coming away with a 9-1 run-rule victory in five innings to even the series. After going hitless in the first game of the doubleheader, Runyon bounced back with a 3-3 performance, including an RBI double and a pair of home runs for a season-high six RBIs.
Game Three - Alabama 16, Missouri 2 (5 Inn.): Alabama softball claimed the series victory over Missouri in dominant fashion Monday night at Rhoads Stadium, defeating the Tigers 16-2 in five innings. Missouri fell behind by three in the first inning before Alabama piled it on in the second, scoring 12 runs on six hits and two Tiger errors. Missouri would earn back two in the third on a two-run homer before the Tide tacked on one more in the fourth.

ALABAMA AND FLORIDA CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

Alabama and Florida are the only two SEC teams to win a national championship, with the Tide doing so in 2012 and the Gators in 2014 and 2015.
Florida has appeared in the national championship series four times while Alabama has appeared twice, all of which have come since 2009. The two teams met in the national championship series in 2014, the first ever softball championship series between two SEC teams.
Alabama and Florida have won every SEC regular season title since 2008, claiming four each:
- 2008: Florida
- 2009: Florida
- 2010: Alabama
- 2011: Alabama
- 2012: Alabama
- 2013: Florida
- 2014: Alabama
- 2015: Florida

THREE AWAY FROM PROGRAM WIN 1,000

Alabama enters this weekend with a 997 program wins, just three away from becoming the fourth SEC school with 1,000 wins.

Texas A&M - 1,751 (first season: 1975)*
Missouri - 1,449 (first season: 1975)*
South Carolina - 1,402 (first season: 1977)
Alabama - 997 (first season: 1997)
Tennessee - 970 (first season: 1996)
Florida - 946 (first season: 1997)
LSU - 914 (first season: 1997)

* = joined SEC in 2013

Alabama's first win came in its first ever game on Feb. 15, 1997 against Tulsa. With three more wins, Alabama will be the first team to earn all 1,000 wins as a member of the Southeastern Conference.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

Marisa Runyon drove in 10 RBIs over the week's four games on five hits, three of which were home runs. She went 3-3 in the game two victory over Missouri, smacking a pair of home runs and an RBI double. In game three, she went 2-2 with three runs scored and four RBIs, driving in three on a three-run homer.
Haylie McCleney led the team with a .600 average last week, going 6-10 with six runs scored. Three of her six hits were doubles and she also tied for the team lead with four walks. She posted three multi-hit performances, pushing her season total to a team-best 13 multi-hit games.
Chandler Dare posted six hits in 12 at-bats for a .500 average over the week's four games. She earned at least one hit in every game, pushing her current hitting streak to nine games, which is the longest for any Tide player so far this season.
Sydney Littlejohn went 2-0 in the circle this weekend with two wins over Missouri, holding the potent Tiger offense to three runs on five hits over 10.0 innings. She is now 3-0 in SEC play this season.

UP NEXT

Tuesday, April 5 vs. Mississippi Valley State - 6 p.m. CT (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Friday, April 8 vs. Mississippi State - 6:30 p.m. CT (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Saturday, April 9 vs. Mississippi State - 2 p.m. CT (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Sunday, April 10 vs. Mississippi State - 1:30 p.m. CT (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

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