Alabama Softball Hosts Georgia for Final SEC Series

May 5, 2016

THIS WEEKEND

#4/4 ALABAMA (43-10, 14-7 SEC) VS. #15/16 GEORGIA (39-14, 11-10 SEC)
Tuscaloosa, Ala. - Rhoads Stadium

Friday, May 6 - 6:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, May 7 - 11 a.m. CT *ESPN*
Sunday, May 8 - 1 p.m. CT

FOLLOWING THE TIDE

Video:
- Friday/Sunday - SEC Network+ (Online Only)
- Saturday - ESPN
- Play-by-Play: Beth Mowins, Analyst: Michele Smith

Radio: 95.3 FM / 953thebear.com
Live Stats: rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaSB

SCOUTING ALABAMA (43-10, 14-7 SEC)

Alabama won its sixth SEC series of the season last week, taking two out of three games on the road against South Carolina. Alabama has won at least six of its SEC series in four of the last five years.
The Tide bounced back from a game two loss with a win in game three to secure the weekend series. Alabama hasn't lost back-to-back games all season and has gone 88 games without losing consecutive games, stretching back to March 21 of last season.
Alabama won the weekend series despite posting its lowest three-game SEC run total of the season (9) and its second-lowest hit total (20). The pitching had a lot to do with the team's success however, throwing its third-most strikeouts in an SEC series this season (16) and its second-fewest runs allowed (4).
Through 23 home games, Alabama is averaging 3,018 fans per game. If the average stays above 3,000 following the Georgia series, the Tide would be the first team in NCAA history to average over 3,000 fans per game during the regular season. Alabama has led the nation in attendance seven-straight years and has seen total attendance top the 90,000 mark in three of the last four years.
Alabama pitching has only allowed 90 walks, the lowest mark in the SEC and one of just two teams with fewer than 100 walks allowed. With 341 strikeouts, the Tide's 3.79 K/BB ratio is the second-best in the league, only trailing Florida at 3.92.
Alabama's defense has committed the second-fewest errors in the league, both in overall games (35) and SEC-only contests (14). The Tide has a .973 fielding percentage, both overall and in SEC play, which ranks third in the league.
The Tide's stolen base percentage of .889 (88-99) is currently the highest mark in program history, just edging out the team's 2013 mark of .886 (117-132). The team's two stolen base leaders, Haylie McCleney and Chandler Dare, are a combined 37-38 this season.

THE OPPONENT

Georgia Bulldogs (39-14, 11-10 SEC)

2015 Record: 44-17 (14-9 SEC)
Head Coach: Lu Harris-Champer (16th Season)
Starters Returning/Lost: 6/3
Newcomers: 6

Stat Leaders:

Batting Avg. - Sydni Emanuel - .469
Hits - Cortni Emanuel - 77
Home Runs - Tina Iosefa - 17
Wins - Chelsea Wilkinson - 22
ERA - Kylie Bass - 1.43
Strikeouts - Chelsea Wilkinson - 172

ALL-TIME VS. THE OPPONENT

39-17 vs. Georgia

Current Streak: Alabama 2
First Meeting: April 27, 1997 - W, 4-0 - Athens, Ga.
Last Meeting: May 7, 2015 - W, 2-1 - Baton Rouge, La. (SEC Tournament)
Last Meeting in Tuscaloosa: April 26, 2014 - W, 4-1

LAST TIME OUT: ALABAMA WINS ROAD SERIES AT SOUTH CAROLINA

Game One: Alabama 3, South Carolina 1: Alabama won a close series opener on the road against South Carolina, 3-1. The Tide scored immediately in the first inning and held its lead over the Gamecocks for the rest of the game. Sydney Littlejohn earned her 20th win of the season, holding the Gamecocks to one run over 4.2 innings, while Alexis Osorio notched her sixth save in relief with 2.1 shutout innings.
Game Two: South Carolina 2, Alabama 1: Alabama softball fell in a pitcher's duel in game two, with a seventh-inning rally falling just short in the 2-1 loss. The loss ended a streak of 16-straight wins by Alabama over South Carolina and evened the weekend series at 1-1. The Crimson Tide only tallied three hits in the losing effort, scoring one run on a sacrifice fly by Haylie McCleney.
Game Three: Alabama 5, South Carolina 1 (5 Inn.): Alabama softball outlasted numerous weather delays in Sunday's rubber match, eventually winning 5-1 with the game called after five innings. The Tide scored five unanswered runs before South Carolina eventually got on the board in the third inning, but the cushion proved enough as weather ended the game prematurely after five innings.

MCCLENEY SETS NEW SEC CAREER WALKS RECORD

With a walk in her first at-bat on Saturday against Kentucky, Haylie McCleney drew her 181st career walk, a new record at Alabama. Now with 183 following the weekend series, she passes previous record-holder Cassie Reilly-Boccia (2009-12) and is just one away from tying Georgia's Alisa Goler (2008-11) for the SEC career record.

SEC Career Walks Leaders

186 - Haylie McCleney - Alabama (2013-pres.)
184 - Alisa Goler - Georgia (2008-11)
180 - Cassie Reilly-Boccia - Alabama (2009-12)
177 - Kellie Wilkerson - Mississippi State (1999-02)
175 - Lauren Haeger - Florida (2012-15)

MCCLENEY CLOSING IN ON 300/200/100 CLUB

With two more hits, Haylie McCleney would become just the fourth player in program history with at least 300 hits, 200 runs and 100 stolen bases, joining Kelly Kretschman (368/288/133), Brittany Rogers (343/256/198) and Kayla Braud (344/271/182). The four players have combined to earn 14 of Alabama's 49 All-America honors, with Kretschman and Rogers claiming four each and McCleney and Braud claiming three each.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

Sydney Littlejohn went 2-0 in two starts against the Gamecocks, allowing just two runs over 9.2 innings pitched. She threw four strikeouts, pushing her season total to 103 strikeouts. It is her first season with 100-plus strikeouts and is also her first season with 20-plus wins, owning a 21-4 record.
Alexis Osorio threw 14 strikeouts over three appearances, pushing her season total to 197. She is now just three strikeouts away from her 200th of the season, which would make her the first Tide pitcher since Kelsi Dunne (2008-11) to throw 200 strikeouts as a freshman and sophomore. She also tallied her sixth save of the season on Friday, the most for an Alabama pitcher since Chrissy Owens threw a school-record 11 as a freshman in 2005.
Demi Turner saw her first game action since suffering an elbow injury in the March 12 game vs. LSU. She scored twice in two appearances as a pinch runner over the weekend.

UP NEXT

2016 SEC Tournament

Starkville, Miss. - Nusz Park
Wednesday, May 11 - Saturday, May 14
*Tournament Seeding TBD*

University of Alabama Athletics