Alabama
Arkansas
Alabama Softball Faces Arkansas Wednesday at SEC Tournament
5/9/2017 3:14:00 PM | Softball
This Week - 2017Â SEC SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
Knoxville, Tenn. - Sherri Parker Lee Stadium
Wednesday, May 10 - 11 a.m. CT
Alabama (40-15) vs. Arkansas (31-21)
Thursday, May 11 - 11 a.m. CT
Alabama/Arkansas vs. Texas A&M (42-9)
Friday, May 12 - Semifinals - 2 p.m. CT
Saturday, May 13 - Championship - 7 p.m. CT
Following the Tide
- Video
- Wednesday/Thursday - SEC Network
- Friday - ESPNU
- Saturday - ESPN
- Radio
- Local - 93.3 FM (praise933.com)
- Satellite - Sirius 137 / XM 190
- Live Stats: utsports.com
- Twitter: @AlabamaSB
Scouting No. 15/16 Alabama (40-15, 12-11 SEC)
- Alabama closed the regular season with a three-game series against Auburn, dropping the first two before rebounding with a 3-2 in on Sunday. Alabama is now 40-15 overall heading into postseason play and finishes the conference season with a 12-11 league record.
- The Tide moved up two spots in the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index rankings, from No. 16 last week to No. 14 this week.
- Crimson Tide pitching is second in the SEC in ERA (1.57), strikeouts (476), opposing batting average (.165), hits allowed (214) and runs allowed (102) while the Alabama defense is third in fielding percentage (.976). In SEC play, the pitching staff is second in strikeouts (175) and hits allowed (115) and third in ERA (1.96), opposing batting average (.198) and runs allowed (59).
- Alexis Osorio leads the SEC with 287 strikeouts, with Florida sophomore Kelly Barnhill as the only other SEC pitcher with over 200 strikeouts. Sydney Littlejohn is tied for fourth in the SEC with 162 strikeouts, giving Alabama a combined 449 strikeouts between its two leading pitchers, only trailing the Gators' combo of Barnhill and Delanie Gourley with 469.
The Opponents
Arkansas Razorbacks
- Conference: SEC
- 2017 Record: 31-21 (7-17 SEC)
- Head Coach: Courtney Deifel (Second Season)
- Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 18/7
- Newcomers: 11
Arkansas Stat Leaders
- Batting Avg. - Autumn Russell - .342
- Hits - Autumn Russell - 53
- Home Runs - Nicole Schroeder - 15
- Wins - Autumn Storms - 16
- ERA - Autumn Storms - 2.05
- Strikeouts - Autumn Storms – 90
Texas A&M Aggies
- Conference: SEC
- 2017 Record: 42-9 (16-7 SEC)
- Head Coach: Jo Evans (21st Season)
- Starters Returning/Lost: 8/1
- Newcomers: 6
Texas A&M Stat Leaders
- Batting Avg. - Riley Sartain - .364
- Hits - Kaitlyn Alderink - 55
- Home Runs - Tori Vidales - 14
- Wins - Samantha Show - 17
- ERA - Trinity Harrington - 1.60
- Strikeouts - Samantha Show - 109
All-Time vs. The Opponents
56-8 vs. Arkansas
- Current Streak: Alabama 10
- First Meeting: March 14, 1997 - L, 1-9 (5) - Fayetteville, Ark.
- Last Meeting: March 12, 2017 - W, 5-0 (6) - Tuscaloosa, Ala.
- Last Meeting at SEC Tournament: May 13, 2010 - W, 9-0 (5) - Fayetteville, Ark.
10-3 vs. Texas A&M
- Current Streak: Texas A&M 1
- First Meeting: Feb. 16, 2001 - W, 2-1 - College Station, Texas
- Last Meeting: April 16, 2016 - L, 1-14 (5) - College Station, Texas
- Last Meeting at SEC Tournament: May 8, 2013 - W, 10-9 - Lexington, Ky.
Last Time Out: Alabama Falls in First Two Games vs. Auburn, Rebounds in Series Finale
Auburn 3, Alabama 0 (9 Inn.)
Alabama softball battled Auburn for nearly four hours Friday night at Rhoads Stadium, with neither team scoring until the ninth inning as the Tigers ultimately came out on top, 3-0, over the Crimson Tide. The game, officially lasting three hours and 44 minutes, was the longest game this season for Alabama. The Tide out-hit Auburn, 5-3, but an untimely error in the top of the ninth ultimately allowed the go-ahead run to score for the Tigers. Chandler Dare went 2-4 batting third and Reagan Dykes hit a second-inning single to extend her hitting streak to five games. Alexis Osorio pitched 7.0 innings in the start, tossing a career-high 184 pitches with 18 strikeouts and 11 walks, ultimately not factoring into the decision. Sydney Littlejohn took the loss in relief, though all three of the runs credited to her were unearned.
Auburn 4, Alabama 1
Alabama softball had the potential game-tying run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh with nobody out, but the late rally fell just short as the Crimson Tide lost to Auburn, 4-1, Saturday night at Rhoads Stadium. Alabama and Auburn each tallied eight hits but the Tigers ultimately got the timely hit in the form of a three-run double by Alyssa Rivera that capped a four-run fifth inning for Auburn. Alabama got one back in the sixth on an RBI single by Gabby Callaway and back-to-back singles to lead off the seventh brought the potential tying run to the plate before three-straight outs ended the rally.
Alabama 3, Auburn 2
A three-run third inning proved enough for Alabama softball to win Sunday's series finale against Auburn, defeating the Tigers 3-2 in front of a third-consecutive sellout crowd at Rhoads Stadium. Over 4,000 fans packed the stands on a sunny Sunday afternoon as Alabama used a three-run third inning to overcome an early Auburn run in the top-half of the same inning. Gabby Callaway posted her second straight multi-hit game, going 2-3 batting third and scoring the Tide's first run of the day on an RBI single in the third before Marisa Runyon followed that with a two-run double. Both of Auburn's runs came on solo home runs by Haley Fagan, but the rest of the lineup was shut down by Alexis Osorio, who allowed just one hit to the other eight hitters in the lineup along with 14 strikeouts.
Tide History at SEC Tournament
- Alabama is 36-23 all-time at the SEC Tournament, earning tournament titles in 1998, 2003, 2005, 2010 and 2012.
- The Crimson Tide has faced every SEC team in the league tournament at least once except Missouri. Alabama has faced LSU more than any other team in the SEC Tournament, with the teams splitting 12 meetings.
- Alabama has more wins over Mississippi State than any other SEC opponent, claiming seven of the eight SEC Tournament meetings between the teams.
- Alabama has a winning all-time SEC Tournament record against every league team except Florida (3-4), LSU (6-6) and South Carolina (0-3).
Alabama SEC Tournament Records
- 4-1 vs. Arkansas (Last Meeting: 2010 - W, 9-0 (5 Inn.))
- 5-3 vs. Auburn (Last Meeting: 2016 - L, 4-6)
- 3-4 vs. Florida (Last Meeting: 2013 - L, 4-8)
- 4-2 vs. Georgia (Last Meeting: 2015 - W, 2-1)
- vs. Kentucky (Last Meeting: 2009 - W, 2-1)
- 6-6 vs. LSU (Last Meeting: 2010 - W, 5-4)
- vs. Missouri
- 7-1 vs. Mississippi State (Last Meeting: 2016 - W, 7-5)
- vs. Ole Miss (Last Meeting: 2006 - W, 6-0)
- 4-3 vs. Tennessee (Last Meeting: 2010 - W, 4-3)
- vs. Texas A&M (Last Meeting, 2013 - W, 10-9)
- 0-3 vs. South Carolina (Last Meeting: 2002 - L, 4-6)
Alexis Osorio, Bailey Hemphill and Elissa Brown Earn Postseason SEC Softball Awards
The Southeastern Conference announced its annual postseason softball awards Tuesday, with three Alabama softball players voted to this season's list. Junior pitcher Alexis Osorio was named Second Team All-SEC while Elissa Brown and Bailey Hemphill were named Freshman All-SEC.
The honor is the second of Osorio's career, previously earning First Team accolades in 2015. Alabama has posted at least one player on the All-SEC team every year since the program's inaugural 1997 season for a total of 93 honorees in 21 years. Brown and Hemphill's appearance on the Freshman All-SEC team give Alabama 17 honorees since the award's debut in 2005, including five in the last three years.
Up Next
The NCAA will announce its field of 64 for the 2017 NCAA Tournament on Sunday, May 14 at 9 p.m. CT live on ESPNU. NCAA Regional play at the 16 host sites will begin as early as Thursday, May 18.
