Alabama
UAB
Alabama Softball Returns Home to Host UAB Tuesday
3/19/2018 3:56:00 PM | Softball
THIS WEEK: ALABAMA (19-7) vs. UAB (10-19-1)
Tuesday, March 20 – 6 p.m. CT
Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Rhoads Stadium
SCOUTING ALABAMA
- Alabama is 19-7 heading into week seven after a 3-1 win over Georgia Tech Wednesday in Atlanta and a 1-2 weekend against Auburn on the road.
- In the first RPI of the season, released Monday, Alabama is ranked No. 26. All 13 SEC teams are in the top 35, with four of the Crimson Tide's remaining seven conference opponents ranked ahead of Alabama.
- The Tide defense boasts a .981 fielding percentage, which is tied with Florida for the best in the SEC. The .981 clip would be the best fielding percentage in program history, surpassing last year's record percentage of .978.
- The offense is led by freshman Kaylee Tow, who is 25-for-69 (.362) at the plate. Twelve of her 25 hits have gone for extra bases, including a team-leading five home runs. Sophomore Bailey Hemphill is tied with Tow for the team lead in home runs and has reached base safely in 17 of her last 18 games, drawing a team-leading 16 walks while hitting 22-for-66 (.333) with a team-leading 22 RBIs. Sophomore Elissa Brown is 17-for-17 in stolen bases, batting 17-for-53 (.321) with 15 runs scored.
- Senior Alexis Osorio has thrown 61.0 of the team's 166.1 innings in the circle, fanning 101 batters over that stretch, an average of 1.66 per inning. Osorio and freshman Madison Preston both boast a team-leading 1.61 ERA, while junior Courtney Gettins leads the staff with seven wins along with a 1.72 ERA over 53.0 innings.
LAST TIME OUT: ALABAMA FALLS IN OPENING SEC SERIES AT AUBURN
- Alabama softball opened Southeastern Conference play Friday against Auburn, holding the Tigers to just one hit in the 2-0 shutout. Alabama was led by yet another stellar performance in the circle from senior Alexis Osorio, who held Auburn to just one hit and struck out six in the complete-game shutout. A first-inning RBI single from sophomore Gabby Callaway and a sixth-inning solo home run from junior Caroline Hardy accounted for all the offense the Tide would need. Hardy's home run was part of a 2-for-3 day and freshman Kaylee Tow also notched a 2-for-3 day from the leadoff spot.
- Facing a three-run deficit in the top of the seventh in game two, Alabama plated a run with two outs and put the tying run on base but the late rally ultimately fell short as the Crimson Tide fell to the Tigers, 3-1, to even the weekend series. Alabama was held to just one hit over the first five innings before tallying three in the remaining two innings, including an RBI single from sophomore Elissa Brown in the seventh. Auburn scored three runs on five hits, earning its first SEC victory of the season. Freshman Madison Preston took the loss for Alabama, pitching 3.1 innings while junior Courtney Gettins pitched 2.2 relief innings behind her, getting the Tide out of bases-loaded jams in back-to-back innings.
- Holding a 1-0 lead for the majority of Sunday's game, Alabama dropped the series finale to Auburn in walk-off fashion as the Tigers came back to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh and defeat the Tide, 2-1. Alabama scored its lone run of the day in the first inning on an RBI single from sophomore Bailey Hemphill. Auburn was held scoreless until a leadoff home run in the bottom of the seventh tied it at 1-1 and an RBI single from Casey McCrackin with two out in the inning gave the Tigers the comeback victory to win the series. Gettins took the hard-luck loss in the circle, posting a gutsy performance in the circle after Osorio had to exit in the first inning due to injury.
HOME SWEET HOME
Alabama returns to Rhoads Stadium this week, the home of the Crimson Tide since 2000. It has proven a sizeable home field advantage for Alabama over the years, as the Tide is 515-83 (.861) all-time at Rhoads Stadium, including an 8-1 mark this year. Alabama has hosted 15 NCAA Regional rounds at the park, including a streak of 13-straight Regional titles in Tuscaloosa, along with series wins in eight of the nine Super Regional rounds it has hosted.
OSORIO MOVES UP CAREER SHUTOUT RANKINGS
Friday's complete-game shutout at Auburn was the fourth this season for senior Alexis Osorio and the 25th of her career, moving her past Chrissy Owens (2005-08) into fourth place in the Alabama record books. Osorio is now just one shy of tying Stephanie VanBrakle (2003-06).
Alabama Career Shutout Leaders
- Shelley Laird (1999-02): 39
- Kelsi Dunne (2008-11): 38
- Stephanie VanBrakle (2003-06): 26
- Alexis Osorio (2015-pres.): 25
- Chrissy Owens (2005-08): 24
GRANTHAM AND MORGAN TIE SINGLE-GAME ASSISTS RECORD
Senior Peyton Grantham became the second Crimson Tide player this season to tally nine assists in a game, a mark that had only been accomplished once prior to this year. Grantham had nine assists at third base in the March 14 win at Georgia Tech, less than a month removed from freshman Maddie Morgan's nine assists at second base vs. Georgia State on Feb. 23. This ties the single-game school record originally set by third baseman Staci Ramsey in 2003.
Single-Game Assists at Alabama
- Peyton Grantham at Georgia Tech (3/14/18): 9
- Maddie Morgan vs. Georgia State (2/23/18): 9
- Staci Ramsey at South Carolina (4/19/03): 9
- Kelley Montalvo vs. Memphis (2/7/09): 8
- Kelly Kretschman at Ole Miss (4/9/99): 8
- Kelly Kretschman vs. LSU (5/9/98): 8
- Christy Kyle at Arkansas (3/15/97): 8
UP NEXT
Alabama resumes SEC play this weekend with a three-game series at Rhoads Stadium against Ole Miss, starting Friday March 23 at 6:30 p.m. CT.
