Wednesday, March 3
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
6 p.m. CT
Alabama
vs
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Mississippi State
Photo by: Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics
No. 2 Alabama Softball Faces Midweek Test Against Mississippi State
3/2/2021 3:42:00 PM | Softball
First pitch between the Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs is set for 6 p.m. CT
THIS WEEK: #3/2 ALABAMA (14-0) vs. MISSISSIPPI STATEÂ (8-4)
- Wednesday, March 3 – 6 p.m. CT
- Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Rhoads Stadium
SCOUTING ALABAMA
- No. 2 Alabama heads into Wednesday's contest with a 14-0 record, most recently winning its five games at the Easton Crimson Classic
- The Crimson Tide defeated Memphis, 8-3 and 5-1, before shutting out North Carolina in back-to-back games, 2-0 and 4-0, and blanking Troy in the finale, 2-0
- Lexi Kilfoyl threw her first career no-hitter and the 37th in program history in game one against the Tar Heels
- Alabama is ranked No. 2 in this week's USA Softball poll and No. 3 in the NFCA poll, receiving first-place votes in both
- Alabama returns 17 players from last season, including all seven 2020 seniors, while adding five freshmen
INSIDE THE SERIES VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE
- Overall: Alabama leads 62-11
- In Tuscaloosa: 30-3 | In Starkville: 25-7 | At Neutral Sites: 7-1
- Current Streak: Mississippi State +1
- Last Meeting: March 31, 2019 - Tuscaloosa, Ala. - L, 9-12 (10 Inn.)
LAST TIME OUT: EASTON CRIMSON CLASSIC
- Alabama went 5-0 at last weekend's Easton Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa, sweeping doubleheaders against both Memphis and North Carolina before defeating Troy in a single game on Sunday
- Crimson Tide pitching was dominant over the weekend, allowing just four earned runs over 35.0 innings for a 0.80 team ERA, striking out 47 batters
- Alabama ended the weekend with three-straight shutouts, a streak that started with a no-hitter from Lexi Kilfoyl in game one of the doubleheader against the Tar Heels
- At the plate, Alexis Mack led the team over the weekend going 5-for-12 (.417) with four runs scored
LEXI KILFOYL THROWS FIRST CAREER NO-HITTER
- Lexi Kilfoy's no-hitter against North Carolina was the first of her career, the 37th in program history and already the second for Alabama this season following the five-inning perfect game on opening night at Alabama State from Montana Fouts and Sarah Cornell
- Alexis Osorio's no-hitter on March 9, 2018 was the last to occur in Tuscaloosa, with Kilfoyl's marking the 18th no-hitter at home by the Crimson Tide
- With two no-hitters so far this season, it is the 10th year with multiple Alabama no-hitters, the first since 2018
Multiple Alabama No-Hitters in a Season
- 5 - 2006, 2009, 2011
- 4 - 2004, 2017
- 3 - 2015
- 2 - 2008, 2016, 2018 2021
PITCHING POWER
- The Alabama bullpen has been dominant so far this season, owning a 0.91 team ERA with just 12 earned runs allowed over 92.0 innings pitched
- Tide pitchers have struck out 116 batters as opposed to just 10 walks
- Alabama leads the SEC in opposing batting average (.126), strikeouts (116) and wins (14) and is second in ERA (0.91) and innings pitched (92.0)
- Montana Fouts and Lexi Kilfoyl are both ranked in the top five in the SEC in strikeouts with 61 (2nd) and 43 (5th), respectively, and are also tied for the league lead with six wins each
- Alabama is fourth nationally in team ERA and is tied with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Florida for the lead with seven shutouts
- Fouts is ranked sixth in the NCAA in strikeouts and fifth in strikeout-to-walk ratio
- Fouts and Kilfoyl are two of eight players in the nation with six wins, which leads the NCAA
STARTING EARLY
- Alabama has hit the ground running so far this year, scoring 25 of its 89 runs in the first inning, the most of any inning
- The Tide is outscoring its opponents 25-1 in the first inning and 34-3 across the first two frames
- Alabama has scored in the first inning in 10 of its 14 games played, including the last five straight
- Tide batters have reached base safely in 37 out of 81 chances (.457) when leading off an inning, while opponents have only reached 19 times in 92 opportunities (.207)
TWO OUTS, SO WHAT?
- The Tide offense has been a tough third out to say the least, hitting 37-for-117 (.316) with two outs
- 42 of the team's 73 RBIs this season have come with two outs
- Bailey Dowling has seen the most at-bats with two out this season, going 8-for-21 (.381) with 12 RBIs, three doubles and three home runs
ALABAMA RECEIVING FIRST PLACE VOTES IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
- Alabama is ranked as high as No. 2 in this week's national rankings, climbing to second in the USA Softball poll, third in the NFCA and D1 Softball rankings and fourth in Softball America
- The Crimson Tide received five first-place votes in the USA Softball poll and three in the NFCA poll
UP NEXT - EASTON T-TOWN SHOWDOWN (TUSCALOOSA, ALA.)
- Friday, March 5 vs. Kent State (DH) - 4 p.m. CT
- Saturday, March 6 vs. Northern Iowa (DH) - 11 a.m. CT
- Sunday, March 7 vs. South Alabama - 1 p.m. CT
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Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
RHP
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RHP
/ Softball
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