Thursday, February 16
Clearwater, Fla.
12 p.m. CT
Alabama
vs
Duke
Challenging Slate Awaits Alabama Softball at TaxAct Clearwater Invitational
2/14/2023 3:45:00 PM | Softball
Game Notes (PDF)Live Audio (97.5 FM)Live Stats vs. DukeLive Video vs. Duke (SEC Network)Live Stats vs. UCLALive Video vs. UCLA (ESPN2)Live Stats vs. UCFLive Video vs. UCF (ESPN+)Live Stats vs. IndianaLive Video vs. Indiana (ESPNU)Live Stats vs. Florida StateLive Video vs. Florida State (ESPN)
The Crimson Tide will play four ranked teams with four games on national TV
CLEARWATER, Fla. – A challenging slate of five games awaits Alabama softball this weekend at the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational presented by EvoShield. The Crimson Tide will face No. 16 Duke, No. 2 UCLA, No. 20 UCF, Indiana and No. 6 Florida State.
This Week: TaxAct Clearwater Invitational Presented by EvoShield (Clearwater, Fla.)
- Radio: 97.5 FM | nick975.com
- Thursday, Feb. 16 vs. #16/19 Duke – 12 p.m. CT – SEC Network
- Friday, Feb. 17 vs. #2/2 UCLA – 3 p.m. CT – ESPN2
- Saturday, Feb. 18 vs. #20/20 UCF – 1:30 p.m. CT – ESPN+ (streaming)
- Saturday, Feb. 18 vs. Indiana – 5 p.m. CT – ESPNU
- Sunday, Feb. 19 vs. #6/7 Florida State – 4 p.m. CT - ESPN
Scouting Alabama
- This week, Alabama heads to Florida for the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational presented by EvoShield, facing Duke, UCLA, UCF, Indiana and Florida State
- The Crimson Tide is making its second appearance at the tournament, previously competing there in 2020
- The tournament will be the Alabama's only games away from home until March 8
- The Tide opened its season with a 2-1 record at the Leadoff Classic in Tuscaloosa, falling 7-4 to Lehigh before earning a pair of 8-2 and 13-1 wins over Georgia Southern
- Head Coach Patrick Murphy is in his 25th season as head coach at Alabama with a 1,195-334 (.782) record
- Alabama returns 11 players from last year's team, including All-SEC honorees Montana Fouts, Ashley Prange, Ally Shipman and Bailey Dowling, while also welcoming five freshmen and three transfers
Inside the Series
- Overall vs. Duke: 0-0 (First Meeting)
- In Tuscaloosa: 0-0 | In Durham: 0-0 | At Neutral Sites: 0-0
- Current Streak: N/A
- Last Meeting: N/A
- Overall vs. UCLA: 1-10
- In Tuscaloosa: 0-0 | In Los Angeles: 0-3 | At Neutral Sites: 1-7
- Current Streak: Alabama +1
- Last Meeting: June 4, 2021 - Oklahoma City, Okla. (WCWS) - W, 6-0
- Overall vs. UCF: 5-2
- In Tuscaloosa: 4-0 | In Orlando: 0-1 | At Neutral Sites: 1-1
- Current Streak: Alabama +2
- Last Meeting: Feb. 26, 2017 - Tuscaloosa, Ala. - W, 3-2
- Overall vs. Indiana: 0-1
- In Tuscaloosa: 0-1 | In Bloomington: 0-0 | At Neutral Sites: 0-0
- Current Streak: Indiana +1
- Last Meeting: Feb. 28, 1999 - Tuscaloosa, Ala. - L, 0-2
- Overall vs. Florida State: 6-8
- In Tuscaloosa: 6-3 | In Tallahassee: 0-2 | At Neutral Sites: 0-3
- Current Streak: Florida State +5
- Last Meeting: June 7, 2021 - Oklahoma City, Okla. (WCWS) - L, 5-8
Last Time Out: Leadoff Classic
- Alabama went 2-1 at the season-opening Leadoff Classic at Rhoads Stadium, falling 7-4 to Lehigh before rebounding with a pair of 8-2 and 13-1 wins over Georgia Southern
- The loss to the Mountain Hawks was the Crimson Tide's first loss to open the season since 2010, though that Alabama team would go on to win the SEC regular season title, SEC Tournament and earn the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament
- As a team, Alabama hit 30-for-79 (.380) over the weekend and was 7-for-7 in stolen bases and did not commit an error on defense
- The 13 runs scored in Saturday's win vs. Georgia Southern is the most by the Tide since a 13-3 win at Georgia on May 1, 2021 and its most at home since a 14-6 win over Texas A&M on April 3 that same season
- Kali Heivilin and Ashley Prange led the team with five hits, each hitting a home run and driving in four RBIs
- In addition to Heivilin and Prange, Emma Broadfoot and Kenleigh Cahalan hit their first home runs in a Crimson Tide uniform with Cahalan's as the 10th inside-the-park home run in program history
- Montana Fouts tied her single-game high with 16 strikeouts Friday night vs. Georgia Southern
Return to Clearwater
- This year marks Alabama's second appearance at the Clearwater Invitational, previously playing there in 2020
- The Tide came out of that weekend with a 3-2 record, including an 8-0 run rule shutout over then-No. 1 Washington
- At the time, that win over the top-ranked Huskies was just the seventh time in NCAA history the No. 1-ranked team in the USA Softball poll lost a game via run rule
- Alabama and UCLA will match up for a second time in Clearwater this weekend, with the Bruins earning the 7-0 win in 2020
Alabama at Clearwater Invitational in 2020
- Feb. 13, 2020 vs. Liberty - W, 7-1
- Feb. 13, 2020 vs. #1/1 Washington - W, 8-0 (5)
- Feb. 14, 2020 vs. USF - W, 9-1 (5)
- Feb. 14, 2020 vs. #3/2 UCLA - L, 0-7
- Feb. 15, 2020 vs. #16/16 Oklahoma State - L, 1-4
Inside the Park Home Runs
- Kenleigh Cahalan's inside-the-park home run Saturday vs. Georgia Southern was the 10th in program history
- It was the third to occur on opening weekend and the third hit by a freshman
- She is now the fifth player in program history whose first career home run was inside the park, joining Skylar Wallace, Haylie McCleney, Ryan Iamurri and Leah White
Alabama Inside-the-Park Home Runs
- Kenleigh Cahalan - Feb. 11 vs. Georgia Southern
- Ally Shipman - March 27, 2022 at South Carolina
- Savannah Woodard - April 25, 2021 vs. #13 Louisiana
- Skylar Wallace - Feb. 23, 2019 vs. Missouri State
- Merris Schroder - Feb. 9, 2018 vs. Lamar
- Haylie McCleney - Feb. 9, 2013 vs. Drake
- Ryan Iamurri - March 2, 2012 vs. Maryland
- Brittany Rogers - May 16, 2008 vs. Jacksonville State
- Brittany Rogers - Feb. 17, 2007 vs. Toledo
- Leah White - Feb. 13, 2004 vs. Lipscomb
Fouts Career Record Watch
- With 76 career wins, Montana Fouts is sixth all-time at Alabama and is just three shy of tying fifth-place Alexis Osorio (2015-18)
- Fouts also has 91 career starts, putting her nine shy of becoming the sixth player in program history to make 100 career starts
- Her 878 career strikeouts ranks sixth all-time, with Jaclyn Traina (2011-14) as the next highest at 976
Sweet Home Alabama
- Alabama sports a 686-126 (.845) all-time record at home, including a 650-110 (.855) mark under head coach Patrick Murphy and a 631-106 (.856) record at Rhoads Stadium, the Tide's home field since 2000
- Since Rhoads Stadium opened in 2000, Alabama has won at least 25 home games in 19 of its 22 years there
Up Next: vs. Samford
- Wednesday, Feb. 22 - Tuscaloosa, Ala. - 6 p.m. CT
Players Mentioned
UTIL
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
UTIL
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