I thought I'd get off to an early start, especially since the games get off to an early start.

Alabama vs. Jax State Game 1 is Friday at 1 p.m. at the Alabama Softball Complex, if you didn't know. ESPN2 will televise. It's available on the net at ESPN360.

Game 2 is Saturday at 11 a.m., Game 3 to follow if necessary. ESPN will televise Game 2. Game 3 is either the Deuce or regular ESPN -- I don't have it front of me and don't recall. I'll update if the third game comes into play.

Former UA assistant coach Karen Johns (later head coach at Florida and Virginia and now still a member of the U.S. national team coaching staff) will do color on the broadcasts, so a nice homecoming to a classy lady. Karen, by the way, is married to former Alabama All-American defensive back Bobby Johns -- forgot to ask her if Bobby is coming over, but he often does when she visits UA.

She informed me today that John Kruk will be back in the booth at the Women's College World Series again this year. That's a plus for the ESPN networks' coverage from Oklahoma City -- he did an outstanding job last year and brought a fresh perspective to the game.

Jacksonville State is happy to be here, no doubt. This team had already packed its bags not expecting an at-large bid, and both coach and players alike said at today's press conference that the team really played like every pitch was its last in winning the Knoxville Regional last weekend.

Elsewhere in the NCAA Tournament, Georgia won its Super Regional opener at home against Ohio State, winning 6-0 after falling behind 4-0. Georgia is as dangerous as any team in the country.

I'll keep you updated throughout the Super Regional, and you can check in to Tidesports.com for weather updates if that becomes an issue.

quote:

winning 6-0 after falling behind 4-0

How is this possible?

quote:

Originally posted by The White Lobster:

quote:

winning 6-0 after falling behind 4-0

How is this possible?

My mistake. Georgia won 6-4.

Stanford also won 6-4 over Arizona.

This is going to get interesting as the final 16 teams play down to the natoinal title.

I hope everyone will come out and support our amazing team! They deserve it!!! Roll TIde!!!!

We're a little less than an hour away.

I'll be interested to see what kind of crowd will show up for a workday afternoon game that's on national TV. The times were certainly not set with fan interest in mind, which is a shame for a program that set the national attendance record this year.

Here are our lineups:

Jacksonville State (43-13)
lf Chrissy O'Neal
1b Nikki Prier
c Allie Barker
2b Courtney Underwood
dh Meredith Sellers
3b Allison Svoboda
rf Jackie Jarman
ss Mary Beth Ledbetter
cf Hillary Downs

RHP Karla Pittman (17-3, 1.27 ERA)

Alabama (50-9)
cf Brittany Robers
2b Lauren Parker
3b Kelley Montalvo
dh Charlotte Morgan
rf Cassie Reilly-Boccia
c Ashley Holcombe
1b Amanda Locke
ss Kellie Eubanks
lf Whitney Larsen

RHP Kelsi Dunne (25-3, 1.44 ERA)

Alabama will be the home team in Game 1. The Crimson Tide will be the visiting team in Game 2 tomorrow. Alabama won the coin toss to be the home team in the 'if necessary' game.

Jacksonville State wearing all back, including black sox, with red letters and numbers trimmed in white.

Alabama wearing white with red sox, red letters and red numbers.

Wind is blowing in hard from right-center. Anyone hitting one out today is going to have to crush it. Of course, I said that last Sunday when Alabama played Texas and both Charlotte Morgan and Reilly-Boccia hammered shots.

I completely agree, as I sit here at work, trying to figure out ways to keep up with this game...

Mickey, your choices are:

a) Gametracker, through the rolltide.com site

b) ESPN360, whatever the heck that is, which I think you may have to pay for. You have to check that out on the espn.com site.

c) Stay on this thread. I'll update every half inning with play by play and (*cough, cough*) expert commentary.

Coaches and umps meeting at home plate.

Very good crowd considering it's a weekday afternoon. Stands are filling up and will likely be completely full, with a few more on the outfield tier.

Best player in UA softball history, Kelly Kretschman, in the house sitting in the premium seating area behind home plate. She was here last weekend and has been hanging out with Alabama players this week. I suspect she'll be in OKC if Alabama advances.

Alabama's on the field. Dunne about to throw her warmup pitches.

Jax State breaks its huddle and hte leadoff batter in on deck.

Time to PLAY BALL.

Top of the first:

Jacksonville State up. The No. 1, 2 and 9 batters are lefties, probably slappers (at least the first two from the look of them).

O'Neal leads off. Stike one with a first-pitch changeup. Takes strike two on the outside corner. Gets handcuffed on another changeup, oops swing for strike three on three pitches

Prier up. First pitch check swing strike. Dunne four pitches, four strikes so far. Finally misses a little high on the outside corner. I'm not going to go pitch by pitch, but the way it started I figured I might as well.
Very loud crwod clapping along. Prier takes stride three on the inside corner for out two.

And the rain starts, a light spray. A few people head up for the cover of the concourse area.

Crowd is relaly into this one, lots of chanting and clapping. Jax State also brought a good and vocal contingent.

Barker's turn. Dunne has them mystified with the changeup. Takes strike three for out three.

Bottom of the first.

Alabama up. And Alabama fans are up clapping along to 'Yea Alabama' while we wait for ESPN to come out of the break.

They don't allow the individual batters' music at NCAA-level events, so they're playing the fight song before each team bats.

Rogers takes a third strike on a full count. Home plate ump Sally Walker likes to ring 'em up, so batters need to adjust and protect.

Parker hits it fairly sharp to shortstop and thrown out at first for out one.

Montalvo goes 3-1 and rips a double to the wall in left-center. Thus endeth the slump.

Morgan up with an RBI opportunity. Fouls off a couple of two-strike pitches and lines it right at first base for out three.

After one:

JSU 0 0 0
Alabama 0 1 0

Top of the second.

JSU up.

Underwood goes full and fouls off three. Then takes one low and just a bit outside for a walk. Dunne wanted the K.

Sellers bunts to Montalvo, who turns a 5-4-3 double play. Shades of Sunday's game against Texas.

Svoboda goes full. Kelsi's looking for an outside corner but pushing it out a little further than the ump likes. Svoboda goes down swinging on an outside pitch, out three.


Svoboda

Bottom of the second:

Alabama up.

Reilly-Boccia reaches on an error when second baseman boots a routine grounder.

Holcombe sac bunt moves her to second, out one.

Locke gets fooled on a changeup for the second strike, got way out in front. Murphy calls a quick batter conference. Locke pops up to first.

Eubanks pops up to third. Pittman's changeup giving Alabama fits right now.

After two:

Jax State 0 0 1
Alabama 0 1 0

Top of the third.

JSU up:

Jarman behind 3-0 in the count, brings it back full and gets a strikeout looking on a changeup.

Ledbetter flies out foul to left, out two.

Downs takes two changeups for strikes and gets boinked in the head when one gets away from Dunne.

O'Neal pops up to catcher, out three.

Downs

I'm getting updates from my uncle who is watching it...

7-0 so far and still batting.