Bottom of the third.

Alabama up:

Larsen up. Then Pittman gets to try to go through Alabama's lineup a second time, which could get interesting now that they've gotten a good look at her changeup and other pitches.

Larsen gets fooled on the changeup, waits on it but dinks it to shortstop, thrown out for out one.

Rogers slaps a single, high bouncer over the hole between the pitcher and second baseman, with the infield playing way in.

Rogers steals easy on the first pitch. With a changeup pitcher she may try for third.

Parker gets behind 0-2. Quick batter conference by Murphy when the catcher goes out to talk to her pitcher. She goes with the changeup and pokes it to left for a single.

First and third with one out for Montalvo, and Jax State sends the pitching coach out for a little talk.

Parker steals second with Montalvo covering on a fake bunt attempt. No throw -- Jax State concedes the base rather than the run.

Montalvo chops a bounder that goes over the head of both shortstop and third baseman with both playing in. Single, two RBIs, Alabama 2-0.

Morgan up. Count goes to 3-1. Montalvo caught stealing on the next pitch, except that it's a ball so she goes to second safely on the walk.

Elizono, the freshman running specialist, replaces Morgan as a pinch runner on first.

R-B with first and second and a chance to blow this thing wide open. Pittman falls behind 3-1 and the cracks are starting to show for JSU. High inside on the changeup for a walk and the bases are loaded for Holcombe.

The crowd comes to its feet. Holcombe goes full. She grounds to first, first baseman boots it, picks it up and starts to run to first for the force (instead of throwing to second baseman, running to cover) and everybody's safe with a run in.

Locke turns on the first pitch inside and hits a two-RBI double.

Alabama up 5-0.

Cat Dozier in to run for Holcombe at third.

Eubanks at the plate. She waits on a 1-1 changeup and golfs it to the wall in left field for a two-RBI triple. Now it's 7-0.

Larsen grounds to third, runner checked and Larsen thrown out at first, out two.

Rogers can bring the run rule into play. She strikes out swinging on an inside riseball, sneaky pitch.

After three:

JSU 0 0 2
Alabama 7 6 0

Sorry, my computer shut down and wouldn't turn back on for a bit.

Jax State went down 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth.

Alabama gets insurance in the bottom. Morgan singles with two outs and moves to second on an error on the throw from right field. Reilly-Boccia leans out and rips an RBI double to the fence. Holcombe singles to left for another RBI to make it 9-0.

We are three outs away. Unless Jax State extends this game, I'll have to leave the thread. I'll be writing a quick game story that will go up on the front page ASAP after this is done.

Game time for Saturday is 11 a.m. on ESPN.

For the record, Dunne threw a no-hitter with seven strikeouts.

Jax State will start Ashley Eliasson tomorrow. Murphy's not saying who he's going to throw.

Congradulations to the Bama Softball Team. I really enjoyed watching you on TV from wet central Florida. Rolllllll Tiiiiiide

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy Deas:
For the record, Dunne threw a no-hitter with seven strikeouts.

Jax State will start Ashley Eliasson tomorrow. Murphy's not saying who he's going to throw.

AWESOME!

We're about about 35-40 minutes from scheduled first pitch at the Alabama Softball Complex on Day 2.

There's a very heavy drizzle, maybe playable but borderline.

Good news is that the system seems to be breaking up a bit as it approaches us -- my weather expert, Ashley Waters, tells me we'll get some rain but likely not a downpour and no thunderstorms. At least not for a while.

The tarp is still on the field. Teams are taking BP in the indoor hitting cage below the tennis complex.

Right now it's wait and see.

Today's game(s) are on ESPN. First pitch of Game 2 is set for 11 a.m. and there's no change so far.

Georgia and Arizona won yesterday (Arizona twice after losing the first game to Stanford) and advanced to the Women's College World Series.

Michigan and Arizona State also won their opening games.

And the drizzle seems to be slowing. I think we're going to be good, but it's minute to minute. I will keep you updated.

I'm told by game officials that both coaches are good with starting under present conditions.

Looks like they're going to pull the tarp soon.

Game time is 11 a.m. unless there's a chance.

Alabama has sent Kelsi Dunne, yesterday's no-hitter pitcher, to the bullpen to warm up. Lookslike she'll be the starter, but Charlotte Morgan is doing pre-warmup long-toss exercises and I'm sure will be available.

Best guess with available info at this time is Dunne starts the first game and Charlotte pitches the second, if necessary.

The tarp is off the field.

Just had a quick talk with former UA pitcher Chrissy Owens. She said she loved to pitch in the rain. Slick ball and whatnot.

Lineups:

Jacksonville State (43-15)
lf Chrissy O'Neal
1b Nikkie Prier
c Allie Barker
2b Courtney Underwood
dh Meredith Sellers
3b Allison Svoboda
rf Jackie Jarman
ss Mary Beth Ledbetter
cf Hillary Downs

RHP: Ashley Eliasson (18-7, 1.47 ERA)

Alabama (51-9)
cf Brittany Rogers
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 Kesli Dunne (26-3, 1.40 ERA)

Alabama will bat first in Game 2 here because of the NCAA's 'neutrality' rules. Don't get me started on that.

If it goes to Game 3, Alabama won a coin toss to be the home team.

We're waiting on TV to start -- everyone's on the field and Rogers is chatting with the home-plate ump next to the batter's box.

ESPN is televising Washington and Georgia Tech. What the crap??

This is great. ESPN in north Florida showing Ga. Tech. and Washington. ESPN 360 not on yet.

Im in North Alabama and Im getting that stupid game too Kent. The other ESPN alternatives with Bama and Jax are blacked out..

I'm getting it on ESPN 360 now. Bases loaded and 1 out for the Tide.

Crowd looks bigger than yesterday's 2,011 despite the rain.

Top of the first, Alabama batting.

Rogers pops up to left field.

Parker doubles to the wall in left, standing up, going with the pitch.

Montalvo draws a five-pitch walk.

Morgan hit by a pitch, loading the bases.

Jax State sends the pitching coach out to talk to Eliasson and the infield. Murphy has a brief conference with R-B and Morgan (who I presume was offering a word on what Eliasson throwing).

Reilly-Boccia pops up over her shoulder to the catcher on an inside pitch that ricocheted off the end of the bat. Coaches and umps are discussing it.

She's out, out two.

Holcombe up. She takes a strike and then three balls. Big situation for Alabama to get this thing started.

Ball four, high and outside, Parker walks home, Alabama up 1-0.

Locke absolutely blasts a monster shot home run, but it's foul on the left side. It went about 4 miles high and probably landed on the street down beyond left field.

Locke goes fishing on a 2-2 pitch that's outside and strikes out.

Alabama 1-0.