Just announced...the Alabama vs. Georgia baseball game has been rescheduled due to inclimate weather. Will play a double header tomorrow to make it up.

Tommy,
Do you feel this is Bama's best softball team to date?

quote:

Originally posted by Bama7:
Tommy,
Do you feel this is Bama's best softball team to date?

I won't answer that until I see how far this team goes. Potentially, yes. To this point in a season, yes.

I will say this -- the best I've ever seen a UA softball team play (and I can proudly say I've seen them all) was this year when Lauren Parker was healthy.

Just got lineups. Coaches meeting with umps as I type.

UTC (41-20)
SS Tara Tembey
CF Lauren Flores
1b Michelle Fuzzard
3b Toni Hutchison
rf Laci Upchurch
lf Ashlan Clarkson
2b Tiffany Barker
c Lynleigh Hurndon
dp Brittany Eason

RHP Brooke Loudermilk (18-7, 1.67 ERA) will start.

Alabama (51-6)
CF Brittany Rogers (shocker, huh?)
dp Jordan Praytor
p Charlotte Morgan
lf Dani Woods
3b Kelley Montalvo
ss Kellie Eubanks
c Ashley Holcombe
1b Alex Blewitt (surprise)
2b Whitney Larsen
rf Katie Johnson

LHP Charlotte Morgan (15-2, 1.43 ERA)

No Lauren Parker in the UA lineup. Would expect Dani Woods at first instead of Alex Blewitt, but UA coach Patrick Murphy usually knows his stuff.

UA is 4-2 all-time against UTC. Making its 10th consecutive appearance in NCAA Tournament. UTC is participating in May Madness for the sixth time.

Player introductions just finished. National anthem up. Either Aaron Suttles or I will post after the first inning in keeping with NCAA blog rules.

Alabama takes a 1-0 lead in the first.

UTC got a base-runner right away on Tara Tembey's leadoff slap single to left. She moved to second on a sac bunt. Along came Alabama catcher Ashley Holcombe, who caught her leaning and gunned her down for a pick-off out. Holcombe's sixth for the year, a UA record. Morgan strikes out the next batter for the third out.

Alabama gets a leadoff double from Brittany Rogers. She moves to second on Jordan Praytor's slap sac. Morgan hit by pitch. Dani WOods brings in the run on a sacrifice foul fly to left for out two. Kelley Montalvo pops up to short.

UTC 0 1 0
Alabama 1 1 0

Tommy,
My daugher and I are watching this game on tide tv and was wondering if you knew the speeds of the fast balls for bama's pitchers?

These Lady Mocs are the chanting-est bunch I've seen this year, maybe in the last two or three years. Alabama doesn't chant so much as it used to.

Maybe we'll hear: "Holy cow, that was foul, mooooooove it over."
Or
"Holy sheep, that was cheap, baaaaaaaad play."

Or not.

Kellie Eubanks at short turns a double play for Alabama 6-4-3 to get out of the first inning. Blewitt nice catch on a high fly in foul territory over by the UTC dugout for the first out.

Toni Hutchison had a leadoff single under the glove of Eubanks at short to start off the inning, so it's 0 runs on 1 hit, 0 errors for UTC in the second.

Eubanks pops up to second, Holcombe lines out the same way and Blewitt pops up the first pitch to first base for three quick outs.

Alabama 0 runs on 0 hits, 0 errors

Alabama up 1-0 after two innings.

Thought Parker was going to be in the line-up. What happened?

quote:

Originally posted by Bama7:
Tommy,
My daugher and I are watching this game on tide tv and was wondering if you knew the speeds of the fast balls for bama's pitchers?

No radar gun here. I'm guessing Morgan's in the low 60s, probably same for Loudermilk, maybe mid-60s. Morgan does hit another gear every so often when he's really kicking, like against the U.S. team in her three innings, but these pitchers rely more on spin and movement than sheer velocity.

Another leadoff hitter on base for UTC, with Baker hitting a hard grounder to short that Eubanks gloves on the dive but can't make a throw. Hurndon takes a third strike and nine-hole hitter Eason bloops a single over first base. Then leadoff hitter Tembey bloops one over short that no one can handle to load the bases with one out. Trouble on the cable for UA.

Another double play, this one to be remembered for a long time. Flores chops one to Montalvo at third -- she fires home to Holcombe, who relays it to Blewitt for the 5-2-3 double play.

Wow.

Alabama's turn in the bottom of the third. Rogers hits a double-out double off the glove of Loudermilk, who deflects it with a blind stab as hit whizzes by. Then Praytor bangs a triple to the warning track in right field for an RBI, 2-0 Alabama.

Charlotte Morgan's sacrifice fly to deep center field to break Ginger Jones' school record with 70 RBIs (Jones set the record in 2000 and has her image on the outfield wall, rightfully so -- her grandmother is also here, as usual). Now its 3-0 UA.

Dani Woods draws a walk to keep it doing (her patented move) and Kelley Montalvo bangs a two-run home run off the scoreboard to make it 5-0.

UTC has two pitchers warming up in the pen. Wonder if they might want to think about saving Loudermilk for tomorrow before too long.

Now Eubanks draws a walk and Loudermilk is really struggling. Holcombe strikes out swinging.

Alabama 5-0 after three.

*In regards to Parker, my best guess is that coach Murphy may be holding her out to rest her shoulder. She is too important to the team to risk bringing her back before she is ready. She was taking practice swings in the fourth inning.

*The official attendance is 1,371 -- up from last season's 994 on a Friday. Not bad for a Thursday night considering the monsoon we had this morning/afternoon.

*Kellie Eubanks makes a great play ranging to her right behind a diving Kelley Montalvo for the first out of the inning.
*Chattanooga gets runners on first and second with two outs. However, Morgan strikes out Tiffany Baker to end the threat.

*Whitney Larsen strikes out for the second out on the inning and Brittany Rogers k's to end the inning.

Thanks for the Parker update.

*Morgan strikes out Lynleigh Hurndon for the first out.

*She walks Eason on four pitches.

*Tembey strikes out for the second out.

*Flores lines out to Rogers for the third out.

*Praytor takes strike three off reliever Kandice Irwin.

*Morgan takes ball four on a full count.

*Woods with a single to right field. Two on one out.

*Montalvo with a single up the middle to score Morgan. 6-0. Morgan limps across home plate. May have aggravated her foot.

*Eubanks strikes out.

*Lauren Parker up. The crowd is juiced for Parker's turn at the plate.

*Parker hits into a fielders choice.

*After five innings UTC has seven hits, UA six. However, UA leads in runs, 6 to 0.

*Chattanooga's Fuzzard singles to right field to start the sixth. The Mocs need some runs and they're running out of innings.

*Morgan walks Hutchison. Mocs are threatening.

*Upchurch works a 3-1 count and then grounds out to first. Runners advance to second and third.

*Coach Murphy takes a trip and brings in Chrissy Owens to relieve Morgan. Morgan goes to first.

*Holcombe catches the pop-up for the second out.

*Eubanks for the 6-3 to end the inning. Alabama up.

*Blewitt takes strike three on a controversial at bat.

*Larsen flies out to right.

*Speed Racer Rogers is up. She slaps one up the middle and races around to second for a double.

*First time a player has had three doubles since Montalvo did it last season versus FSU in the Regional.

*Praytor singles to left center and Rogers scores to give UA a 7-0 lead.

*Morgan hit by the pitch.

*Woods singles to left center to end the game. 8-0 is the final.

*Bama will play Jacksonville State on Friday at 2:30 p.m.

Way to go ladies,

Great game...do it again tomorrow