No exact start time, but Florida takes infield at 1:36 CT and Alabama at 1:43.

That puts us close to 2 p.m. CT for first pitch, maybe a bit earlier.

Thanks Tommy. I was hoping you would cover this game. How do you feel about Bama's chances today?

If Kelsi starts well, doesn't walk too many and doesn't hit batters I think Alabama can win.

Her best outing of the year was in the game where Alabama beat Florida.

That being said, Florida's probably good enough to have won a bronze medal at the Olympics. On any given day, these Gators could steamroll any college team in the country.

Coaches coming out with umps for the meeting. We're about to start.

Infield looks a bit muddy -- same with the warning track. Looks like the outfield has drained well -- at least no standing water -- but you can't really tell how slick or not it is from here.

Punch Out King Chad Stears behind the plate.

I thought he squeezed the zone when he was behind the plate earlier in the tournament -- forget which game.

A tight strike zone does not favor Alabama.

Everybody has been waiting to play -- I assume TV has been the holdup for the last 10-12 minutes.

Finally Nelson is throwing warm-up pitches.

Time to play ball.

Top of the first:

Rogers bunts and reaches on an error.

She's thrown out stealing -- I thought she was safe on the high tag.

Parker walks.

Charlotte Morgan singles through the left side of the infield.

Reilly-Boccia walks on four pitches.

Bases loaded, one out for Holcombe.

Hit by pitch, Alabama 1-0.

Passed ball, Morgan scores to make it 2-0. Runners advance to second and third.

Locke strikes out.

Larsen strikes out.

After the top of the first, Alabama 2-0.

Kelsi Dunne warms up without the shades, but Amanda Locke runs in with the save -- brings out the Wonder Glasses.

Paculba hit by pitch.

DeFelice lines one foul that Montalvo snags for out one.

Gardiner walks.

Ump Stears is squeezing the strike zone both ways for sure.

Enea hit by pitch to load the bases -- Stears called it a strike that hit the bat, Walton argued, Stears conferred with the other umps and awarded the base.

Murphy comes out to have a word, but I don't think he wants to get tossed so he's discussing it more than arguing.

Now Murphy brings in the base umps and tries to make his case and he's getting a little more demonstrative.

Bruder up -- Kelsi can't get the outside strike or the changeup. Walks in a run on five pitches.

Alabama 2, Florida 1.

Brooks up, still loaded. Long battle, grounds into fielder's choice. Montalvo throws home for the force, out two.

Bush up with two outs. She gets behind 0-2 in the count, milks it full and hits a grand slam on the 15th pitch of the at-bat.

Florida 5, Alabama 2.

Hilberth pops up to short.

After one inning:

Alabama 2 1 0
Florida 5 1 1

What is it with Dunne and giving up grand slams to Florida?

This is the third one in the last two years that I can recall -- and I can't recall any other grand slams that we've given up as a team in two years, and I don't think that we've hit that many ourselves as a team in the same time period.

The ump is awful, and not just for Bama but for both sides. He's called a pitch straight down the middle a ball (twice) and he'll call the pitch that's a foot inside to a right handed batter a strike.

Top of the second:

Eubanks flies out to right, well hit right at the fielder.

Montalvo up. She hits one that nearly gets through the hole at short, drawing the SS over to make a throw going the other way -- Montalvo beats out the infield hit.

Rogers moves Montalvo over with a slap-bunt, thrown out at first for out two.

Parker hits a soft liner to third for out three, swinging at first pitch.

Alabama needs to be more patient with Stears squeezing the zone -- if he's not going to call strikes, batters can force the pitchers to groove it down the middle by not swinging.

quote:

Originally posted by bama79:
What is it with Dunne and giving up grand slams to Florida?

This is the third one in the last two years that I can recall -- and I can't recall any other grand slams that we've given up as a team in two years, and I don't think that we've hit that many ourselves as a team in the same time period.

Florida is one of the best-hitting teams in the nation -- they hit back-to-back-to-back homers last night.

And if the ump isn't giving you anything on the corners and isn't giving you the changeup right over the plate, sooner or later most pitchers will groove one and pay the price.

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy Deas:

quote:

Originally posted by bama79:
What is it with Dunne and giving up grand slams to Florida?

This is the third one in the last two years that I can recall -- and I can't recall any other grand slams that we've given up as a team in two years, and I don't think that we've hit that many ourselves as a team in the same time period.

Florida is one of the best-hitting teams in the nation -- they hit back-to-back-to-back homers last night.

And if the ump isn't giving you anything on the corners and isn't giving you the changeup right over the plate, sooner or later most pitchers will groove one and pay the price.

I know that they are a very good hitting team -- I'm more talking about the odds of having so many grand slam home runs, off of one pitcher, vs one team -- it would be one thing if they had a bunch of home runs off of Dunne, but to have three grand slams -- those might be the only three HRs she's given up to Florida -- just seems to be a real odditity.

BTW -- Tommy nailed it twice in his pregame comments -- one that the ump was going to squeeze the zone, and two, that Dunne's walks/hit batters was a concern.