Let's go Bama!!! A walk to start it off.

Stolen base!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Marshall Stack:
Stolen base!!!!!

She may have been out. Oh well... I'll take it.

quote:

Originally posted by Marshall Stack:

quote:

Originally posted by Marshall Stack:
Stolen base!!!!!

She may have been out. Oh well... I'll take it.

It was VERY close, but yeah, we'll take it.

Alabama at bat, bottom of the first:

Side note: I'm wondering what Bach, a freshman, was thinking watching Alabama beat up an Arizona team that swept the Sun Devils and are considered the standard of excellence.

Rogers draws a walk to lead off. She doesn't steal on the first two pitches, a sign of respect for the Arizona State catcher for sure.

She steals on the third pitch, however, safe.

Parker hits a soft liner to second, out one. Bad aim -- if that was a few feet to the left or right, Rogers would have probably scored.

Montalvo gets ahead 3-1 and Zona State has a catcher-pitcher conference. Thought I overheard the catcher say 'Her strike zone's about 3 square inches.' (not really) Next pitch is a strike to bring the count full.

And Montalvo fouls one off her face. She goes down like when Foreman hit Frazier, but bounces right back up and shakes it off.

And takes a high strike for a walk.

First and second base for Charlotte Morgan. Zona State pitching coach out for a visit, a long enough one for the ump to need to break it up.

I'm saying walk Morgan here.

That first pitch called strike to Morgan was so far inside it almost hit me!!!

How many foul balls is she gonna hit?

Ump needs to sweep the plate.

quote:

Originally posted by Marshall Stack:
Ump needs to sweep the plate.

and get glasses.

Just wanted to get that on the record.

Morgan takes a strike and a high ball. Reaches out for one on the outside corner and golfs it home run distance but foul to the right side.

She battles off an inside offering. And another that was probably a ball, high. And one to the right side.

Definitely getting the timing, just needs to straighten something out.

And again to the left. And another one foul left, but closer -- not in the stands. Left fielder hustles over but can't make the sliding catch.

Ball in the dirt, 2-2. And fouls another one off to the right. She flies out to center field on the 10th pitch of the at-bat.

That's a very good at-bat for Morgan, even though it ends in out two. Rogers scoots over to third.

Montalvo steals second with no resistance on first pitch, no surprise.

Reilly-Boccia takes two strikes. She's a very good two-strike hitter. Check swing on strike three for out three.

Alabama strands two.

After one:

Arizona State 0 0 0
Alabama 0 0 0

Top of the second, Arizona State batting:

Donnenwirth strikes out looking.

And so far, Kelsi Dunne is really on. This is the stuff that made her All-American. The question is if she is consistent.

And another strikeout, Haro this time.

Crabb goes full. I thought the second ball was a strike but what do I know? The important thing is for Dunne to keep her composure and adjust to the ump.

Changeup misses in the dirt for ball four.

Boyd up with the runner on first -- make it second as she moves to second on a wild pitch.

She grounds up to second for out three.

Two good at-bats for Arizona State at the end of the inning but nothing to show for it.

Scoreless in the middle of the second.

Bottom of the third, Alabama at bat:

Holcombe goes down two strikes quick. I think she's been behind in the count on every at-bat of the WCWS so far. Good aluminum on one to right field but not far enough, out one.

Larsen pops up foul to the catcher -- nice play hustling to the ball, which didn't go very high. Out two.

Eubanks, who has been a surprise with her bat at key times this postseason (I thought she was the one who really broke open the Arizona game in the second inning), is up with no one on. She takes on on the shoulder and goes to first.

JenFen is up. She made the most of her opportunity last game for sure and has a great future with this program. Gets ahead 3-1, then takes one down the middle to run the count full. And slices a single to right.

Two outs? So what.

Rogers up and grounds out to shortstop on a slap for out three.

Two more stranded, but Alabama is getting to Back pretty well so far even if there's only one hit -- good at-bats and a fair amount of hard-hit foul balls. Bodes well for second time through the lineup.

After two:

Arizona State 0 0 0
Alabama 0 1 0

Top of the third:

Arizona State at bat:

Rogers (Lesley, not Brittany) strikes out looking. Or barely waving maybe.

Muenz breaks up the no-hitter with a single to left.

Mapes was 4-for-5 yesterday against Washington in a 1-0 loss, according to the big screen here. And she slaps a sharp single over shortstop.

Runners on first and second for Cochran, which spells trouble. But she flies out foul in the right-field corner, a HUGE out two.

Runners advance to second and third.

Castillo pops up to first base for out three.

Still scoreless in the middle of the third.

This would be a good time for Alabama to get something going with 2-3-4 batters up in the bottom of the third.

Getting even one run across to put some pressure on the rookie pitcher Bach would be wise.

Parker grounds out to second.

Montalvo flies out to right.

Bach looks easier to hit than she is.

Morgan had a great at-bat the first time. Don't know what Bach can throw at her that she hasn't already.

She jumps on the first pitch and looks like it has a chance for just a second but it dies and is caught in left-center for out three.

After three:

Arizona State 0 2 0
Alabama 0 1 0

Top of the fourth and it's getting tense.

Donnenwirth singles to left.

Hato grounds to first, fielder's choice as Morgan throws to second for the lead out.

Crabb launches a moon shot over the fence in left field. It stays fair. Home run.

Arizona State up 2-0.

Boyd grounds out to short, out two.

Rogers grounds out to first, out three.

The homer makes it 2-0 middle of the fourth.