Alabama Crimson Tide Softball Eludes a Florida Gators Sweep in SEC Opener

Run-ruled at home. Let that sink in. Alabama softball is not on the level of Alabama football, but can you imagine the gridiron Tide losing in Bryant Denny Stadium 66-14? Or even 35-6? Or more precisely, can you in your wildest nightmare picture Bama men’s basketball falling 105-68 in Coleman?

I am too disgusted to do the research, but I cannot recall an Alabama softball team ever getting run-ruled in Rhoads Stadium.

GAME 1: FLORIDA 2, ALABAMA 0 – Rothrock’d!

The hardest hit ball by Bama in the Game 1 (above) is your offense highlight!

The Crimson Tide base runners were like Texas A&M Yell Leaders on a first date. Nobody made it to second base. Bama had one measly single (Lauren Johnson batting 8th for whatever reason), three walks, and a HBP. Murphy blamed the wind. I’m not even kidding. Abby Duchscherer hit the ball hard twice but both times, they found a glove.

Poor Kayla Beaver (L, 7-1) had a fine performance wasted by lack of offensive support and two unearned runs in the 2nd inning. The first Gator batter of that frame hit a hard grounder to short but Kenleigh Cahalan could not handle it. After a K, a double put runners at second and third. A line out to Beaver made it two down, when a Gator single up the middle gave UF the 2-0 lead. The Gators would collect only one single the rest of the game.

Florida freshman hurler Keagan Rothrock (W, 9-2) struck out three for a one-hit win.

Skylar “Don’t Call Me Mia” Wallace grounded out, walked, and struck out swinging

GAME 2: FLORIDA 11, ALABAMA 2 (5 Innings) – Run Ruled at Home

Do you like crooked numbers? Bama had a big one: 6. Six errors; Three by third baseman Bailey Dowling and three by second baseman Kali Heivilin. The first two batters of the game reached base when Dowling booted the ball. A single would load the bases. The Tide rebounded somewhat when a double play plated a UF run. This was followed by a wild pitch by starter Jaala Torrence (L, 7-2) that looked like something out Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn of Major League fame, 2-0. Another Dowling error put a Gator on second base to open the 3rd inning. A Skylar Wallace single would follow to make to 3-0. That would be the end of the day for Torrence as Jocelyn Briski returned to the circle for the first time since Feb 17.

In the bottom of the 3rd, the Tide would make it interesting for a moment as Bama would load the bases with nobody out. a fielder’s choice and a ground out would make it 3-2.

The leadoff Gator of the 4th got one back on a solo homer to deep left field. It was the 5th when it all went down the crapper. A UF double and single would score one run. Following an out and a walk, a bad throw by Heivilin would plate a pair of Florida runners. After a single scored another run, Murphy had seen enough and replaced Briski with (ugh) Alex Salter. Two errors by Heivilin on one play put runners at second and third. This was followed by a SAC fly, single, and a double to make it 11-2.

Florida coach Tim Walton did a little strategizing by not giving the Tide’s only offensive threat, Duchscherer, anything much to hit. She was walked twice and had an RBI ground out.

Skylar “Don’t Call Me Lurleen” Wallace was 3 for 4 including 2 doubles, 2 RBI and 2 runs.

GAME 3: ALABAMA 3, FLORIDA 0 – Salvage Job

With Rothrock back in the circle, Alabama scored one run on three singles in the first inning with Marlie Giles getting the RBI (she would later add a double). Dowling hit a fifth inning solo homer – her favorite kind of round-tripper – to make it 2-0. Kendal Clark (.357), who has been wasting away on the bench, connected on a pinch-hit single in the 6th. She would come around to score on a Cahalan single and a fielding error by the UF centerfielder.

The experience of Kayla Beaver (W, 8-1) was on display. She pitched a complete game shutout while giving up five hits and two walks. She also started TWO slick 1-6-3 double plays – something a certain former ace struggled with – to kill Florida rallies.

Skylar “Don’t Call Me Bo” Wallace was 0 for 3 with a strikeout. Her team got two wins but she did not exactly “put on a show.”

NOTES

[ED.NOTE: Lollipop unicorn rainbow chasers, stop reading here lest ye get your feelings hurt!]

• How long have we been lamenting the lack of hitting on Team28? At the very least, it began last spring when Super Seniors Ashley Prange and Ally Shipman seemed to be doing all the heavy lifting. And what did head coach Patrick Murphy do about it? He picked up part-time starting catcher Riley Valentine from Texas A&M who last season hit .188 and is now… wait for it… a part-time starter hitting .184. He also brought in Kinley Pate from Samford who hit .227 with two RBIs and zero extra base hits last year to basically be a pinch-runner even though he already had M’Kay Gidley on the team. And then juco All-Am Kendal Clark who is languishing on the bench.
• Once again we have a total lack of awareness in scouting an opponent. In the 5th inning of Game 1 with a vast scarcity of base runners, Lauren Johnson was gunned down trying to steal second base and it wasn’t even close. It was so bad that LoJo didn’t even have time to slide. Now, The Gut® just LOVES his “Greenlight Girls”. But sometimes, you need to turn that traffic signal to red. Like when your team is up against former Oklahoma Sooner catcher Jocelyn Erickson. The sophomore is one of the best defensive catchers in the nation. Coming into this game, the golden-armed sophomore had thrown out 6 of 7 stolen base attempts and has even picked one runner off first.
• Torrence continues to baffle as she dominates non-Power teams and wilts against the Powers. It is highly questionable that Murphy started her in Game 2 instead of Briski – who as a freshman is more familiar with starting than relieving in a pressure situation. Additionally, it is mysterious what happened to the Torrence-Alea Johnson combo that had been successful to date. Johnson did not make a game appearance in the series. No word on her condition. It is even more unclear why Salter entered Game 2 when she had barely pitched at all this season.

I saw some self-righteous rainbow unicorn chasers on social media criticizing other Bama fans as being “bandwagon” for not coming out the weekend before to sit in freezing-cold temperatures against lesser opponents. Looking at the packed crowds at Rhoads this weekend (pictured above from Saturday), there is no blaming lethargic play on the fans nor the volume of their cheers. The Saturday attendance was a 4,400 ticket sellout. Sunday’s attendance was 3,966. Monday was 3,734.

• Also on hand Saturday were former Tide stars Montana Fouts, Ally Shipman, and Alexis Mack.
• As some of you have pointed out, Kenleigh Cahalan has some issues in the field (6 errors, .931 fielding %). And I have a feeling it has affected her at the plate, mentally. I was going to suggest perhaps 3B Bailey Dowling or 2B Kali Heivilin switch positions with her. And then Sunday’s six error fiasco went down. Here again, Murphy’s lack of roster management and planning skills hurting the team: If any one of those three come out of a game, who is going to replace them? This team has six outfielders, four first basemen, two catchers, two pinch runners, one shortstop, one second baseman, one third baseman.

OF Kat Grill
OF Lauren Johnson
OF Kendal Clark
OF Jenna Johnson
OF Larissa Preuitt
OF Kristen White

1B Abby Duchscherer
1B Emma Broadfoot
1B Lauren Esman
1B KJ Haney

C Riley Valentine
C Marlie Giles

PR Kinley Pate
PR M’Kay Gidley

SS Kendal Clark
2B Kali Heivilin
3B Bailey Dowling

• The six errors are the most in a game for Alabama since April 4, 2002 against LSU. The Crimson Tide now have 20 errors in 20 games. Opponents have 18. The .969 fielding percentage will likely drop them down to the 60s in rankings.
• Lauren Esman was back in the lineup for Game 1. She walked and struck out swinging before being lifted in the for Larissa Preuitt in the 6th. Esman did not participate in the second game but started Game 3. She was 0 for 3 with another K and was again pinch-hit for.
• In a tight 2-0 game on Monday, The Gut® pinch hit Preuitt (.216 BA) for Lauren Johnson (.364) for some unexplainable reason. Preuitt struck out. A Murphy classic. In that same game with a runner on base, Señor Gutto pinch hit Emma Broadfoot (.185) for Kristen White (.292). But of course she struck out as well. Murphy’s infatuation with Broadfoot is baffling.
• It is hard to comprehend why LoJo (.364) is not an everyday starter and batting near the top of the order. Her streaky big sister (.269) was 1 for 9. Take away Jenna’s big weekend in Birmingham against cupcakes and her stats pale even more. But damn the torpedoes. Murphy is going to just keep charging onward with the super senior as the leadoff hitter because he think she has earned it or she has seniority or something. Maybe the church is calling the shots?
• The only second baseman on the team, Kali Heivilin, was a sad 0 for 7 with one walk.
• Riley Valentine struck out in her only two at bats. Preuitt and Broadfoot both went 0-2 with one K each.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“We got in our heads.” – Murphy after the Game 2 debacle.

Ya think? It seems like this has been an issue for several seasons now. Outside of a few players, there is a lack of mental toughness. Nick Saban is still on campus. Go pick his brain! The University of Alabama has a Psychology Department. Go talk to some professors. Or better yet, have them come talk to your team.

MVPs

1. BEAVER, yet again! – Two complete games, one win, one hard luck loss, no earned run allowed, 8 hits, 13 K, 5 BB (one IBB), 0 HBP, 0 WP.
2. GILES – only Tide player to get on base in each game, 2 for 5, 2 BB, 2 HBP, one 2B, 1 RBI, 0 K

UPCOMING ALABAMA SCHEDULE

It doesn’t get much easier for the Crimson Tide as they hit the road to face some real bullies. Since ESPN is now calling the shots, Bama has a pair of 11am games on the slate.

• Wednesday, March 13 at #14/16/16/17 Florida State – Tallahassee, FL – 6 p.m. CT – ACC Network
• Friday, March 15 at #3/6/7/8 Georgia – Athens, GA – 5 p.m. CT – SECN+
• Saturday, March 16 at Georgia – Athens, GA – 11 a.m. CT – SEC Network
• Sunday, March 17 at Georgia – Athens, GA – 11 a.m. CT – SEC Network

#RollTide #Team28