Bama Baseball Bests ULM; Alabama Baseball Press Conference; Alabama Gymnastics Takes Down Georgia Bulldogs; Tide Men's Golf Finishes 3rd At Desert Mtn Intercollegiate; Alabama Women's Tennis Falls To Mississippi State; Reuben Foster Was Impatient; Alabama Men's Tennis Falls To Arkansas

Bama Baseball Bests ULM 10-3 On Sunday

Photo Credit: UA Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – University of Alabama baseball pummeled ULM on Sunday by a score of 10-3 at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, completing the three-game weekend sweep of the Warhawks. With the win the Crimson Tide improves to 6-5 on the season.

Alabama Crimson Tide baseball head coach Greg Goff said, "This weekend was an accumulation of the last four or five days of good practice and preparation. It was a great team win against a really good Louisiana-Monroe squad. I have a lot of respect for coach (Bruce) Peddie and those guys, and I know they'll have a great year as they go through their season."

UA's Chandler Taylor finished the game with a team-high three hits, including his fifth home run of the young season, while adding two RBIs and a team-leading three runs scored. Tanner DeVinny smacked his first career home run in the course of his multi-hit effort with a two-for-three afternoon that included two runs, one walk and team-high four RBI. Chandler Avant came on strong once again, picking up his sixth multi-hit game of the season, going two-for-five whiled adding a stolen base.

The Bama bullpen came on strong following the early exit of starting pitcher Dylan Duarte. The relievers for the Crimson Tide did what they were supposed to too, and were highlighted by the play of Sam Finnerty (1-0), who earned his first win of the season thanks to 2.1 innings of pitching that allowed just one run. Finnerty allowed just three hits and logged one strikeout from the mound. Working the game's final three innings were Davis Vainer, Mike Oczypok, Zac Rogers and Nathan Altstadt worked the final three frames, keeping the Warhawk offense pretty much out of Sunday's contest.

Alabama relievers finished with a 2-0 mark and added an additional save. The Tide relief pitchers collectively provided a 0.71 ERA (1 ER/12.2 IP) while allowing only four hits and collecting 17 strikeouts and issuing only three walks during the course of the three weekend games.

Next up for Bama will be a meeting with in-state foe Troy tomorrow evening. The Crimson Tide and Trojans are scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT start at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

Photo Credit: UA Athletics

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Bama Baseball Press Conference
Following Crimson Tide Sweep Of ULM

Click HERE to watch Bama press conference via Tide TV

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Alabama Gymnastics Takes Down Georgia Bulldogs

Photo Credit: UA Athletics

ATHENS, Ga. - The sixth-ranked Alabama gymnastics team posted its best score in a road contest of the season to beat the eighth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, Georgia on Sunday afternoon by a score of 197.700-197.325. It was the Crimson Tide's second-highest score of the season overall and Georgia's season high.

UA gymnastics head coach Dana Duckworth said, "That was a very important road win for so many reasons including building our trust and confidence. I think it says a lot that our ladies stayed in their bubble, stayed relaxed and truly had fun and executed what they had trained all week."

Keely McNeer was missed by the other Bama ladies, having injured her hand in a car accident this past Thursday. The senior was Alabama's leadoff on the vault, uneven bars and balance beam for a majority of the past three years and shared the team lead for the most routines in competition this season.

Duckworth said, "Due to the turn of events, with Keely having her accident and people having to step in – like Abby Armbrecht on the balance beam, Aja Sims on the uneven bars and Wynter Childers on the vault –having people step up and come through like that was big." 

Alabama Scores:

Uneven Bars - 49.400 

    Kiana Winston - 9.925  Katie Bailey - 9.900

Vault - 49.275

     Bailey - 9.875  Maddie Desch - 9.875

Floor exercise - 49.500

     Winston - 9.95  Ari Guerra - 9.900  Desch - 9.900

Balance beam - 49.525

     Nickie Guerrero - 9.875  Winston - 9.925  Desch - 9.900  Armbrecht - 9.875

Duckworth continued, "For us to be solid on the last two events after we were less than perfect on the first two, shows the kind of resilience that this team is going to need to be successful in the end. This was awesome preparation for the SEC Championships where every event is going to be tight."

Winston captured the win in the all-around with a 39.650, the second highest total of her career. It was her fifth all-around win of the season. 

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Crimson Tide Men's Golf Finishes Third

At Desert Mountain Intercollegiate

Photo Credit: UA Athletics

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – The Alabama men's golf team captured third place on Sunday at the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was Crimson Tide junior Lee Hodges claiming medalist honors, carding a 10-under par 206, while the UA men turned in their best result in any tournament this season, finishing the 54-hole tournament with a 7-under par 857 (285-290-282).
The Bama boys really came on strong yesterday, with a 6-under 282, just three strokes better than any team's final round total and the lowest round carded by the Crimson Tide during the 2016-17 season.

Alabama men's golf coach Jay Seawell said,  "The guys did a good job. I am proud of how we battled and really proud of Lee and how he played. This was a big deal. He gets to add his name to a list of Alabama greats who have won tournaments for us. I am especially proud of our team and the way we responded. We've gone through some adversity, a lot more adversity and normal, and the guys have kept great attitudes. I thought we practiced well heading into this weekend's event and we were essentially one good round away from winning the entire tournament. I'm just very proud of the guys and we certainly took a step in the right direction."

Hodges was able to card three consecutive sub-70 rounds for the first time in his career, winning his second tournament title. He had previously won the 2015 Shoal Creek Intercollegiate while attending UAB.

Hodgess commented, "It feels really good. I thought I played well, maybe as good as I have ever played to be honest. It was good to get the second win of my career, but it made it even better because of the way the team played. I definitely feel like we took a big step as a team with the way we played in this tournament and hope it gives us some momentum moving forward."

Tide junior Jonathan Hardee turned in his third top-10 finish of his career, and his first of the current season, as he tied for eighth overall for the weekend with a three-round total of 3-under par 213. Hardee collected three consecutive rounds of 1-under par 71 in only the second event he has played this year.

Giving Bama three top-20 finishers, junior Tyler Hitchner tied for 18th overall at 1-over par 217 (72-72-73) on the par 72, 7,107-yard Outlaw Course. Senior Dru Love recorded his first sub-70 round since the 2015 NCAA Regional with a 69 on Sunday, and ended the event tied for 38th at 7-over par 223 (73-81-69). It was sophomore Steven Setterstrom placing 58th with a 232 (76-79-77).

Michigan won the team title with a 13-under par 851, two strokes ahead of No. 43 Northwestern, which carded an 11-under 853. Alabama finished three strokes better than No. 34 Kansas and No. 40 Purdue, which tied for fourth as both teams carded a 4-under par 860.

Next up for the Crimson Tide will be at the Linger Longer Invitational on March 19-21 when it being held in Greensboro, Georgia.

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Alabama Women's Tennis Falls To Mississippi State

Photo Credit: UA Athletics

STARKVILLE, Mississippi – It was a tough loss for the University of Alabama women's tennis team on Sunday, as the 34th-ranked Crimson Tide lost to the 33rd-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre  4-3. Alabama falls to a 6-6 overall record, while the Bulldogs improve now  to 8-2 on the season.


DOUBLES
1. No. 8 Lisa Marie Rioux/Jasmine Lee (MSU) defeated Maddie Pothoff/Erin Routliffe (Alabama)         6-1
2. Andie Daniell/Danielle Spielmann (Alabama) vs. Sara Lizariturry/Anastasia Rentouli (MSU) 5-2,     DNF
3. Madison Harrison/Khrystyna Vozniak (MSU) defeated Smith Hinton/Juliana Valero (Alabama)
    6-3

SINGLES
1. No. 73 Jasmine Lee (MSU) defeated No. 116 Erin Routliffe (Alabama) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
2. Andie Daniell (Alabama) defeated Madison Harrison (MSU) 6-3, 6-1
3. Danielle Spielmann (Alabama) defeated Lisa Marie Rioux (MSU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
4. Anastasia Rentouli (MSU) defeated Smith Hinton (Alabama) 7-5, 6-3
5. Maddie Pothoff (Alabama) defeated Khrystyna Vozniak (MSU) 7-6, 6-4

6. Sara Lizariturry (MSU) defeated Juliana Valero (Alabama) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4

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Reuben Foster Was Impatient

Reuben Foster
Photo Credit: UA Athletics

It would appear that the reason former Alabama standout Reuben Foster was sent home from the NFL Combine was...wait for it...impatience.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported this past week that Foster had been sent home from Indianapolis due to an argument with a hospital worker. Now, Robert Klemko is reporting a little more concerning the incident.

Klemko says that Foster was upset over the long lines for exams and then "pulled the 'Do you know who I am?' card." Klemko furthered stated that male hospital worker was rather unimpressed with Foster and told him that he could wait like everyone else, to which Klemko said Foster "warned the man that he'd put hands on him, and the employee said, simply, 'Do it.'"

It was then, according to Klemko, "the face to face, heated exchange happened, as Schefter reported."

Unfortunately, fame before the money has come in is not a good thing. Neither is impatience and rudeness. Thus, the NFL Combine sent him home.

Foster will have a chance to show his skills, rather than his hostility, at Alabama's Pro Day coming up March 8th.

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Alabama Men's Tennis Falls To Arkansas On Sunday

Photo Credit: UA Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – The University of Alabama men's tennis team fell to the Arkansas Razorbacks 5-2 on Sunday afternoon at the Alabama Tennis Stadium. The Crimson Tide now falls to 6-8 overall on the season, while the Razorbacks improve to 6-6.

Alabama men's tennis head coach George Husack said, "Another weekend of growth and experience for our young guys. They are giving it their all and the results will come. I believe in them and they must continue to believe in themselves. There is a lot left in our season so keeping the faith and continuing to work hard are top priorities."

Husack continued, "Zhe (Zhou) and Edson (Ortiz) have been great additions," said Husack. "It's tough when you arrive in January and are expected to win right away, but each guy has taken it upon himself to improve on a daily basis, especially the last couple of weeks. Happy for them and their impact."

Bama will be back in action on Thursday, March 9th as the team heads to Starkville, Mississippi to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Match time is set for 3 p.m. CT.

DOUBLES
1. Mike Redlicki/Jose Salazar (Arkansas) defeated Mazen Osama/Spencer Richey (Alabama) 7-5
2. Adam Sanjurjo/Oscar Mesquida (Arkansas) defeated Alexey Nesterov/Edson Ortiz (Alabama) 6-1
3. Thibault Cancel/Zhe Zhou (Alabama) defeated Johan den Toom/Branch Terrell (Arkansas) 7-5

SINGLES
1. No. 5 Mike Redlicki (Arkansas) defeated No. 62 Mazen Osama (Alabama) 7-5, 6-3
2. No. 22 Jose Salazar (Arkansas) defeated Thibault Cancel (Alabama) 7-6, 6-2
3. Edson Ortiz (Alabama) defeated Adam Sanjurjo (Arkansas) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
4. Oscar Mesquida (Arkansas) defeated Spencer Richey (Alabama) 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
5. Johan den Toom (Arkansas) defeated Alexey Nesterov (Alabama) 6-4, 7-5

6. Zhe Zhou (Alabama) defeated Juan Marino (Arkansas) 6-3, 1-6, 6-1

Photo Credit: UA Athletics