Crimson Tide Softball Defeats Gamecocks
In Weekend Series Opener 7-3
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
The winning pitcher was Sydney Littlejohn (10-1). The losing pitcher in game one was Jessica Elliot (8-5).
Demi Turner was three-for-four with three runs with Bailey Hemphill two-for-three with one run, two RBI. It was Marie Cranek going two-for-three with one RBI and Peyton Grantham contributing one-for-three with one RBI on the evening.
With inclement weather in the forecast for Saturday, the teams will conclude its weekend series with a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday, March 26.
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
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Alabama Baseball Beats 7th-Ranked South Carolina
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
UA head baseball coach Greg Goff said, "I'm just really proud of the way our team came out and played on the road against the No. 7 team in the country. Our guys were resilient and competed all evening to put together a complete game across all 27 outs for the win."
It was the Bama pitching combo of starter Jake Walters (4-2) along with relief pitcher Garrett Suchey teamed up for the big Tide win on Friday night. The big bats for Bama on Friday were Cody Henry and Chandler Taylor, both banging balls over the fence to give Alabama three of its four runs.
Walters allowed four of five hits as well as the two runs in the first inning of the contest without recording an out, but then got it together to throw 5.1 scoreless innings while giving up just one additional hit the rest of his night. Suchey then came on in relief throwing 3.2 scoreless, allowing one hit while striking out five for his second save of the season.
Henry's solo home run shot, his fourth of the season, came in the top of the third inning. He went two-for-three on Friday night with an RBI and a run scored. Taylor picked up his two-run shot in the fourth inning to give Bama the lead for good. Incidentally, this was Taylor's first home run in SEC play, and his team-high sixth of the season.
Bama and Carolina will battle today in game two of the series at 3 p.m. CT at Founders Park. The Tide will pitch lefty Dylan Duarte while the Gamecocks will put junior right-hander Wil Crowe on the mound.
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Alabama Swimming & Diving
Places Second In 200 Medley Relay In NCAAs
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – The Alabama Crimson Tide swimming and diving team jumped from seventh place to second after Friday's final of the 200 medley relay at the men's NCAA Championships.
Swimming out of lane one, UA was led by senior Connor Oslin with a 20.39 time in the opening leg. Along with senior Pavel Romanov, junior Luke Kaliszak and freshman Zane Waddell, Oslin and the Tide raced to a second-place finish with a school-record 1:21.89, going under the previous NCAA record. Texas, however, finished with a 1:21.54 to take the title.
Crimson Tide head swimming & diving coach Dennis Pursley said, "All four guys went life-time best time and they just nailed it – starts, turns – they put it all together under the NCAA record. It wasn't quite good enough for the win, but to take second place from an outside lane, we'll take it and be excited about it."
Pursley continued, "It was a great night for us. I'm real proud of these guys for the way they responded to the 400 medley relay being disqualified yesterday by coming back with a great day."
It wasn't just the 200 medley relay in which the Crimson Tide looked good. Alabama was the only school with two A finalists in the 100 backstroke. Oslin placed third while Kaliszak came in fourth.
Oslin had a time of 44.56, which makes him fifth all-time in the 100 backstroke, just ahead of Olympian and former Florida Gator Ryan Lochte. Kaliszak turned in a career-best 44.91, becoming just the second Tide swimmer under 45 seconds in the 100 backstroke and second all-time for the Tide.
Pursley said, "I don't think there's ever been a school with two guys under 45 seconds in the 100 backstroke at the same time. To have Connor and Luke go third and fourth behind an Olympic gold medalist was amazing."
This was Oslin's third consecutive top-five finish in the 100 backstroke, following a fifth-place finish in 2015 and a second place finish in 2016. Kaliszak scored in the 100 backstroke at last year's NCAA championships with a 13th place.
It was Bama senior Anton McKee scoring in the 100 breaststroke for the second time in his career, coming in eighth place in the B final and 16th overall with a time of 52.59.
"It started tonight with Anton in the breaststroke, and while I think he was a little disappointed, his best event comes tomorrow, and we're optimistic that he'll be ready for that," Pursley said.
The Crimson Tide finished the third day of competition in 12th place with 98 points, just five points out of the top 10.
Alabama will be back at it this morning with another full day of competition, with swims in the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle and 200
breaststroke as well as the 400 freestyle relay. Preliminaries begin at 9 a.m. CT, with the finals again scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.
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Crimson Tide Women's Tennis
Upsets 13th-Ranked Kentucky Wildcats
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – Upsets are so sweet when one is on the winning side. The 45th-ranked University of Alabama women's
tennis team was on that sweet side, upsetting the 13th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats in a 4-2 matchup on
Friday afternoon at the Alabama Tennis Stadium. With the win, the
Crimson Tide improves to 7-10 overall, 1-6 SEC, while the Wildcats fall to 12-3 and 4-2.
No. 45 Alabama 4, No. 13 Kentucky 2
SINGLES
1. No. 38 Erin Routliffe (Alabama) defeated No. 19 Aldila Sutjiadi (Kentucky) 6-3, 6-4
2. Andie Daniell (Alabama) defeated No. 125 Advile Parazinskaite (Kentucky) 6-2, 7-5
3. Mami Adachi (Kentucky) defeated Danielle Spielmann (Alabama) 6-2, 7-5
4. Smith Hinton (Alabama) defeated Emily Fanning (Kentucky) 6-0, 5-7, 6-3
5. Justina Milkuskyte (Kentucky) defeated Juliana Valero (Alabama) 6-4, 6-4
6. Kimberley Gintrand (Alabama) vs. Morgan Chumney (Kentuck) 6-4, 6-7, 2-0, DNF
DOUBLES
1. No. 25 Erin Routliffe/Maddie Pothoff (Alabama) defeated No. 4 Mami Adachi/Aldila Sutjiadi (Kentucky) 7-6 (4)
2. Andie Daniell/Joanna Savva (Alabama) defeated Morgan Chumney/Akva Parazinskaite (Kentucky) 6-3
3. Emily Fanning/Justina Milkuskyte (Kentucky) defeated Danielle Spielmann/Juliana Valero (Alabama) 6-4
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Alabama Women's Basketball
To Face Georgia Tech In WNIT Tomorrow
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Alabama Women's Basketball
To Face Georgia Tech In WNIT Tomorrow
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
University of Alabama women's basketball (22-13) has a tough test awaiting it tomorrow when UA faces Georgia Tech on the road for the first time in the WNIT. The Crimson Tide faces the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (20-14) in
the quarterfinal round on Sunday. Tip off is set for 1 p.m. CT in McCamish
Pavilion.
Sunday's game will be available on the Crimson Tide Sports Network. Roger
Hoover calling all the action. There will be no video stream available for this contest.
Bama defeated Tulane in their round action this week 72-64 in Coleman Coliseum to advance to the quarterfinals. Alabama and Georgia Tech have met once during the regular season, and that back on December 17th. The Tide came away with a two-point victory, 87-65, at Coleman.
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Alabama Track & Field Teams Looking Good
To Begin Outdoor Season At The Florida State Relays
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
TALLAHASSEE, Florida – It's a good start for the Crimson Tide. A really good start. The University of Alabama track & field teams turned in five event wins as well as establishing eight marks that rank among the top-10 on UA's all-time lists and 33 personal bests to cap a great day at the Florida State Relays in Tallahassee on Friday.
In the men's competition it was senior Steven Gayle taking the victory in the 200 meters in a personal-best 20.48, the 10th-fastest time in Alabama swimming & diving history. Sophomore Will Herrscher captured the win in the pole vault with a personal-best mark of 17-1 3/4 (5.23m), the second-best clearance in school history. Junior Angelo Goss won the 110-meter hurdles in a time of 14.03.
The Alabama men's team placed fourth in the team standings with 97.5 points. Host Florida State won the meet with 177.5 points, followed by Liberty (119.5) and Auburn (100.5). Southern Miss was fifth with 86 points.
For the Crimson Tide women, senior Jessica Gray captured the win in the 2,000- meter steeplechase in a personal-best 7:07.53 and Alabama swept the top four spots in the 100 meters as senior Diamond Gause (11.65), sophomore Janel Pate (11.75) and juniors Olivia Fotopoulou (11.86) and Filippa Fotopoulou (11.87) finished with a flourish at 1-2-3-4.
Tide freshman Samantha Zelden finished second in the javelin with a throw of 169-1 (51.55m), the third-best throw in UA history. Four of Zelden's six attempts on Friday now rank among the top six in Alabama history. Junior Danielle McConnell finished second in the hammer throw with a personal-best mark of 200-11 (61.24m). The distance is the third-best in school history and McConnell's first time over 200 feet in the event. McConnell also had a throw of 199-3 (60.73m) that ranks as the fifth-best all-time for the Crimson Tide.
As a team the Bama women finished in fifth place with 95 points. Florida State won the competition with 146.25 points, followed by Auburn (134), Liberty (107.25) and Southern Miss (101.5)
Alabama track & field head coach Dan Waters commented, "This was a good meet for us. We had several freshmen get their first taste of outdoor competition at the college level and had a number of personal bests and top-10 performances across the board. We have another competitive meet coming up next weekend coming up with the Florida and Stanford meets so we have to continue to improve."
