Alabama Softball Edges Valparaiso
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
Alabama (21-2) scored its one run of the day on what probably should have been an RBI groundout, though a Valparaiso (6-3) error on the play allowed the hitter to reach first safely. That one run proved the only one for either of the two teams, who were evenly matched with four hits apiece.
Crimson Tide starting pitcher Sydney Littlejohn (8-0) took the win, striking out a career-high 13 batters in the complete-game win. Valparaiso starter Ashlyn Montgomery (3-1) also went the distance, allowing the lone run on four hits and two walks.
Bama softball head coach Patrick Murphy said, "You have to give credit to their pitcher. She pitched a good game. We need to do a better job of making adjustments at the plate. As the game went on, she [Montgomery] got more confident. That's what happens. It seemed like every time we had a runner at third, there were two outs on the board."
Elissa Brown was one-for-three with the lone run for the Crimson Tide. Marissa Runyon and Merris Schroder both went one-for-two in yesterday's contest. Sydney Booker was one-for-one on the night.
This weekend, Alabama opens Southeastern Conference play with a three-game series against the Arkansas Razorbacks (19-1) at Rhoads Stadium beginning this Friday March 10th at 6:30 p.m. CT.
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Alabama Softball
Alabama-Valparaiso Game Highlights
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| Click HERE to view Bama highlights via Tide TV |
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Alabama's Lee Hodges SEC Men's Golfer Of The Week
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| Lee Hodges Alabama Men's Golf Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
Hodges completed the two-day, 54-hole tournament shooting a 10-under par 206 at Desert. His 10-under par marks the best tournament mark of his career, while his 206 is second only to the 203 he carded last fall in the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate, finishing third.
Hodges, a native of Ardmore, Tennessee, has now carded a trio of consecutive sub-70 rounds for the first time as a collegiate golfer while on his way to winning the second tournament title of his career. The first win came in the 2015 Shoal Creek Intercollegiate while at UAB.
He began Desert Mountain Intercollegiate on Saturday by carding a 3-under par 69 in the opening 18. Hodges then followed that with a 4-under 68 to finish the day with a career-best 36-hole score of 7-under par 137. Then on Sunday he hit another 69 on to become the Tide's first individual medalist of the season.
The UA men collected their best result of the season. Bama closed play in third place with a season-low team total of 7-under par 857 (285-290-282).
The Crimson Tide will return to action on March 19-21 competing at the Linger Longer Invitational being held in Greensboro, Georgia.
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Tide Begins SEC Men's Basketball Tournament Today
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
The Crimson Tide improved over last years SEC record, and ended the regular season tied for fifth place overall in the final 2017 SEC standings. Bama made a five-position improvement from last season's 8-10 record and 10th-place finish in league play. UA's five-spot improvement is tied for the
second-best overall improvement in the SEC this season (Arkansas went from tied for 8th last year to a tie for third this season) and trails Florida, who improved six spots from a year ago (tied for 8th place in 2016 to second in 2017).
This season, Bama was able to sweep series wins from both Mississippi State and LSU this season. UA opened and closed the month of January by facing the Bulldogs, beginning Southeastern Conference play on January 3rd in Starkville, Mississippi with a 68-58 victory, followed by a 71-62 victory back home at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa on January 28th.
The Crimson Tide is last in scoring offense in the SEC, averaging 68.4 points per game. However, Bama is first in scoring defense, allowing just 64.7 points per game. UA is not playing its best basketball of the season right now, having lost three of the last four regular-season games.
Mississippi State (16-15 overall, 6-12 SEC) are eighth in the Southeastern Conference, averaging 72.9 points per game while attempting 22.3 three-pointers per game.
Today's contest will be televised on the SEC Network with Joe Tessitore handling play-by-play, Sean Farnham handling color/analysis and Kaylee Hartung on the sidelines. Fans will also be able to hear the game by tuning in to the radio broadcast on the Crimson Tide Sports Network (CTSN). Chris Stewart will handle play-by-play and Bryan Passink will handle color/analysis on the broadcast.
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
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Avery Johnson Previews SEC Men's Basketball Tournament
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| Click HERE for SEC preview via Tide TV |
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Alabama Crimson Tide Diving Duo Finals
In NCAA Zone B Platform Events
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
Sagert performed well for UA, finishing 11th in the men's platform. He totalled 642.50 points over the span of 12 dives, with six coming in the preliminaries and six in the finals. He held the 10th position after prelims with 319.95 points. In finals, Sagert scored 322.55 points. It was Tide junior David Morton finished in 22nd place off the platform after posting 244.80 points in the preliminaries.
In women's competition, Fredlock finished 18th in finals of the women's platform with 420.70 points over the course of 10 dives. She scored 236.30 points during her five prelims before tallying 184.40 points over her five dives in finals.
