Photo Credit: rolltide.com
Alabama baseball's six-game winning streak came to a screaching halt last night falling to the Vanderbilt Commodores 2-1 in a pitching duel that saw only six hits the entire evening. The series is being played at the Hoover Met, with game two scheduled for tonight. Bama's record falls to 29-25 overall and 11-17 in the Southeastern Conference.
Here is what Alabama baseball head coach Mitch Gaspard had to say about the game, "I thought we competed all night and our guys were toe-to-toe with them to the end. You're going to always see good arms when you play Vanderbilt, but you have got to find a way to grind out a little more than them on the offensive end. We matched their pitching tonight, but we gave up one more run than they did, and that's how they got the win."
The Vanderbilt victory was in the arm of right-hander Carson Fulmer who pitched the complete game. He allowed only one earned run while striking out 14 Bama batters.
The lone score for the Tide came early off the bat of Kyle Overstreet on a single up the middle driving in one of two Bama base-runners. That lead would hold until the sixth inning.
Gaspard said, "I thought we pitched really well. Taylor (Guilbeau) had a good, solid start again except for the hiccup in the sixth. He was able to wiggle out of that jam, and then Ray (Castillo) came in and gave us a good effort to keep them off the board. I thought our approach was good, we just didn't have many opportunities."
Game two of the series is tonight at 7 PM CDT at the Hoover Met. Bama needs this win to have a chance to take the series. Freshman righty Jake Walters is scheduled to start for Bama, with the Commodores countering with redshirt junior left-hander Philip Pfeifer.
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Softball
Regional action begins today for the ladies of the Alabama softball team (42-12; 17-7). The sixth ranked Tide is scheduled to play Fairfield this afternoon at 3 PM CDT, following the first game between Washington and USC Upstate beginning at 12:30 PM CDT.
Game 1 and Game 2 winners will meet tomorrow at 1 PM CDT, with the losers of both games today meeting at 3:30 PM. Then at 6 PM the game 4 winner will meet the game 3 loser.
On Sunday at noon CDT the game 3 winner will play the game 5 winner. And if another game is needed it will be played at 3 PM with the game 6 winner meeting the game 6 loser.
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Track & Field
The 2015 Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the Mike Sanders Track complex on the campus of Mississippi State University in Starkville are in full swing.
Thursday was the first day of competition, with the Bama women scoring nine points through three events while the men had not scored through two. Leading the women's team standings is Texas A&M with 20 points, with Georgia holding the lead in the men's standings with 25 points.
The nine points for the Crimson Tide women on Thursday came in the women's hammer throw. Freshman Danielle McConnell along with senior Nia Barnes placed fourth and fifth in the first event. McConnell's best throw netted 191 feet, 10 inches in a fourth-place effort. Barnes took fifth with a toss of 191 feet even.
Alabama senior Charodd Richardson had a 10th place finish in the men's hammer throw with a best toss of 196 feet. Junior Kevin Shannan had a 12th place finish in the javelin, with sophomore Kyle Felpel coming in 14th.
Tide sophomore Allison Gregg placed 17th in the women's 10,000 meters, with freshman Alison Ringle coming in 18th. On the men's side freshman Conner Thompson placed 13th.
The Alabama team was able to qualify three men and one woman during the track portion of the events yesterday. Men's qualifiers were Alex Amankwah in the 800 meters, Jacopo Lahbi in the 800, and Ahmed Ali in the 200 meters. The lone female qualifier was Kimberley Ficenec in the 800 meters.
Today will be the second of three days of competition. The men's and women's long jump events both start at 2 PM CDT this afternoon.
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Football Recruiting
The University of Alabama football program has some solid commitments for 2016. Coaches have been beating the bushes and attracted some fine athlete's, and these have verbally stated they are coming to Bama! The list includes two in-state commits.
- Deonte Brown, OL (6'3", 330), Austin High, Decatur, Ala.
- T.J. Simmons, WR (6-2, 185), Clay-Chalkville High School, Pinson, Ala.
- Shyheim Carter, CB (6-0, 185), Kentwood, Kentwood, La.
- Raekwon Davis, DT (6-7, 315), Meridian High, Meridian, Miss.
- Jonah Williams, OL (6-5, 283), Folsom High, Folsom, Calif.
- Brendan Scales, TE (6-4, 230), Lafayette, Ballwin, Mo.
- Chris Owens, OL (6-3, 312), Lamar High, Arlington, Texas
- Joshua Perry, DB (6-3, 190), Amite High, Amite, La.
