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First Spring Football Scrimmage Today
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Alabama football will suit-up and head to Bryant-Denny Stadium today for their first spring scrimmage of 2016. Bama wrapped up a two-hour practice session in shells yesterday on the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields prepping for today, completing their seventh workout of spring drills.
Today's scrimmage will be closed to the public. One more scrimmage is scheduled after today before the 2016 Golden Flake A-Day Game. A-Day is scheduled for Saturday, April 16th. (See yesterday's blog for details.) The A-Day Game is again free of charge to the public, with a 2 p.m. CT kickoff planned. The game will be televised by ESPN.
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Tide Softball Hands Gators First Home Loss 2-1
Crimson Tide Hands Gators 1st Home Loss Of 2016
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Both runs scored for the Crimson Tide came via the bat of SYDNEY BOOKER going one-for-three with an RBI fielder's choice and an RBI double. Other bats connected for the Tide, in fact eight in all, including CHANDLER DARE who was two-of-four in the contest.
Picking up her fourth Southeastern Conference win of the season with this victory was Alabama starter SYDNEY LITTLEJOHN boasting a won-loss record of 13-2 on the season. She threw 6.1 innings last night allowing just the one run on five hits. ALEXIS OSARIO came in the game in relief and finished off the final two outs in the seventh inning giving her four saves now for the year.
Game two of the series is today in Gainesville, Florida with a 2:30 p.m. CT start time. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
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Baseball Falls To Dogs 7-1
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The Alabama baseball team lost to the Georgia Bulldogs last night, 7-1, falling to 16-10; 5-3 SEC on the season.
Bama's head man said of Georgia's starting pitcher, "(ROBERT) TYLER pitched well. You
have to tip your hat. He sat at 94-97 the entire game with nice command.
We just couldn't figure him out. He's a kid that pitched for Team USA
and is probably the best arm in the conference right now. He's a
projected first-rounder, and he pitched like it tonight."
Gaspard speaking of his own starter, "I thought Jake was outstanding tonight. As I told the team, when you're facing a guy like we did tonight you have to match him. I thought Jake did, but defensively we broke down in the third inning and made the two errors that led to their two runs. You have to play clean when you face a team like this, but I thought Jake did a nice job. He stretched out the start to get us through the sixth inning, but he kept us in the ballgame."
Concerning the series this weekend, Gaspard said, "It's about winning series. That game three is big any way you cut it up. We have (NICK) EICHOLTZ that is ready to go and give us a strong outing. Offensively, we need to get off to a good start, get going, put some good swings on it and try to get out of here with another series win."
The series will be decided today with an 11 a.m. CT matchup on the SEC Network.
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Bama Track & Field Represents
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The Alabama Crimson Tide men's and women's track & field teams have been representing UA on two fronts. One in Gainesville, Florida at the Florida Relays and the other in Palo Alto, California at the Stanford Invitational. Not only are Bama's athlete's producing numerous personal bests at these events, but have secured nine top-ten all time records at UA.
In the men's competition, it was senior AHMED ALI recording the third-fastest time ever for an Alabama runner in the 200 meters at the Florida Relays, and junior ANTIBAHS KOSGEI came in ninth on the all-time list in the 10,000 meters at the Stanford Invitational.
In the women's competition it was redshirt freshman RACHAEL REDDY taking third in Alabama's history books in the women's 10,000 meters with her performance at the Stanford Invitational. Junior HANNAH WAGGONER and senior KATELYN GREENLEAF are again, yes again, posting in the top ten in Alabama history in the 3,000-meter steplechase. Greenleaf now owns five of the fastest times in school history herself. Then senior MEROPI PANAGIOTOU has recorded the eighth-fastest time by a Bama athlete in the 5,000 meters at the Stanford Invitational.
In the women's competition it was redshirt freshman RACHAEL REDDY taking third in Alabama's history books in the women's 10,000 meters with her performance at the Stanford Invitational. Junior HANNAH WAGGONER and senior KATELYN GREENLEAF are again, yes again, posting in the top ten in Alabama history in the 3,000-meter steplechase. Greenleaf now owns five of the fastest times in school history herself. Then senior MEROPI PANAGIOTOU has recorded the eighth-fastest time by a Bama athlete in the 5,000 meters at the Stanford Invitational.
Back to Gainesville with junior VANESSA CLERVEAUX getting a new personal best in the 100-meter hurdles securing the seventh position on the all-time Alabama list, KIMBERLY FICENEC takes 10th in the Bama books in the 800 meters, and HALEY TEEL moves into fourth in school history in the discus.
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
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Men's Tennis Takes Tumble 4-3 With Arkansas
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
For over four hours the Alabama Crimson Tide men's team battled with the 14th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks. When it was all said and done though, the Tide (13-10, 4-5 SEC) came up short in weather-delayed three-set matches in singles 4-3 yesterday evening at the Roberta Alison Baumgardner Tennis Center. While Bama won the doubles point, Arkansas picked up four wins in singles for the team victory.
Crimson Tide head coach GEORGE HUSACK said, "This was a tough match. For the third year in a row we went down to the Razorbacks, 4-3. They are a much-improved team. I give credit to them and their fight. Down the stretch we just made a couple errors here and there. I thought we competed really well and on those last courts KOREY (LOVETT) and SPENCER (RICHEY) were definitely in position to take it home for us. Unfortunately they (Arkansas) were a little bit better than us [last] night. We will learn from it and rest and get after it on Sunday.
"I was really proud of the guys down the stretch," added Husack. "We were tied with a top 15 team. Korey and Spencer did a miraculous job. While it didn't go our way, those two guys were great down the stretch. It was really exciting. This is what college tennis is all about."
