Bama Softball Defeats Kentucky 7-1 To Even Series
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
After suffering a series-opening loss on Friday night to the Kentucky Wildcats, the Alabama Crimson Tide softball team (40-9, 11-6 SEC) evened its weekend series yesterday by defeating the Cats (39-10; 11-6 SEC) by a score of 7-1 at Rhoads Stadium.
The University of Alabama welcomed a large group of former players and dignitaries to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the softball program. A season-high crowd of 3,580 fans enjoyed the victory and festivities.
Alabama softball head coach Patrick Murphy said, "I told the alums before the game that I feel like I haven't had to work a day in my life, and I mean that. It is a true blessing. I haven't seen some of these players in
years, so it was great to see them. The alums ranged from 1997 all the
way to this year. I've been here from the beginning and I try to keep in
touch with everyone. It's fun to connect with them."
Game three of the three-game series is this afternoon at 1:30 p.m CT.
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Bama Baseball Beats 3rd-Ranked A&M 7-4
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team (24-16, 9-8 SEC) picked up a really big win yesterday by defeating the third-ranked team in the country. The Tide offense banged out 13 hits to beat the Texas A&M Aggies 7-4 to even the three-game weekend series at 1-1.
Alabama baseball head coach Mitch Gaspard said, "It's a really good rebound game after last night (Friday night) when we also played really well. I thought our guys responded today, bouncing back to beat a really
good Texas A&M team. You can really see a difference in the offense
when you get the production from Cody Henry, Chandler Taylor and Chance Vincent. As a team, we got good production throughout the lineup and that offensive output helped us get this win."
The 13 hits by the Alabama offense yesterday was a season-high in a nine-inning game during conference play. Five of the 13 hits went for extra bases in the contest to tie the team's season-high. Bama's offensive output was powered by Taylor, Vincent and Henry with the trio finishing the game with a combine 8 of 15 with all five extra-base hits, four RBIs and five runs. Taylor collected his team-leading sixth home run of the season, added a double, two RBIs and scored one run. Vincent followed with a double and a team-high tying two runs. Henry went three for five, had two doubles, two RBIs and two runs on the day.
Tide starting pitcher Jake Walters (4-3) pitched 5.2 scoreless innings, allowing five hits with a season-high six walks.
The two teams meet today at 1 p.m. CT with the Tide starting right-handed junior Nick Eicholtz. Kyle Simonds will start for the Aggies.
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Crimson Tide Track & Field Dominate
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
These team were dominant on Saturday. The Alabama men's and women's track & field teams won seven events yesterday, and had the top collegiate finisher in six other events at the War Eagle Invitational hosted by the Auburn Tigers at the Hutsell-Rosen Track in Auburn, Alabama.
It would be an understatement to say that Alabama head coach Dan Waters was pleased with his teams' performances. He said, "It was a good performance across the board for both our men and
our women this weekend. We had (personal
bests) all over the place and it sets us up for what we want to do down
at LSU next week and ultimately SECs and nationals."
Crimson Tide event winners included Britainy Smith in the women’s pole vault (13 feet 1 ½ inches/4.00 meters), junior Quanesha Burks in the women’s long jump (22-2 ¼ /6.76m), junior Joe Williams in the men’s discus (195-8/59.63m), junior Kyle Felpel in the men’s shot (61-3/18.67m), junior Diamond Gause in the women’s 200 meters (23.35), senior Ahmed Ali in the men’s 200 meters (20.52) and the women’s 4x100 meter relay team of juniors Vanessa Clerveaux, Gause, Alex Gholston and Burks (43.91). Top collegiate finishers were senior Justin Fondren
in the men’s high jump (7-0 ½ /2.15m), Clerveaux in the women’s 100
hurdles (13.43), Gause in the women’s 100 meters (11.44), senior Tadashi Pinder in the men’s 100 meters (10.43) and junior Jacopo Lahbi in the men’s 800 meters (season-best 1:47.31).
Here is the complete list of Alabama's individual performances for Saturday:
Men's Event Summaries:
100 Meters – Senior Tadashi Pinder posted the fastest time by a collegian (second overall) at 10.43, his second-best mark of the year.
200 Meters – Senior Ahmed Ali won the 200 meters in a time of 20.52.
400 Meters – Freshman Skyler Bowden finished 7th in 48.57 in his first 400-meter race of the outdoor season. Freshman Harrison Dudley also ran his first 400 of the season and posted a time of 52.04.
800 Meters – Junior Jacopo Lahbi was the fastest collegian with season-best time of 1:47.31. Freshman Isaac Trevino also turned in a season-best time of 1:51.82 to finish as the third collegian. 1,500 Meters – Freshman Clay Austell finished 8th in a time of 4:03.39 in his first 1,500 race of the season.
Steeplechase – Seniors Eric Sivill and Parker Deuel finished 5-6 in the steeplechase with times of 9:29.46 and 9:38.05 respectively in their first outing in the event this season.
4x100 Meter Relay – The quartet of junior Jeremiah Green, seniors Ahmed Ali and Tadashi Pinder and junior Tony Brown did not finish after a failed exchange on the second handoff.
High Jump – Senior Justin Fondren finished as the top collegian – and third overall – in the event with a season-best mark of 7-0 ½ (2.15m).
Discus – Alabama swept the top four spots in the discus. Junior Joe Williams won with a mark of 195-8 (59.63m). He was followed by freshman Kord Ferguson at 192-3 (58.61m), junior Hayden Reed at 188-4 (57.40m) and freshman Daniel Haugh at 184-2 (56.14m). Haugh’s mark is a season-best.
Shot Put – Junior Kyle Felpel won with a season-best effort of 61-3 (18.67m). Juniors Nathan Karr and Hayden Reed finished 3-4 with marks of 54-11 ½ (16.75m) and 53-5 ¾ (16.30) respectively.
Pole Vault – Freshman Will Herrscher
continued his strong first season campaign with a second place effort
of 16-6 ¾ (5.05m). Sophomore Jacob Zalesky finished in a tie for 9th at
15-1 (4.60m).
Women's Event Summaries:
200 Meters – Alabama posted the two of the three fastest collegiate times in the 200 meters, led by junior Diamond Gause’s first place finish in a personal-best time of 23.35. Freshman Katie Funcheon was fourth (third collegian) in a personal-best 23.71. Juniors Domonique Williams and Alex Gholston finished 8th and 9th in personal-best times of 23.872 and 23.877. Freshman Janel Pate was 11th in a personal best of 24.16. Sophomore Olivia Fotopoulou was 12th at 24.45. Briana Sims finished in 25.52.
400 Meters – Competing in her first outdoor 400 meter event as a collegian, freshman Kristyn Williams finished 13th in a time of 56.93.
800 Meters – Senior Meropi Panagiotou finished 6th in a time of 2:13.63.
100 Hurdles – Junior Vanessa Clerveaux finished as the top collegian (2nd overall) with a time of 13.43
1,500 Meters – Sophomore Jessica Gray (4:48.37) and freshman Ebie Douglas (4:51.91) finished 6th and 9th respectively. Douglas’ time is a personal-best.
5,000 Meters – Briana Koshy finished 8th in a time of 19:07.21
4x100 Meter Relay – Juniors Clerveaux, Gause, Gholston and Burks won in a time of 43.91, which is the seventh-fastest in school history and marks the third time this season the quartet has cracked the school’s top 10 in the event.
4x400 Meter Relay – The quartet of Funcheon, senior Kimberley Ficenec, freshman Kristyn Williams and Pate finished second in 3:43.07
High Jump – Freshmen Claire Orcel and Stacey Destin finished 2-3 in the high jump with identical marks of 5-7 (1.70m). The mark is Orcel’s best of the season.
Long Jump – Junior Quanesha Burks won the long jump with a season-best mark of 22-2 ¼ (6.76m). Senior Lacey Dent finished 5th with a season-best mark of 19-11 (6.07m). Sophomore Filippa Fotopoulou was 9th at 19-5 ½ (5.93m).
Discus – Sophomore Haley Teel had the second-best throw (third overall) by a collegian at 166-8 (50.80m). Freshman Holly Julifs finished 12th at 139-0 (42.38m) Shot Put – Sophomore Haley Teel finished third in the shot with a mark of 52-7 ½ (16.04m). That is her second-best effort of the season.
Pole Vault – Sophomore Britainy Smith won the pole vault with an effort of 13-1 ½ (4.00m). The mark is a personal-best and the first time she has cleared 13 feet for Alabama.
Invitational Pole Vault – Senior Anna Reed was the fourth collegian (5th overall) in the invitational pole vault with a mark of 13-8 ¼ (4.17m).
Crimson Tide Men's Results:
200 Meters – 1. Ahmed Ali, 20.52
400 Meters – 7. Skyler Bowden, 48.57; 20. Harrison Dudley, 52.04
800 Meters – 2. (First collegian) Jacopo Lahbi, 1:47.31; 4. (Third collegian) Isaac Trevino, 1:51.82
1,500 Meters – 8. Clay Austell, 4:03.49
Steeplechase – 5. Eric Sivill, 9:29.46; 6. Parker Deuel, 9:38.05
4x100 Meter Relay – DNF. Alabama (Green, Ali, Pinder, Brown)
High Jump – 3. (First collegian) Justin Fondren, 7-0 ½ (2.15m)
Discus – 1. Joe Williams, 195-8 (59.63m); 2. Kord Ferguson, 192-3 (58.61m); 3. Hayden Reed, 188-4 (57.40m); 4. Daniel Haugh, 184-2 (56.14m)
Shot Put – 1. Kyle Felpel, 61-3 (18.67m); 3. Nathan Karr, 54-11 ½ (16.75m); 4. Hayden Reed, 53-5 ¾ (16.30m)
Pole Vault – 2. Will Herrscher, 16-6 ¾ (5.05m); t9. Jacob Zalesky, 15-1 (4.60m)
Crimson Tide Women's Results:
200 Meters – 1. Diamond Gause, 23.35; 4. (3rd collegian) Katie Funcheon, 23.71; 8. (7th) Domonique Williams, 23.872; 9. (8th) Alex Gholston, 23.877; 11. (10th) Janel Pate, 24.16; 12. (11th) Olivia Fotopoulou, 24.45; 35. (33rd) Brianna Sims, 25.52
400 Meters – 13. Kristyn Williams, 56.93
800 Meters – 6. Meropi Panagiotou, 2:13.63; DNF. Sarah Mohan
100 Hurdles – 2. (First collegian) Vanessa Clerveaux, 13.43
400 Hurdles – DNF. Jada Jackson
1,500 Meters – 5. Jessica Gray, 4:48.37; 9. Ebie Douglas, 4:51.91
5,000 Meters – 8. Briana Koshy, 19:07.21
4x100 Meter Relay – 1. Alabama, 43.91 (Clerveaux, Gause, Gholston, Burks)
4x400 Meter Relay – 2. Alabama, 3:43.07 (Funcheon, Ficenec, Kristyn Williams, Pate)
High Jump – 2. Claire Orcel, 5-7 (1.70m); 3. Stacey Destin, 5-7 (1.70m)
Long Jump – 1. Quanesha Burks, 22-2 ¼ (6.76m); 5. Lacey Dent, 19-11 (6.07m); 9. Filippa Fotopoulou, 19-5 ½ (5.93m)
Discus – 3. (Second collegian) Haley Teel, 166-8 (50.80m); 12. (11th collegian) Holly Julifs, 139-0 (42.38m)
Shot Put – 3. Haley Teel, 52-7 ½ (16.04m)
Pole Vault – 1. Britainy Smith, 13-1 ½ (4.00m)
Invitational Pole Vault – 5. (fourth collegian) Anna Reed, 13-8 ¼ (4.17m)
