Tide Baseball Falls To 10th-Ranked South Carolina
Alabama starting pitcher Jake Walters
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Daniel Melograna
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Daniel Melograna
Two of three games in the series with two consecutive losses. The Alabama baseball team took one on the chin last night falling 4-2 to 10th-ranked South Carolina on Friday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Gamecocks took the series with the win, moving the Crimson Tide to 31-23 on the season and 15-14 in conference play.
A disappointed but optimistic Mitch Gaspard, Alabama baseball head coach, said, "Other than (the home runs), I thought Jake was as solid as he's been all year. He was around the plate. He had a pretty nice pitch count in the middle part of the game, and he wasn't laboring at all. He did a nice job. That's just the typical SEC game, you've got really good arms out there, and it's kind of who can scratch for some runs. Certainly, if you can leave the yard a couple times, you've got a real advantage to win the game."
Crimson Tide starting pitcher Jake Walters put in 7.0 innings of work for Bama, allowing four runs on eight hits, two of which
were home runs. The homers were Walters' first two allowed during
conference play and his first since Feb. 20th against the Maryland Terrapins. He gave up the two home runs but struck out six batters and only allowed one walk. He has now recorded at least five strikeouts in 11 of his
13 starts this season.
Though the Gamecocks got out to an early 1-0 lead, Bama came bounding back in the bottom of the first on a Georgie Salem home run, his fifth of the season. This is now the sixth consecutive game the Tide has recorded at least one home run, its longest home run stretch of the season.
South Carolina answered back in the fifth inning with a two-run homer, the first home run in conference play Walters has allowed all season. Then a second home run for Carolina extended their lead to 4-1.
The Crimson Tide added their second and final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. A lead-off double followed by and a a pair of walks loaded the bases. A third consecutive walk issued then pushed over that second run for Bama. That was it for the Tide in the eighth, stranding the remainder of the runners.
Neither team was able to cross home plate in the ninth inning, ending the game at 4-2.
The third and final game of the series, as well as the final regular season game for both teams, is this afternoon at 2 p.m. CT. Alabama will start senior left-hand pitcher Jon Keller, with the Gamecocks countering with freshman right-hander Adam Hill. The game will be broadcast on SECN+.
Though the Gamecocks got out to an early 1-0 lead, Bama came bounding back in the bottom of the first on a Georgie Salem home run, his fifth of the season. This is now the sixth consecutive game the Tide has recorded at least one home run, its longest home run stretch of the season.
South Carolina answered back in the fifth inning with a two-run homer, the first home run in conference play Walters has allowed all season. Then a second home run for Carolina extended their lead to 4-1.
The Crimson Tide added their second and final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. A lead-off double followed by and a a pair of walks loaded the bases. A third consecutive walk issued then pushed over that second run for Bama. That was it for the Tide in the eighth, stranding the remainder of the runners.
Neither team was able to cross home plate in the ninth inning, ending the game at 4-2.
The third and final game of the series, as well as the final regular season game for both teams, is this afternoon at 2 p.m. CT. Alabama will start senior left-hand pitcher Jon Keller, with the Gamecocks countering with freshman right-hander Adam Hill. The game will be broadcast on SECN+.
Alabama Baseball Senior Recognition
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Daniel Melograna
University of Alabama Senior Baseball Players
Ryan Blanchard
Ray Castillo
Daniel Cucjen
Jake Hubbard
Jon Keller
Georgie Salem
Chance Vincent
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Alana da Silva Inks With Bama Women's Basketball
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Alana da Silva Inks With Bama Women's Basketball
Alabama women's head basketball coach Kristy Curry has announced the signing of Alana da Silva, a 5' 6" point guard who is transferring to Tuscaloosa after two years at New Mexico Junior College. She is the seventh signee for Curry in the 2016 class and is the 2015-16 National Junior College Athletic Association Honorable Mention All-American.
Curry said, "Alana is a true point guard, and we are fortunate to add her to
an already outstanding recruiting class. She has played in
a great system under one of the best junior college coaches in the
country in Drew Sanders, which makes her well prepared for this next
step in her career. Alana led New Mexico Junior College to two regional
championships and a pair of national tournament appearances while
compiling a 61-8 record in two years as starting point guard, so she
understands how to win. I love her energy and personality for the game,
and I think she will give us much needed experience in our back court."
Da Silva started in 25 of the 26 games she played in during her
sophomore season New Mexico Junior College, averaging 8.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.5
assists per game. She recorded a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio,
ranking her 31st amongst NJCAA Division I student-athletes that played
in 25 games or more. In addition to earning all-America honors, da
Silva also earned a spot on the Western Junior College Athletic
Conference (WJCAC) First Team.
Da Silva was named the WJCAC
Freshman of the Year and also earned all-conference honors following the 2014-15 season. During her freshman season she averaged 7.4 points, 4.0 assists, 2.7 rebounds and
2.6 steals per game while guiding the Thunderbirds to the Region 5
championship and the NJCAA national tournament quarterfinals. She started all 33 games, and finished with a career-high 13 assists, seven steals, six
points and five rebounds.
She is a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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Bama Golfer Cheyenne Knight Tied For Third
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Alabama Women's Golf 23rd After Day One NCAAs
Freshman Golfer Cheyenne Knight Tied For Third
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Though the University of Alabama women's golf team currently sits in 23rd place in the team race, Crimson Tide freshman golfer Cheyenne Knight was shining with a 3-under par 69 for third in the individual competition after the first round of the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships at the
par-72, 6,331-yard Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Oregon on Friday.
Knight is only one shot off the individual lead entering today’s
second round. As a team, Alabama shot a 12-over par 300 in first round.Alabama women's golf head coach Mic Potter stated, "I’m glad we have 54 holes to get it back. It’s not what I expected. The number of shots (to make up) isn’t tremendous but we’re going to have to come out here and shoot under par, that’s for sure. You’ve got to play from the fairway out here. That’s the name of the game."
Knight’s opening round performance is just two shots off the season-low round of 67 she turned in at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate. She was the only Bama golfer to shoot under par today. Seniors Janie Jackson (4-over 76) and Emma Talley (5-over 77) followed Knight. Sophomores Lakareber Abe and Nicole Morales were tied at 6-over par 78.
Oklahoma State leads after the first round with a 4-under par 284, followed by UCLA is at 286. Washington and USC are third at 289 and Arizona is fifth at 291.
The top eight teams at the end of the stroke play this coming Monday will qualify for the match play rounds that begin on Tuesday, May 24th.
Alabama starts today’s second round at Hole No. 1 at 9:30 a.m. CT. The Tide will again be grouped with USC and UCLA.
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Osorio Pitches Tide Softball To 3-0 Shutout In Regional
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The Alabama Crimson Tide women's softball team opened NCAA Regional play yesterday afternoon with a 3-0 shutout of the Samford Bulldogs on the strength of the capable arm of Alexis Osorio.
This is the ninth-consecutive win for the Tide in opening a regional round, winning every opening NCAA Regional game every year since 2008. Alexis Osorio improves her record to 16-6 after pitching a complete-game shutout, allowing just two hits while throwing 14 strikeouts on the evening.
All three Alabama runs came off big home run shots by Haylie McCleney and Kallie Case. McCleney connected for a two-run homer while Case picked up another run on her solo shot.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama Softball opened NCAA Regional play Friday afternoon with a 3-0 shutout over Samford.
Alabama improves to 47-12 while Samford fell to 40-19.
The Crimson Tide will play Cal (33-21-1) on today at 1:30 p.m. CT.
