Bama Baseball Bests UAB
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – By the time the game was over the University of Alabama baseball team found itself in a battle, but managed to hold off a
ninth-inning comeback bid by the UAB Blazers to take a 6-4 victory at Sewell-Thomas Stadium on Tuesday. The Crimson Tide improves to 14-19
overall and 12-9 in non-conference matchups. With Alabama's win the Tide completed the series sweep of the Blazers for 2017.
Alabama men's head baseball coach Greg Goff said, "We wouldn't have won this game if it wasn't for Zac Rogers going out there and competing, and not getting too big in the moment. He went out, threw strikes, had quite a few strikeouts and just threw great. I'm really proud of his performance."
In his first career start, Rogers pitched 4.0 innings of hitless and scoreless baseball, issuing two walks while striking out a career-high four batters. Following Rogers was Garrett Suchey (2-4) who picked up his second win of the season with 3.0 innings of scoreless relief. Suchey allowed three hits as well as not walking a single batter while striking out four batters. Davis Vainer and Sonny Potter both worked in relief. Mike Oczypok then came on to record his first career save in the top of the ninth, recording the final two outs for the UA victory.
The Crimson Tide was led by Cobie Vance going three-for-four with a double and two runs scored. Cody Henry and Connor Short both added two-RBI nights, with Henry finishing one-for-two with a run and a walk, while Short contributed a one-for-three night that included one double.
Goff commented, "I'm just really thankful and proud that our guys came out tonight and really responded after a tough weekend. I think it started yesterday at practice...we came out and had a great day and put in the proper preparations for a tough UAB team. I'm really proud of the way our guys played in this one, and hopefully we can carry this momentum into the weekend."
Bama will host Texas A&M Thursday through Saturday, April 13-15.
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Erin Routliffe Named To SEC Community Service Team
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| Erin Routliffe Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
All Southeastern Conference-sponsored sports have had a Community Service Team dating back to 2004, with at-large teams for men's and women's sports being chosen from 1999-2003.
Routliffe has been a very busy lady, not only with her school work and athletic endeavors, but also in helping with events around campus like Crimson Field Day and the Halloween Extravaganza. She also volunteered with the VA Medical Center, Habitat for Humanity and the Soup Kitchen. Routliffe also worked with Read Bama Read, The Hope Initiative, Capstone Village and Read Across America.
Routliffe, along with the remainder of the Crimson Tide women's tennis team, will host the 18th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in an SEC contest at the Alabama Tennis Stadium on Friday, April 14th.
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Alabama Softball Back In The Top 10
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
The Tide made a jump of three places in the NFCA poll from No. 12 last week to No. 9 this week, while moving up in the USA Softball poll one spot from No. 11 to No. 10. The Florida State Seminoles retain the No. 1 spot. In the USA Softball poll, Arizona claimed the No. 1 spot for the first time this season.
Alabama is one of 10 Southeastern Conference schools ranked in this week's top 25. All 13 SEC teams are either ranked in the Top 25 or receiving votes in at least one poll this week. Ranked SEC teams include Florida (3/3), Texas A&M (5/5), Auburn (6/7), Alabama Crimson Tide (9/10), LSU (11/11), Tennessee (16/14), Georgia (19/19), Kentucky (21/22), Ole Miss (22/25) and Arkansas (24/RV). Mizzou, South Carolina and Mississippi State are all receiving votes outside the top 25.
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Three Crimson Tide Gymnasts
Earn Regular Season All-American Honors
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| Gymnastics Head Coach Dana Duckworth Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
UA senior Aja Sims and juniors Nickie Guerrero and Kiana Winston have all earned this regular-season honor. Guerrero has picked up first-team honors on the balance beam while Sims has earned second-team honors on the floor exercise.
It is very worthy to note that Winston is one of just three gymnasts in the country to earn more than three All-America accolades in 2017. She has earned the first-team honor in the all-around, balance beam and floor exercise while taking the second team accolade on the uneven bars.
Winston now leads the Crimson Tide in regular season first-team honors with four in the five-year history of the award, and is currently tied with former Bama standouts Lauren Beers and Kim Jacob for the career record with five combined first and second-team honors.
Since the awards inception in 2013, eight Tide gymnasts have earned 26 regular season All-America accolades.
The NACGC/W Regular Season All-America honors are based on the final regional qualifying scores of the season with the those ranked in the top eight (including ties) on each event and in the all-around earning first team and those ranked in the next eight (including ties) being named second team.
Postseason All-America honors are determined by individual finishes in the semifinal round of the NCAA Championships. Those that finish in the top four (including ties) of a session earn first-team honors while those finishing in the next four (including ties) earn second team.
The Alabama Crimson Tide returns to the NCAA Championships for the 35th consecutive year this weekend in St. Louis, Missouri. UA will begin the championships in semifinal session II this coming Friday at 7 p.m. CT.
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Crimson Tide Men's Tennis
Places Four In ITA Singles & Doubles Weekly Rankings
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
The Crimson Tide (10-15, 2-9 SEC) has picked up a total of 51 wins in singles play since beginning the dual match season, as well as recording 30 victories in doubles play.
Alabama sophomore Mazen Osama has advanced four places to a No. 27 national ranking in singles play. This is Osama's seventh week in the rankings since beginning the dual match season. He has captured 11 wins in singles play since starting the spring season, as well as recording nine wins over nationally-ranked opponents this season.
Tide freshman Thibault Cancel catapulted an amazing 20 spots to earn a No. 97 national ranking in singles after picking up 10 wins in the dual match season. Cancel has been nationally-ranked on six occasions since the start of the spring season, as well as registering five wins over nationally-ranked singles opponents.
In doubles play, Osama and sophomore Spencer Richey advanced 24 places to enter the top-15 in 14th place after picking 11 wins since the start of the spring season.
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Alabama Women's Tennis Again Achieves National Rankings
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
The Tide now owns 49 wins in singles play and 29 victories in doubles since the beginning of the dual match season.
UA senior Erin Routliffe advanced eight places to earn a No. 15 ranking in singles after accumulating 12 wins since beginning the spring season. She has recorded 10 victories over nationally-ranked singles opponents and six victories over nationally-ranked doubles opponents this season.
The pairing of Routliffe and freshman Maddie Pothoff earned an eighth-place ranking in doubles play after posting an 11-3 record since the start of the spring season.
Alabama will face the 18th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks this Friday, April 14th at the Alabama Tennis Stadium at 4 p.m. CT.
