ROUND 2: ALABAMA 5, NEBRASKA 1
Jena Young started the bottom of the 1st with a base on balls. Brooke Wells was hit by a pitch and suddenly there was trouble. Alexis Pupillo and Ana Roman both struck out but Alabama team captain Marlie Giles was not going to let this opportunity go to waste.
Wells led off the 3rd inning with a walk. Ana Roman dragged a bunt down the first base line that was fielded and thrown wide of first base to put two runners in scoring position. Giles hit a fly ball to the outfield that plated Kinley Pate as the pinch-runner.
With two outs in the 5th, Kristen White used her speed to force a rushed throw to first base that caused an error and moved her into socring position. Young made the Cornhuskers pay for the mistake with a run-scoring single to make it 5-1.
Alabama coach Patrick Murphy smartly went with his megastar Jocelyn Briski (25-3) as the starter in the circle. She was one pitch short of perfection. In the top of the 4th, a Corny fouled off a ton of pitches before breaking up the no-hitter and shutout with a solo homer. But Briski just let that setback roll off her back and she went back to work. The Tide ace recorded a complete game one-hitter.
How awesome was that subdued celebration? This is a business trip for Team30.
NOTES:
- Perhaps the college softball news outlets might want to wait until the season ends before handing out their accolades. Player of the Year Jordy Frahm (fka Jordy Bahl) lasted only two innings, giving up three earned runs, while throwing 42 pitches. At the plate as the ‘Huskers leadoff hitter, she popped up and struck out twice. In the field at first base, she had a crucial error that led to an Alabama run. Later in the game, a wide throw to first base skipped by her.
- Jena Young stayed hot in the leadoff role, going 2 for 2 with a run, an RBI, and a walk. Including the SEC Tournament, Young has 15 hits in 34 at bats (.441) in the post-season, including three doubles and two home runs, plus three walks. She has scored 12 runs and knocked in eight in that span.
- You know things are going your way when your team is making highlight reel plays on defense. In the second inning, a ‘Husker hit a sharp liner to Salen Hawkins’s right that was swallowed in her glove and she made a bullet throw to first base that skipped the ground but Wells dug out. A fantastic play on both ends.
- With Ambrey Taylor on second base in the 2nd inning, Young hit a dribbler to first base that the UNL second baseman tried to scoop over the first with her glove, but missed. Taylor is not the slowest player on the team but she surely is no Audrey Vandagriff. Murphy greedily sent her around third and she was thrown out at the plate. Up 3-0, it was probably not a good place to take that kind of gamble.
- Alabama had yet another miscommunication in the outfield when Vandagriff and White both tried to catch a fly ball and the ball bounced out of the former’s glove. Fortunately, the runner would not come around to score.
- As good as she was at the plate, Young dropped a fly ball that she probably should have let centerfielder White take.
- NFCA hands out NCAA DI Gold Glove awards for defense and clearly it is as much BS as MLB Gold Gloves. These awards have long been criticized that they always give them to players who excel at hitting or pitching and not to the true best defenders. That said, Jordy Frahm was a recipient of one of these awards this past week.
- It was Alexis Pupillo’s turn to have a rough game. She whiffed on all three plate appearances.
- Mari Hubbard pinch hit for Hawkins in the 6th and connected on a single. According to ESPN announcer Kevin Brown, she is 6 of 7 as a pinch hitter this year.
- Like clockwork, Abby Duchscherer, Larissa Preuitt, and Lauren Johnson all entered the game late as defensive replacements.
- As a team, the Tide has 100 home runs this season, surpassing the 2012 team’s output and putting the team four shy of tying the single season record of 104 set in 2010.
- Alabama is now 56-7. It is the most wins for an Alabama team since the 2019 team went 60-10. The 2012 National Champ team was 60-8. 2008 was 58-8.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Murphy in the post-game presser regarding Giles: “She’s more Southern than a turnip green.” LOL.
MVPs
- YOUNG: 2-2, 1 RUN, 1 RBI, 1 BB, on-base all three plate appearances, a perfect game from a leadoff hitter.
- GILES: 1-2, HR, 4 RBI, 1 RUN
- BRISKI: 7.0 Inn, 1 hit and 1 run allowed, 6 K, 0 BB, WIN, 83 pitches, 62 strikes
UPCOMING ALABAMA SCHEDULE
Winning the first game of the WCWS is HUGE for a team. Hitting the second is even bigger. Alabama now sits in the catbird seat and gets to watch the other teams beat each other up and desperately fight off elimination.
- Monday, June 1: Alabama vs Winner of UCLA-Texas Tech who play on Sunday, 6pm/7pm – ESPN
HOW TO WATCH… ALLEGEDLY
- ESPN and Streaming: I believe we again get Kevin Brown play-by-play, Amanda Scarborough with color, and sideline reporting from Alyssa Lang.
THE REST OF THE FIELD
- Tennessee gets the winner of Texas-Nebraska.
- Mississippi State and Arkansas are eliminated.
#RollTide #Team30
