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ROUND 1: ALABAMA 6, UCLA 3
Jocelyn Briski started off strong by striking out two and coercing a pop out on a third batter (though it sure looked like she had strike three on her as well).
Jena Young and Brooke Wells led off the bottom of the 1st with singles. After two outs, Marlie Giles came through with an RBI single for an early lead.
Two more Bruins whiffed in the 2nd. With one out in the 3rd, a Bruin broke up the no-hitter with a liner down into the left field corner. The next batter hit a sky-high pop-up that caused catcher Giles and first baseman Wells to collide, giving the Tide first baseman a bloody lip. After a delay to attend to her, Briski was suddenly struggling with her control. The Tide ace would give up back-to-back homers to UCLA to make it 3-1 Bruins. But then just like that, Briski got it back and continued to mow down the competition.
Bama left Young stranded on third base in the 3rd frame and put two on base in the 4th but could do nothing with it. However, they were hitting the ball pretty hard.
Young reached base for the third straight time in the 5th on a walk. Who else but Alexis Pupillo got Bama right back in the game? She smacked an offering over the right field wall to tie it up.
With two outs in that same inning, Giles singled and Audrey Vandagriff doubled. Ambrey Taylor scorched a ball but unfortunately right at the left fielder.
In the 6th, Kristen White beat out an infield slap single and Young collected her third hit of the game. Wells walked to the plate and stroked a three run homer to put the Tide up by three.
Briski (24-3) had that one bad span but bounced back in a big way with nine strikeouts against the nation’s most potent offense.
NOTES:
- Early in the game on at least two plate appearances, Alabama hitters were clearly instructed to take a pitch on 3-0, only to watch the offering go right down the middle. This Bama team is not like others. It would be preferable if Patrick Murphy trusted his hitters and let them swing away. For the record, the Crimson Tide hitters amassed only two walks.
- Alabama had two occasions where fielders collided trying to catch a fly ball. This deep into the season, communications should not be an issue. This is first day stuff. Someone needs to take charge and fielders need to yell out their “I got it”! The announcers tried to excuse it away due to noise in the stadium, but this game was no louder than games at Rhoads or on the road against most SEC teams.
- While the noise level from the UCLA dugout seemed high, the Bama bench seemed awful quiet for awhile. Pupillo’s homer sent a jolt through the team and woke everyone up.
- Similar to the Super Regional, Alabama had more success at the plate when they swung early in the count.
- Briski hit a batter in the 7th, but we never saw a good replay. It sure didn’t look like the batter made an attempt to get out of the way.
- Abby Duchscherer, Larissa Preuitt, and Lauren Johnson were late game defensive replacements.
- As a team, the Tide has 99 home runs this season, putting the team five shy of tying the single season record of 104 set in 2010.
- Alabama is now 55-7.
- If Wikipedia is not lying and you include his one season as head coach at Northwest Missouri State, this win puts Patrick Murphy at 1,400 career victories.
MVPs
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- WELLS: 2-4, 1 RUN, 3 RBI, hit the ball hard in one out as well.
- PUP: 1-4, 1 RUN, HR, 2 RBI and for waking up the team.
- YOUNG: 3-3, 3 RUNS, 1 BB, on-base all four plate appearances, a perfect game from a leadoff hitter.
- BRISKI: 7.0 Inn, 6 hits and 3 runs allowed, 9 K, 0 BB, WIN
- PUNCH MOTEN – IYKYK
UPCOMING ALABAMA SCHEDULE
- Alabama faces the winner of Arkansas-Nebraska on Saturday, May 30, 6pm/7pm – ESPN
- UCLA faces the loser of Arkansas-Nebraska on Sunday, May 31, 6pm/7pm – ESPN2
THE REST OF THE FIELD
- Tennessee 6, Texas 3
- Texa$ Tech 8, Mississippi State 0
- Arkansas-Nebraska in progress – ESPN2
HOW TO WATCH… ALLEGEDLY
- ESPN and streaming. Hopefully, it’s Kevin Brown and Amanda Scarborough again.
#RollTide #Team30
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