It wasn’t pretty, but Bama completed a much-needed sweep of the FemCocks.
GAME 1: ALABAMA 3, SOUTH CAROLINA 2
There was no change to the lineup and predictably Jocelyn Briski got the start in the circle. She wasn’t bad, but she also was not as sharp as she has been. SC got on the scoreboard first when a pair of singles was followed by a two out error by Jena Young on a sharply hit ball that ate her up and allowed a run to score.
The Tide struck back in the bottom of the frame when who else but Brooke Wells got the Tide going with a two-run
jack that followed a one out single by Alexis Pupillo.
In the top of the 5th, Briski gave up two more singles and was lifted in favor of Vic Moten who got the last out. However, the new Bama pitcher ran into some trouble in the next frame. After the Tide meekly went down in order, Moten got two quick outs on a handful of pitches. But the third batter belted a double down the left field line just beyond a diving Audrey Vandagriff who fortunately held the SC runner to two bases. The next hitter walked on five pitches. That was followed by a high chopper to Salen Hawkins at first base who hurried a throw to first base, but it trickled off Wells’s glove as she was trying to hold the base and allowed Carolina to tie the game at two. In retrospect, Hawk probably should have just squeezed the ball or Wells should have come off the bag.
In the 6th, Wells crushed a ball to the warning track that ticked off the centerfielder’s glove and put the Tide star at second base. With Kinley Pate pinch-running, she cruised over to third base on a Young ground out. With Marlie Giles at the plate taking ball four on a wild pitch, Pate came in to score the go-ahead and eventual winning run.
With three outs to go, Moten (17-4) looked like a grizzled veteran mowing down the final three Gamecocks.
NOTES:
- The 908th Flying Training Wing stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base did a pregame flyover.
- If you are counting at home, the two runs scored by SC were of the unearned variety donated by Bama errors. The Crimson Tide has been pretty solid defensively this season. It just goes to show what a letdown or two can do.
- In the first inning, a South Carolina double was erased when the next batter grounded to a charging Ambrey Taylor who threw to second base to catch the lead runner diving back to the bag.
- Salen Hawkins made a really nice play at short (and did a sweet Crimson Crane). Kristen White made two good running catches in center field.
- Briski allowed six hits in 4.2 innings with “only” four walks (which is a low number for her). She did not allow a walk.
GAME 2: ALABAMA 1, SOUTH CAROLINA 0
It was the same ol’ lineup for Game 2 except for Mari Hubbard replacing Ambrey Taylor. Also, If Patrick Murphy was trying to light a fire under his team, it did not work. Alexis Pupillo, Brooke Wells, and Marlie Giles all struck out in the bottom of the 1st.
In the 2nd inning, Ana Roman and Jena Young singled to start the frame. Audrey Vandagriff fouled out on a bunt attempt (sigh). Mari Hubbard walked, but a Salen Hawkins grounder caused a force out of Roman out at home. Then the big bat of Kristen White came up and smoked a grand slam. Oh, wait. Sorry about that. She actually struck out on three pitches (genius).
Bama put two more runners on base in the 3rd to no avail. In the 4th, Vandagriff led off with a triple and there she stayed. Finally in the 5th, Marlie Giles singled and Ana Roman doubled her in for the only run of the game.
Fortunately for Alabama, a young freshman named Vic Moten (18-4) was in the circle and was never in any real danger. Only one South Carolina player reached second base and that came with two outs in the 6th. That base runner came benefit of two walks. Murphy opted to run Jocelyn Briski out there for the 7th and she mowed through the three batters on 10 pitches.
NOTES:
- Hawkins had another web gem in the field.
- Alabama also had a sweet double play.
- Hubbard walked and whiffed in her two at bats.
- Five hits and 7 Ks for the Tide. Two of the hits came from Roman.
- White left four runners on base. Young left three.
- Giles moved up to third in the batting order and Roman batted fourth. Young dropped from third to fifth.
GAME 3: ALABAMA 4, SOUTH CAROLINA 3
If you were concerned that Patrick Murphy might start a non-starting senior player for Senior Day, fear not. The starters for this game were the same lineup as it was for Game 2. SC on the other hand, made several moves and it somewhat made a difference.
Jocelyn Briski lost the no-hitter on the first pitch of the game. Two outs later, the runner was on third, but she was stranded there as Briski struck out the clean-up hitter. An inning later, the shutout went bye-bye when the leadoff hitter hit a solo home run.
Trouble in the 3rd when a two out walk was followed by a ball hit high to the warning track that Audrey Vandagriff misjudged and skipped off her glove to make it 2-0 (initially ruled a double, it was later changed to an error).
Alabama finally got on the board with a crooked number in the bottom of the 3rd. The Tide took a 3-2 lead on an Ana Roman single and two base loaded walks.
Bama still had the bases jammed with one out but Vandagriff and Mari Hubbard both struck out.
In the top of the 4th, the leadoff SC batter once again got on base with a hit. In this instance, the batter made her way to second base but Briski dug deep and struck out the final two batters of the frame.*
The bottom of the 4th inning opened with Salen Hawkins hitting a rocket right at the shortstop that gobbled her up and put Hawkins on base. Kristen White sac’d her over and Alexis Pupillo singled her in for her first RBI of the weekend.
In the 6th, the leadoff SC batter got on base with a hit for the fourth time in the game. It was also the second time that a Gamecock led off an inning with a solo homer [Pitching coach? Are you paying attention?] to shrink the Tide lead to 4-3.
No problems for Briski (20-2) in the 7th as she retired the SheCocks in order for her the win and the sweep. She finished with 9 Ks and one walk.
- The Alabama staff earned their salaries on this day. Murphy et al made some good mid-game adjustments.
- Because Briski is known to throw strikes, SC came into the game with a strategy of swinging early in the count. The downside of that is quick innings that don’t give the Gamecocks pitchers long to rest while their team is at bat.
- *Briski showed a little fire after the final out of the 4th.
- Following the error and her second strikeout of the game, Vandagriff was by replaced by Lauren Johnson to begin the 4th. Lo-Jo almost made a fantastic sliding catch on a foul ball and later popped out to shortstop.
- Wells was twice pitched around, resulting in walks. Pinch-runner Kinley Pate cashed in one of those walks with a run.
- Hubbard left SIX runners on base. Murphy has a decision to make about third base.
[SURGEON GENERAL WARNING: The section below is not all rainbows, lollipops, and unicorns. If we see an issue that we deem worth discussing, RBR is not going to shy away from it. That is the MO that this whole website is based on. If you want sunshine pumped up your nether regions, there are PLENTY of those people more than willing to provide that service. If you are easily triggered, stop reading now and play the above video on repeat. If you live in the real world, carry on my wayward son.]
SERIES NOTES
- Friday was the last day of Final Exams at the University of Alabama. The Alabama seniors were able to participate in the commencement on Saturday morning.
- Briski did not have her best stuff this weekend, but it was enough to take down a tough opponent. With Saturday’s victory, she is up to 20 wins on the season.
- The Tide had some hitting woes. Kristen White was 0-5, Mari Hubbard 0-4, and Salen Hawkins was 0-7 — though she did hit the ball hard.
- Wells is up to 21 round-trippers which puts her in a tie with Kaila Hunt (21 in 2012) for most in an Alabama season. Bailey Hemphill (26 – 2019) and Kelly Kretschman (25 – 1998) are one-two in that category.
MVPs
- ROMAN: 4-7 (.571BA), 1 DBL, 2 RBI, hits in all three games
- MOTEN & BRIKSI: 3 WINS, 4 earned runs allowed
UPCOMING ALABAMA SCHEDULE
- 2026 SEC Softball Tournament, Lexington, KY
TIn what might be a first, the host team is the last place team in the conference.
HOW TO WATCH… ALLEGEDLY
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