G1 in Tuscaloosa - run-rule L

[psycHOGlogist]

New-ish lineup with Moll starting in the circle. We are facing Osorio, who is brutally tough and throws a good riseball, which is a pitch that often hurts us.

Hiers - C
Canfield - CF
Schroeder - RF
Cooper - LF
Belans - SS
Diaz - 1b
Hedgcock (!!!) - DP
Yannetti - 2b
Russell - 3b

[psycHOGlogist]

T1

The announcer for Bama is a dip. Can't pronounce anyone's name.

Hiers does a pretty good job waiting on a good pitch but flies out to CF.
Canfield pops out to shallow LF.
Schroeder walks. Interesting - Osorio didn't come after her at all.
Cooper gets behind in the count but has a good ab, making Osorio work. But she lets an offspeed pitch float by her for the K.

Due up for Bama - top of the order to face Moll.

[psycHOGlogist]

B1 - Will Moll be able to get through the first inning? It's sort of been her nemesis this season so far.  (Answer: No)

Leadoff hitter works a full count then walks on a change-up in the dirt. Sigh.
2nd hitter successfully SB's to 3rd, out at first, runner to 2nd.
3 hole hitter hits a 2b to deep RF over Schroeder's head, scoring the runner. 1-0, Bama.
Moll's next pitch is so far over Hiers' head that it's comical. Bull Durham high. Runner advances to 3b, 1 out.
Clean-up hitter hits a SF to CF, 2-0 Bama. Not a good throw from Canfield. The WP is what caused that run.
Moll's wildness continues, but she gets a grounder to SS to end the inning.

Man, Moll .... so talented, so inconsistent.

Due up for the Hogs: Belans, Diaz, and Hedgcock.

[psycHOGlogist]

T2 -

Belans looks a bit overwhelmed against Osorio, who gets called for an illegal pitch, but then K's Belans on 3 straight.
Diaz (who the idiot announcer is calling "Die-az") can't lay off a rise ball at her eyes, K's.
Hedgcock - same deal. Rise ball. K.

To face Moll - the 6-7-8 hitters.

[psycHOGlogist]

B2

Moll walks the leadoff hitter. And honestly, her pitches aren't even close.
1st pitch to next batter travels about 55 feet and is a WP, advancing the runner. I think you have to take her out at this point. She's got nothing.
Hiers goes out to talk to her.
Batter hits a single to LF on a 3-2 pitch, runners at the corners, no outs.
Next batter grounds to 3b, thrown out at first. Runners at 2/3, 1 out.
Moll gets the next hitter to K, waving at an attempted slap. Top of the order comes back. Runners 2/3, 2 outs.
First pitch is such a bad WP that it bounces back to Hiers before the runners can advance. Second pitch, also a WP, but no one advances. Jeez.
Batter walks on 4 pitches, two of which were WP.
Deifel goes out to talk to everyone. Bases juiced, 2 outs. 
Moll's first two pitches to batter aren't even close.
The third comes perilously close to sailing over Hiers' head.
Moll walks in a run, 4 pitches. That's 8 straight balls, and none of them were close. 3-0 Bama.
Pitching change. Warrick to come in.
Warrick faces the clean up hitter, who singles up the middle, scoring 2. We gun down the batter at 2nd, trying to stretch it on the throw home (heads up play by Hiers). 5-0 Bama.

Sadly, we're very unlikely to score 5 against Osorio.

[psycHOGlogist]

T3 - Yannetti, Russell, and Hiers due up.

Yannetti pops out to deep SS, 1 down.
Russell flies out to LF.
Hiers K's, Osorio's 5th. Rise ball at the eyes. Hiers has to lay off that garbage. All our hitters do. You can't beat Osorio if you swing at that pitch.

Warrick back to the circle.

[flippinhogmana]

spoting a top 10 team five runs isnt the best way to start conference play to say the least!

[psycHOGlogist]

spoting a top 10 team five runs isnt the best way to start conference play to say the least!

The very least. Really disappointing stuff from Moll. You figure she got the start because she is experienced and has played on the road in the SEC before. And then she goes out and craps the bed.

She needs to get her head on straight.

[psycHOGlogist]

B3 -
Clean-up hitter leads off ... lines to 2b, 1 out.
Next batter doubles down the RF line. If we had a good fielding 1b, I think she grabs that. Diaz is ok in the field on routine plays. PR comes in for runner on 2nd.
Next batter grounds to 3b, runner advances to 3rd, 2 outs.
Next batter singles up the middle, 6-0 Bama. Sigh.
Next batter hits an easy grounder to Belans to end the inning.

Due up: Canfield, Schroeder, Cooper.

[psycHOGlogist]

T4 -
Canfield bloops out to 2b.
Schroeder walks again.
Cooper gets our first hit! She singles to RF, runners at 1/2, 1 out, for Belans.
Belans crushes a foul ball to HR depth, but just a long strike. She works a full count, but then waves at ball 4 high and outside. Sigh.
Diaz keeps swinging at the rise ball. She sees four of them, and swings and misses at 3 to end the threat. Ugh.

B4 coming up.

[psycHOGlogist]

B4 -9-1-2 due up

9 batter gets an infield chop single.
1 hitter hits a tapper to 3b, but Russell's throw is awful, bouncing in front of Diaz, runners at 1-2, no out.

I hate to be negative, but damn if this doesn't look like us last year.

The 2-hole hitter bunts also, but Russell makes a good play. Both runners advance to 2/3, 1 out.
3-hole hitter hits a hard liner to 3b. Russell knocks it down but can't make a play (sigh), runner scores from 3rd. 7-0 Bama. We're a run away from being run-ruled if we don't score in T5.
Runners at 1-2, 1 out.


Warrick walks the next batter on 4 pitches, bases loaded. Goodness.
Next batter singles to LF, runner scores from 3b. 8-0. Run-rule unless we score next half-inning. Bases still juiced, 1 out.
Next batter singles up the middle, everyone moves up a base, 9-0 Bama.
Warrick just doesn't have a good out pitch. Pitching change - Hedgcock to come in. Wow.

Hedgcock gets the next two outs on 3 pitches, no more damage.

Man.

Due up for the Hogs: DP (Hedgcock), Yannetti, Russell

[psycHOGlogist]

T5 -
We need 2 runs or it's over.

Hedgcock hits a soft liner up the middle and the Bama 2b makes a great diving play on it, 1 down.
Yannetti works a full count, then walks. Beringhele in to run for Yannetti.
Russell looks awful up there agains Osorio, half-heartedly waving at things, and then she whiffs on a rise ball over her head. Jeez.
Hiers lays off a rise ball and walks.
Canfield works a full count, flies out softly to LF.

Ball game - we go down run rule, 9-0.

On to tomorrow, when I'm pretty sure we'll see Storms in the circle. Time to put this game in the circular file and start over tomorrow. WPS!

[pccmizuno24]

Welcome to the SEC
Guess we did get 19 rent a wins!

[Scott7703]

Welcome to the SEC
Guess we did get 19 rent a wins!

Funny you wait until they lose to appear. What is bama ranked again?

[pccmizuno24]

Funny you wait until they lose to appear. What is bama ranked again?

9th but what does that matter! Are they 9 runs better than us? I was hoping we would compete in the SEC this year! It's early and I hop this is not a sign of things to come..... just about every team is ranked in the SEC! So they better get used to it! As of now Mississippi State the only unranked team we play.....

[flippinhogmana]

9th but what does that matter! Are they 9 runs better than us? I was hoping we would compete in the SEC this year! It's early and I hop this is not a sign of things to come..... just about every team is ranked in the SEC! So they better get used to it! As of now Mississippi State the only unranked team we play.....

Yes and we faced their number pitcher and when Moll is wild she is not our number one pitcher.  She has to get her initial wildness under control.  Storms right now is our number one pitcher even if she is a freshman.  Lets see how we do tonight.  Although I would say that the team has to get past last night.  Maybe it was remembrances of last year that contributed.  They helped Bama a lot swinging at high risers.  They also didnt pitch to Nicole.

If Autumn can bring her A game, if the other hitters, especially Hiers, Cooper, Russel and Diaz can set the table for Nicole, we might just see a different game tonight.  Despite our 19-1 record, against the number 9 team in the nation at their home field, I didnt expect for more than one win in this series, did you?

[Scott7703]

9th but what does that matter! Are they 9 runs better than us? I was hoping we would compete in the SEC this year! It's early and I hop this is not a sign of things to come..... just about every team is ranked in the SEC! So they better get used to it! As of now Mississippi State the only unranked team we play.....

I want to win every game like you do. But this is an improved team by a large margin and these coaches are recruiting at a high level. The future is looking better.

[psycHOGlogist]

I wondered where this guy had been hiding. Lol - how sad.

Bad loss - Moll is a talented pitcher but can't keep having these completely ineffective outings. Hope Storms can do better.

[pccmizuno24]

I wondered where this guy had been hiding. Lol - how sad.

Bad loss - Moll is a talented pitcher but can't keep having these completely ineffective outings. Hope Storms can do better.

Haven't been hiding been rooting hard as hell for the hogs..... I was hoping g we was ready to take the next step! I didnt think Bama was 9 runs better than us.... I'm hoping the previous teams we have played are just not that bad! This staff has vastly improved the team so hopefully last night wasn't a big kick to the confidence!

It just doesn't get an easier in the SEC!
I hope for a little more competitive game today!
WPS

[pccmizuno24]

Yes and we faced their number pitcher and when Moll is wild she is not our number one pitcher.  She has to get her initial wildness under control.  Storms right now is our number one pitcher even if she is a freshman.  Lets see how we do tonight.  Although I would say that the team has to get past last night.  Maybe it was remembrances of last year that contributed.  They helped Bama a lot swinging at high risers.  They also didnt pitch to Nicole.

If Autumn can bring her A game, if the other hitters, especially Hiers, Cooper, Russel and Diaz can set the table for Nicole, we might just see a different game tonight.  Despite our 19-1 record, against the number 9 team in the nation at their home field, I didnt expect for more than one win in this series, did you?

I was hoping for a more competitive game!
Today's a new day
WPS

[psycHOGlogist]

It was always going to be really hard against Osorio. She has a fantastic rise-ball, and if our hitters (as a group) have one glaring weakness it is the inability to lay off the rise-ball. We are going to struggle against any pitcher who uses the rise so effectively, imo. Bama's offense has not been its strength this year, but when (as against Moll) they didn't have have to get a lot of hits to score, we had no chance. Against Osorio, if we're going to win, it's going to have to be a 1-0, or 2-1 game. As soon as we got behind her, it was over.

Littlejohn may be a little bit different story. She has the rise, but it's not her best pitch. We shall see.