Courtesy of Alabama Athletics
THIS WEEK
This weekend, Alabama (50-11) begins its journey at the Women’s College World Series with a matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners (50-11).
Thursday, May 29
Game One – 8:30 p.m. CT – ESPN2
THE TIDE ON THE AIR
RADIO: 95.3 FM
TV: ESPN2
– Play by play: Beth Mowins
– Analysis: Jessica Mendoza
PAIR OF ONE-RUN WINS PUNCHES ALABAMA’S TICKET TO OKLAHOMA CITY
It took a pair of dramatic games, but Alabama ultimately defeated Nebraska in two games to punch its ninth ticket to the Women’s College World Series. In game one, the Huskers took the early 4-0 lead but the Tide fought back throughout the game and, down to its final three outs trailing by one, Marisa Runyon hit a seventh-inning solo home run to tie the game and send it to extra innings. The two teams would play for five more innings until Peyton Grantham capped off Alabama’s longest-ever home game with a walk-off solo homer in the 12th inning to win it, 6-5. Two runs would be all Alabama would need the following day, as Jaclyn Traina threw a complete game with just one earned run to secure the 2-1 win and give Alabama its seventh Super Regional title.
ALABAMA IN THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
– Alabama is making its ninth appearance in the Women’s College World Series
– The Tide’s first appearance in the Women’s College World Series came in 2000, just the fourth year of the program’s existence and the second under Head Coach Patrick Murphy.
– Alabama would not advance to the winners bracket until its seventh trip in 2011, defeating Cal and Baylor before ultimately dropping two games to Florida.
– The program’s first national title and the first for any SEC team came in 2012, when Alabama dropped its opening game to Oklahoma before rebounding with two wins. Alabama trailed game three early, 3-0, before a rain delay turned the tables, allowing Alabama to eventually come back to win, 5-4.
– The 2001 and 2002 seasons are the last time the Tide have missed the Women’s College World Series in back-to-back seasons.
– Alabama was 2-8 in its first four appearances in Oklahoma City, but is 11-7 in its four most-recent appearances.
Alabama in the Women’s College World Series Year-by-Year
2000 (1-2)
– vs. No. 3 UCLA, L 4-1
– vs. DePaul, W 6-4
– vs. No. 4 Southern Miss, L 3-0
2003 (0-2)
– vs. No. 1 Arizona, L 3-2
– vs. No. 4 Oklahoma, L 6-3
2005 (1-2)
– vs. No. 5 Texas, L 3-0
– vs. No. 23 DePaul, W 2-1 (12)
– vs. No. 10 Tennessee, L 4-0
2006 (0-2)
– vs. No. 11 Northwestern, L 6-5 (10)
– vs. No. 1 UCLA, L 4-1
2008 (2-2)
– vs. Arizona State, L 3-1
– vs. Arizona, W 5-1
– vs. ULL, W 3-1
– vs. Arizona State, L 3-1
2009 (2-2)
– vs. Michigan, L 6-1
– vs. Arizona, W 14-0
– vs. Arizona State, W 6-2
– vs. Florida, L 6-5
2011 (2-2)
– vs. No. 7 Cal, W 1-0
– vs. No. 11 Baylor, W 3-0
– vs. No. 4 Florida, L 16-2 (5)
– vs. No. 4 Florida, L 9-2
2012 (5-1) *National Champions*
– vs. No. 7 Tennessee, W 5-3
– vs. No. 3 Arizona State, W 2-1
– vs. No. 1 Cal, W 5-0
– vs. No. 4 Oklahoma, L 4-1
– vs. No. 4 Oklahoma, W 8-6
– vs. No. 4 Oklahoma, W 5-4
SERIES HISTORY VS. OKLAHOMA
Alabama and Oklahoma have met nine times in program history, with the Tide holding a 6-3 edge in the all-time series. The two teams’ first meeting was just the second game in Alabmaa history, as the Sooners shut out the Tide 12-0 in six innings on Feb. 15, 1997. Alabama would even the series in the next matchup, defeating Oklahoma 6-1 on Feb. 22, 2002 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. The first meeting in posteason play would come in 2003, as Oklahoma knocked Alabama out of the Women’s College World Series with a 6-3 win in extra innings. Alabama would win the next two meetings before the two teams met in the 2012 national championship series, where Alabama took two out of three games to win its first national championship.
NEXT TIME OUT: WOMEN’S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
The winner of Thursday’s matchup will advance to play the winner of Louisiana-Lafaeyette vs. Kentucky on Friday, May 30 at 8:30 p.m. CT, while the losers in both matchups will meet in an elimination game on Saturday, May 31 at 1:30 p.m. Both games are set to be aired on ESPN2.
