Softball vs. Texas A&M game 3

[WarTiger 3,901]

Auburn trailing 7-1 and down to their final 3 outs.    Dowell, Podany and Draper due up.

[WarTiger 3,901]

Dowell lines it hard to 3rd.  1 out.   Podany up.

[WarTiger 3,901]

Crocker pinch hitting for Podany

[WarTiger 3,901]

Crocker loops one to right and it drops for a base hit.    Draper due up. 

[WarTiger 3,901]

Draper grounds to 1st.  2 outs.   Taylon Snow coming up.

[WarTiger 3,901]

Snow flies to shallow center.   FINAL Auburn falls 7-1.

[OlderWhiskey 953]

Thank for the PBP, WT.  A disappointing end to the conference schedule; but even more disappointing for the players, I think.  A&M a little better than we are overall, but I thought we could take one from them.  That makes us 2-9 on the road in the conference, and we had a relatively easy conference schedule, playing neither of the top two teams. Next year, Ole Miss, Missouri, uat and LSU drop off the schedule, replaced by Florida, Georgia, So. Carolina, and Miss. St.  Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kentucky will be on the road.  Gonna be a lot tougher.  

[saminbama 740]

Whoa Nellie!!!  That will be a tougher schedule.  If CMD wants power pitchers, he better find some or develop some quick.  Other than Martin, we don't have any and she needs to develop another pitch.  That's assuming she returns.  After a bumpy start, the defense has been stellar.  Really disappointed in the hitting this year.  It just never developed.

[AU64 10,122]

1 hour ago, saminbama said:

Whoa Nellie!!!  That will be a tougher schedule.  If CMD wants power pitchers, he better find some or develop some quick.  Other than Martin, we don't have any and she needs to develop another pitch.  That's assuming she returns.  After a bumpy start, the defense has been stellar.  Really disappointed in the hitting this year.  It just never developed.

I was out with wife this afternoon and missed the game.....looks like a win-win for me.  Thanks for the PBP when  I got back.. The team is just seems to be in a slide and while odds of making the NCAA are still fair due to the strength of the conference, it could be a short trip. 

Scored 3 runs in 3 games......that is never going to get it done.....and when I looked yesterday we had 6 regulars batting .200 or below and only one above .300. 

[doc4aday 1,887]

hopefully we can recruit a couple of good pitchers of which would be a difference maker for this team. Also, a couple of solid hitters could be just what the doctor has in mind to revive our suspect hitting woes. This team is hard to read, but could get hot and advance further than most are thinking.

[AUBwins 10,075]

I can see us still playing well on a regional and getting to a super.  We are consistently playing against the better teams in the country in the SEC. We did fairly well in tourneys with non conference.  The supers would probably be similar to now, unless we get hot at the plate after a confidence building regional win. I am just saying I expect us to compete in a regional. 

[Mikey 16,577]

8 hours ago, AUBwins said:

I can see us still playing well on a regional and getting to a super.  We are consistently playing against the better teams in the country in the SEC. We did fairly well in tourneys with non conference.  The supers would probably be similar to now, unless we get hot at the plate after a confidence building regional win. I am just saying I expect us to compete in a regional. 

We can compete with Carlson or Martin pitching, if by compete we mean keep it close. First and last we'll have to score some runs or the regional will resemble this weekend's A&M series.

[AU64 10,122]

38 minutes ago, Mikey said:

We can compete with Carlson or Martin pitching, if by compete we mean keep it close. First and last we'll have to score some runs or the regional will resemble this weekend's A&M series.

True...

The popularity of the game has brought out more good pitchers the past few years.....everywhere .  .and just about every team has one ace who can pitch back to back games if necessary   

Concern I have that our tailspin means that as our ranking drops,  we will probably end up facing a highly rated opponent in the playoffs right from the start.  It was better being a 2 or 3 playing a much lower team.   And playing at home is a big advantage.....hope we still have that opportunity. 

There is still a big gap between the top 20 or so teams and the rest of the teams out there as we see on mid-week an non league games and AU has a very good team....but, I  still think getting to a Super is gonna require a  step-up by the offense. 

[mustache eagle 2,397]

wonder if there are deeper issues ... mental ... due to lack of chemistry between coaches and players?  if so, then the post season could be very short if the coaches cant get the players to be "in" the games.

the kids were surely all hosed up due to the 3 hitting coaches ... essentially since the fall.  Hope that comes around next season.  I can't imagine it all of a sudden improving during post-season against quality teams.

[OlderWhiskey 953]

Looks like we won't be hosting.  Just looked at the updated RPI, and we are 17 - dropped three spots with the sweep loss to A&M.  Kentucky lost the series to UT and moved up to 14.  ??  uat lost the series to UGA and moved up.  ??  Arkansas has won 2 from Ole Miss and dropped a notch.  ??  Going for the sweep tonight.  Of course, there is one conference weekend left for most teams (not us).  We won't help our RPI by beating Chattanooga.  Best thing to hope for is a sweep of uat by A&M in Tuscaloosa.  That won't be hard to hope for.  Link:  https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/softball/d1/ncaa-womens-softball-rpi

I just read further to find the gap between uat at 16 and us at 17 is razor-thin (.00003).  That gives some hope, but we really need a couple of wins in the SEC tournament.

[AUBwins 10,075]

The RPI is a pretty good indicator but not the full picture on hosting if I am not mistaken.  It seems every year that a couple of teams under 16th in RPI are hosting. Now top 8 seems to hold true more so with hosting Supers.  I don't have facts to back it up, just what I think I know  

I agree that our best bet would be to win some games in the SEC tourney, if anything for a morale standpoint going to postseason.  As mentioned above, while hosting is a much better advantage especially at Jane B Moore Field, it may actually be good to be the strongest 2 seed than the weakest 1 seed.  If only we played better on the road, however.

[GBAU83 212]

Our slip in RPI is worrisome, but if we got swept while others at least won 1 game, I can see the drop for us and them moving up a bit.  But if it comes down to AU or uat for that 16th spot, you know with the history of bammer, they will get the nod.  It will be easy to say the CMD in his first year at AU made it to a regional.  If we still had Myers and his rep, we might would get the nod.  Just don't think the PTB would give CMD and AU the nod over a very close race with Murphy and the tide.

So here's hoping TA&M run rules bama all three games and AU gets hot and wins the SEC tourney.  At best that gets us to host a regional and only hosting the Super-regional if our opponent is not the host of their regional.

[slot canyon 1,333]

Wanted to place this here rather than a new topic since some relation to this game.   I thought some governing body had placed restrictions or prohibited  the use of paraphernalia (stuffed animals, funny hats and so forth)  for sideline and dugout celebrations/demonstrations.  Seems I have seen it creep back into the games of late.  Was well on display at last game with TA&M when the girls had a pseudo gun fight using bananas and water bottles in front of the dugout.  It doesn't help that the TV cameras give it so much screen time.  Not meant to be sour grapes or criticism specifically aimed at A&M but something I do not enjoy seeing associated with the sport.  I like to see enthusiasm, but doing skits to draw attention to  one's self goes too far for me.  Would like to see the coaching staffs clean this stuff up before it gets out of hand again.

[OlderWhiskey 953]

Just noticed uat leading A&M 3-1 in top 2 of Game 1. In one inning they scored mre runs against A&M than we did in 21 innings.