Sand Dollar Softball

[OlderWhiskey 953]

Harris strikes out Akers on 3 pitches, then a HBP, then a walk.  Runners 1-2 with 1 out.  Single loads the bases.  Forceout at 2d scores a run.  Harris gets the K for out 3.  11-4 final.

Veach 4 for 4 with 2 homers, I think 6 RBI.

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

Thanks for the updates 64! 

[AUBwins 10,071]

Yes.  Glad softball is back.  Now put the games on TV! 😁

[OlderWhiskey 953]

Checking scores around the country today produced a few surprises.  #15 Kentucky lost twice, to Houston and Illinois.  The Illini added a 2d Top 25 victim, OK State.  Texas A&M, who lost so many players, had 30 hits in their two wins, admittedly over Northern Colorado and California Baptist.  LSU, who lost Hoover and Walljasper, shut out both Tulsa and Iowa on two hits total.  They also had around 20 hits in the two games.  This game definitely seems more unpredictable than the "major" sports.

[AU64 10,122]

Just heard that AU lost today to Missouri State..4-3...apparently bats were cold   game just over and AU has another game later this afternoon.   

[OlderWhiskey 953]

Missouri State lost to Western Kentucky 8-0 in 5 innings yesterday.  Then we did the same to WKU, exact same score.  Now today, we lose to Missouri State.  ???  MS also beat South Alabama.

Swindle pitched the complete game today, and had one bad inning - the second, in which MS loaded the bases with no outs and scored 4 runs.  They strung together singles and SAC flies, I wasn't listening.  AU scored one in the first on a bases-loaded walk.  In bot 2, Fornis and McCrackin had solo homers.  Nobody scored after that.

La. Tech at 5.  I had expected them to be the best team we played in this tournament.  LiveStats is now working, at least it was for the MS game.

Martin to open in the circle for this game.

[OlderWhiskey 953]

Auburn coming to bat in bot 2, no score.  Rivera due up.

[wildling 35]

What happened to every pitcher getting a start?

[AU64 10,122]

4 minutes ago, wildling said:

What happened to every pitcher getting a start?

Good question....maybe the NEED to win this game has changed the pitching strategy ? 

[wildling 35]

1 minute ago, AU64 said:

Good question....maybe the NEED to win this game has changed the pitching strategy ? 

That's true, but why did they give Swindle a second start (G1 and G3)? It's kind of weird that CMD used her less than Harris last year, but she's all of a sudden the go to #2 this year?

 

I'm already not loving some CMD decisions. He yanks Handley after 3 batters with an 9-3 lead. She was obviously a bit wild, but she was throwing some strikes and you're not going to get a much better time to work through trouble than a 6 run lead against a bad team. Give her another batter or two.

[all4AU 379]

We also left a lot of runners on base against Missouri State. They put their ace in when we got a runner on in the 5th (same girl that shut out South Alabama Friday). Not a good loss at all. 

[AU64 10,122]

17 minutes ago, wildling said:

That's true, but why did they give Swindle a second start (G1 and G3)? It's kind of weird that CMD used her less than Harris last year, but she's all of a sudden the go to #2 this year?

 

I'm already not loving some CMD decisions. He yanks Handley after 3 batters with an 9-3 lead. She was obviously a bit wild, but she was throwing some strikes and you're not going to get a much better time to work through trouble than a 6 run lead against a bad team. Give her another batter or two.

Good point.....surprised he yanked Handley so quickly yesterday but I did not see how she looked...but pitching Swindle again to soon...and Martin was also batting in the game yesterday.....so no idea what the plan is.     Lots of new players and guess he's still trying to figure out who he can count on. 

Last season did not give me much confidence in CMD but I'm far from an expert..... maybe I read things wrong.   I always trusted Clint when he was making decisions on the field....but this just looks and feels different.   

[OlderWhiskey 953]

Still scoreless after 5.  Auburn has 3 hits, LT 1.

La Tech scores one in top 6.  Top of the order coming up for AU.  need to get it done here.

[all4AU 379]

In the top of the 6th, Martin gave up a 2 out walk on 4 pitches. The runner stole 2nd and came home on a double down the line. 

1-0 Louisiana Tech. Our offense has got to provide some run support. We haven´t scored since the 2nd inning of game one today. That´s 10 innings without a run. 

[OlderWhiskey 953]

McCrackin just homered.

Rivera walked, Veach hit a long fly to left, but it stayed in the park.  Going to 7th at 1-1.  Crack is 3 for 3.

LT scores one in top 7 on 4 straight singles.  Rivera throws one out at the plate.

Perry, Fornis, Dowell due up.

[wildling 35]

Down 2-1, 1 out in the bottom of the 7th, runner on 2nd. Way too much sac bunting by Auburn, supposedly 2/3 times they've done it today they popped into double plays.

[wildling 35]

0-2 count, 2 outs, Podany up, tying run on 3rd.

[wildling 35]

Hard liner to left is caught, game over, 2-1 win for Louisiana Tech. 😥

[OlderWhiskey 953]

La Tech I perceive to be probably the best opponent we had in this tournament.  The shocker to me was losing to Missouri State.  Either way, this does not augur well.  

[AU64 10,122]

2 minutes ago, OlderWhiskey said:

La Tech I perceive to be probably the best opponent we had in this tournament.  The shocker to me was losing to Missouri State.  Either way, this does not augur well.  

breaking even is not how I would have expected us to start with the those opponents......and the lack of hitting before we've even seen the best pitchers we will face this year. 

But it's early yet. 

[jared52 4,354]

Not used to softball losing before conference play unless it’s a top 10 team. Not really a fan of Dean (he’s not a good game coach) but he is trying to clean up after a mess. Unless AU misses out on the postseason, he needs a little more time to get his style in place with the player and he wants. 

[AU64 10,122]

5 minutes ago, jared52 said:

Not used to softball losing before conference play unless it’s a top 10 team. Not really a fan of Dean (his not a good game coach) but he is trying to clean up after a mess. Unless AU misses out on the postseason, he needs a little more time to get his style in place with the player and he wants. 

Not sure I agree with this.....he inherited a very strong roster and once the former coaches were gone, the drama was over.   All CMD had to do was coach and recruit which he has not done very well.      

[all4AU 379]

47 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Not sure I agree with this.....he inherited a very strong roster and once the former coaches were gone, the drama was over.   All CMD had to do was coach and recruit which he has not done very well.      

 

The players Clint almost won the World Series with were recruited by Tina Deese (Carosone, Rhodes, Howard, Cooper, Davis, Harper). He added some more pieces with 3 transfers and 2 freshman he had recruited while at Arizona State (Martin, Wallace, Fagan, Walters, and Carlson), but this roster that Dean inherited from Clint is nowhere near that caliber. I’m not knocking our current players, but the evidence is there. For example, the batting average dropped severely in 2017 even though Clint found a way to still win a lot of games. Cooper, Fagan, and Wallace were gone after 2017, and Carlson, Draper, and Shea were gone after 2018. I love our players, and they do have talent. But, I think we can all agree that this team is missing some offensive firepower. Also, I’m worried about Makayla not having a solid backup.

[OlderWhiskey 953]

I'm not a Dean fan at this point; but I think there were probably emotional issues to deal with, confusion, anger, etc. over the Myers resignation.  I.e., he wasn't necessarily greeted by 25 smiling faces eager to do his bidding.  Remember he did hire Gerry Glassco to be his hitting coach, probably the best move he's made.  Unfortunately, Glassco got a better offer.  The player loss has been significant:  Nutt, Schiele, Bilodeau, Olszewski from the Nov. 16 signing.  Will be interesting to see how these girls work out elsewhere.  3  more girls decommitted after Myers resigned, not sure we can blame Dean with those.  Now Crocker and Morrow.  And don't forget Kelly Lynch, the #1 pitcher in the nation, who wanted to come to Auburn, but flipped to Washington this past year.  And what I've wanted him to do is get a couple of rock crushers to transfer in.  Are they that hard to find?

This fall's class will obviously be his recruits, so he will get at least a third and maybe a fourth year to get results.  I'm hoping this year will be the low point.

[wildling 35]

27 minutes ago, all4AU said:

 

The players Clint almost won the World Series with were recruited by Tina Deese (Carosone, Rhodes, Howard, Cooper, Davis, Harper). He added some more pieces with 3 transfers and 2 freshman he had recruited while at Arizona State (Martin, Wallace, Fagan, Walters, and Carlson), but this roster that Dean inherited from Clint is nowhere near that caliber. I’m not knocking our current players, but the evidence is there. For example, the batting average dropped severely in 2017 even though Clint found a way to still win a lot of games. Cooper, Fagan, and Wallace were gone after 2017, and Carlson, Draper, and Shea were gone after 2018. I love our players, and they do have talent. But, I think we can all agree that this team is missing some offensive firepower. Also, I’m worried about Makayla not having a solid backup.

Those five pieces Myers added were pretty damn good, MD has gotten no one and has lost a ton of potential. Players are already so developed/experienced by their mid teens that the college game is all about recruiting, and MD just doesn't have it I'm afraid. It won't get easier with a worse team.