Softball vs Tenn - Game 3

[around4ever 4,139]

They are in a weather delay.  It probably won't take them long to cancel this one.   They should have started the doubleheader earlier but the espn / SEC Network money talks. 

[around4ever 4,139]

The radar has cleared up pretty quickly.   We may get this one in tonight after all.  

[AU64 10,122]

AU struggles in the first inning and gives up 2 runs and leaves the bases loaded.

Rivera gets AU on the board with a HR ripped over the wall....now 1-2 

[AU64 10,122]

major run saving defensive play by the UT left fielder.....top 10 for sure...so still 1-2

[OlderWhiskey 953]

Intriguing game that could still go either way.  Auburn has stroked some pretty good balls, only to see some superlative work by the UT outfielders.  gotta hit it over the fence, i guess.

[AU64 10,122]

Well top of the 5th and still trailing 2-1.....bats have cooled off this game but only takes one swing to get back in the game.  

[OlderWhiskey 953]

I think Rogers has better stuff today.  Top of the order coming up for us in top 6.

[AU64 10,122]

UT putting some pressure on ….2nd and 3rd with one out....maybe time for a new pitch?   ..give 'em a different look? 

[OlderWhiskey 953]

I thought so, too; and he does it, but only after they get two runs.  Swindle has done a very good job, but they've seen her 8-9 times each.

[AU64 10,122]

12 minutes ago, OlderWhiskey said:

I thought so, too; and he does it, but only after they get two runs.  Swindle has done a very good job, but they've seen her 8-9 times each.

Yep...ladies did a good job holding down the UT bats but they broke loose and touched up Harris too......but 2 out of 3 at UT is a very good weekend though maybe it's a bit early to concede the third game. 

[OlderWhiskey 953]

I think that 3-run homer may have sealed the deal.

[around4ever 4,139]

Is it just me and my belief of the perceived or real bias against Auburn but is this umpire squeezing Swindle and Harris more so than the UT pitcher?

[BJCrawford 1,568]

I’m going to take the hit for this after posting no one had beat our softball team by more than two runs. I jinxed us.

[AU64 10,122]

6 minutes ago, BJCrawford said:

I’m going to take the hit for this after posting no one had beat our softball team by more than two runs. I jinxed us.

Yep ..your fault.....though perhaps the long day had something to do with it....two games and rain delay.....but if you want to take the blame that's fine. 

[OlderWhiskey 953]

Yep, all your fault.  Give me forty stadiums.  As to the other question, I thought Rogers threw a good number of pitches that I would have called strikes that the umpire didn't - mostly in the upper part of the zone.  maybe we were lucky to catch her a little off yesterday.

[AU64 10,122]

11 hours ago, OlderWhiskey said:

Yep, all your fault.  Give me forty stadiums.  As to the other question, I thought Rogers threw a good number of pitches that I would have called strikes that the umpire didn't - mostly in the upper part of the zone.  maybe we were lucky to catch her a little off yesterday.

a question OW...

it's now become the acceptable definition of success in softball and baseball that "taking the series" is the prize....and I wonder if when a team takes the first two games of a 3 game set if there is some kind of letdown after that ...as if...mission accomplished?  

[Mikey 16,579]

15 minutes ago, AU64 said:

a question OW...

it's now become the acceptable definition of success in softball and baseball that "taking the series" is the prize....and I wonder if when a team takes the first two games of a 3 game set if there is some kind of letdown after that ...as if...mission accomplished?  

I don't think too much of the "take the series" idea. Obviously, winning the series is better than losing it but....Do the math. Sweep the series and you gain 3 games. Win the series and you gain one game. Sweeps, both pro and con, are big time wins/losses. Splits, 1/3 as important, numerically and numbers are what standings are all about.

[AU64 10,122]

6 minutes ago, Mikey said:

I don't think too much of the "take the series" idea. Obviously, winning the series is better than losing it but....Do the math. Sweep the series and you gain 3 games. Win the series and you gain one game. Sweeps, both pro and con, are big time wins/losses. Splits, 1/3 as important, numerically and numbers are what standings are all about.

I'm for winning them all but heard after game two that AU had won the series...as if that were the goal.....and on this site, that seems to be a suitable outcome for a series.   Just wondering if that affects the approach to game 3....of course nobody likes to be swept so maybe there is more motivation on the other side.  AU just did not  look the same in the second game yesterday...JMO

[AUSBFAN 21]

9 minutes ago, AU64 said:

I'm for winning them all but heard after game two that AU had won the series...as if that were the goal.....and on this site, that seems to be a suitable outcome for a series.   Just wondering if that affects the approach to game 3....of course nobody likes to be swept so maybe there is more motivation on the other side.  AU just did not  look the same in the second game yesterday...JMO

These ladies were going for the sweep, no doubt about it. But in this conference, taking 2 out of 3, ESPECIALLY on the road is a HUGE accomplishment.  Maybe they didn’t look quite the same because of fatigue due to: a.) very long trip up on Friday due to problems with not 1 but 2 buses which left them stranded on the side of the interstate and then waiting at a roadside cafe for a few hours, b:) having to play a doubleheader after said challenging drive up c.) weather delay between said doubleheader d.) only having 2 of 4 pitchers available (not sure about Lexi but she did not pitch after being taken out in the first inning of game 1). Don’t forget that last year, this team struggled mightily on the road. And now they just took 2 of 3 from a top 10 opponent, without their ace, on the road, and that’s not enough? They won the series, and IMO, at the end of the day, that is definitely the ultimate goal. I may be misinterpreting some of the comments but to say the goal really was to sweep, to me implies that they failed. Winning 2 out of 3 from here on out is good enough to win a National Championship. Right?

[AU64 10,122]

7 minutes ago, AUSBFAN said:

Winning 2 out of 3 from here on out is good enough to win a National Championship. Right?

I have no idea.....but thanks for the background on the trip...might explain what I saw.  I was more than happy with the outcome....a series at UT has not happened in a while.

[OlderWhiskey 953]

Did not know about the bus troubles, but that makes Saturday's win all the more impressive.  Maybe we should try having bus trouble on our way to Kentucky and Arkansas. 😄 I think the possibility of being swept may cause the losing team to focus and think about what they are doing more, making sure they don't make a mental mistake.  That includes coaches as well as players, maybe moreso the coaches.  Noticed the Weeklys had Ayala in RF yesterday.  In top 6 with a runner on, Maresette hit a liner over her head.  She went back and got it, whereas I saw Bearden muff a ball almost exactly like it last weekend against Missouri.  Did the possibility of a sweep cause Karen to put her better defensive player in the lineup?  

I don't think there is any letdown on the part of the winning team.

BTW, this series win has moved us up in RPI from 15 to 13.

[saminbama 740]

Seems this team is constantly dealing with adversity.  From not having our top gun to broken down bus's, it's always something.  We drop 2 of 3 to UGA at home then go to K'ville and take 2 of 3 from a Top 10 team.  Our pitching is very inconsistent, probably due to youth and inexperience and when we're hitting, we're lights out.  Taking this series is huge.  Sweeps are great, but with the state of this team right now, taking this series should make everyone extremely happy.  Great job ladies!!

[jaydubb121 22]

I believe the ball Alyssa Rivera hit out was the hardest hit ball I've ever seen. That thing didn't get 10 feet off the ground and took less than two seconds to get out.

[all4AU 379]

I think the rain delay cooled our momentum a bit and gave UT a chance to regroup before game 3. It was almost 2 full hours between games. If it were the standard 30 minutes, I think we keep a bit more of the momentum. 

Nonetheless, what a great series win on the road! We are playing like a team that wants to host a regional, and we look the part. Improving from 15 to 13 in the rpi is huge. Last year´s team was hurt by a weak non-conference and didn´t get to host a regional. We are in much better position this year. Now, if we could just get Makayla back. 

[AUBwins 10,075]

Very nice to see after being in a bit of a down mood on Saturday. This was an impressive series win that on paper was not expected to win at the beginning of season.