Softball vs. Kentucky Series

[OlderWhiskey 953]

Our first home conference win and there was no topic started?  Surprising.  Shelby Lowe came through again, even though she gave up 9 hits and a homer.  Struck out the last batter with two runners on, on a 3-2 count in top 7 for 10Ks total.  I don't believe a righthanded batter got a hit off her the whole game.  Their catcher Kowalik had 3, though.  Rivera with the 3-run homer in the first to basically win the game for us.   That was set up by an error on their 3b that allowed King to score and left two on base.  In the 6th, Perry doubled and Koepke singled up the middle to drive her in - sort of.  Perry would have been out, but obstruction was called on Kowalik, and it was a good call.  I'm wondering why we didn't put a PR like Jadia Jones in.  An entertaining game with lots of drama.  UK got a DP when a liner went off the pitcher's glove, and was caught by the ss, who doubled up the runner from second.  Both teams had bad calls at second go against them.

[saminbama 740]

Thanks OW.  Yesterday was such a tough day at work, I lost track of what day it was.  Sounds like it was a great game.  Rivera hitting a home run to left center gives me hope she is finally coming around.  Here we are in game 36 and it's her first HR of the season?  Never would have thunk it.  Like I said before, with Shelby pitching and any offense, I like our chances.  Her level of maturity for a true freshman is amazing.

[AUBwins 10,075]

Fantastic win over a scrappy good Kentucky team.  I bet that home turns the light on for Rivera.  This is about the time she starts to turn it on in the past.  Let's win the series today!

[slot canyon 1,333]

7 hours ago, OlderWhiskey said:

Our first home conference win and there was no topic started?  Surprising.  Shelby Lowe came through again, even though she gave up 9 hits and a homer.  Struck out the last batter with two runners on, on a 3-2 count in top 7 for 10Ks total.  I don't believe a righthanded batter got a hit off her the whole game.  Their catcher Kowalik had 3, though.  Rivera with the 3-run homer in the first to basically win the game for us.   That was set up by an error on their 3b that allowed King to score and left two on base.  In the 6th, Perry doubled and Koepke singled up the middle to drive her in - sort of.  Perry would have been out, but obstruction was called on Kowalik, and it was a good call.  I'm wondering why we didn't put a PR like Jadia Jones in.  An entertaining game with lots of drama.  UK got a DP when a liner went off the pitcher's glove, and was caught by the ss, who doubled up the runner from second.  Both teams had bad calls at second go against them.

Regard using pinch runner for Perry in the 6th inning, that option had been used in 4th inning.  Rule 7.14 references the “special pinch-runner.” The rule states: That once each inning, a team may utilize a player who is not in the batting order as a special pinch-runner for any offensive player. A player may be removed for a special pinch-runner one time per game.

I had thought the same as you and decided to look up the rule.  You would never have expected Perry to attempt stealing second and Kentucky was of the same mind and they were caught off guard.  When Perry went for home and was tagged I was watching the Umpire call and saw his hand go out to the side immediately.  Impressive sometimes that they quickly evaluate the play and make that call. 

[AU1947 157]

Kentucky's ace had trouble finding the strike. Bet we see her today because as soon as the 2 got on base and the Homer was given up she was quickly pulled. Which tells me that Lawson was saving her arm for the next 2 days. Lowe did a great job! And Abby Tissier looked good behind the plate too!

[AUBwins 10,075]

Game 2. Auburn gets 5 hits and a 2 spot in 1st inning.  Lead 2-0. Anyone know how it happened? 

[saminbama 740]

4 hours ago, slot canyon said:

Impressive sometimes that they quickly evaluate the play and make that call. 

No sir.  That's really poor technique.  UMP101:  Never anticipate a call.

Nice DP turned in the top of the 6th.  Let's get a few more runs and 3 outs.   This UK pitcher's (Spangler) change up is ridiculous.

[saminbama 740]

Wow!  Talk about poor umpiring technique.  UK got shafted on a horrible call and Rachel Lawson was tossed.  I don't blame her.  Once that plate umpire raised her arms, the ball was dead.  Replay clearly showed the ball changed it's path when the batter swung with 2 strikes.  Then after the umpire raised her arms and the ball was dead, we threw to first to get the out.  For once a really bad call went our way.  A win is a win and now we have won 2 series in a row.  War Eagle ladies.

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

Penta had a good game.

[AUBwins 10,075]

Great series win. Kentucky giving a lot of help with 5 errors in game. Happy to see some offense. Let’s go sweep #12 behind Shelby tomorrow.  We are actually tied with UK in conference now. Need to stay aggressive early in game. Getting in front has helped our pitchers in this series. 

[all4AU 379]

Does anyone know why Denver Bryant and Makayla Packer are not present this weekend? Just wondering if it was COVID protocols or something else. 

[TD1 227]

38 minutes ago, all4AU said:

Does anyone know why Denver Bryant and Makayla Packer are not present this weekend? Just wondering if it was COVID protocols or something else. 

I was wondering the same thing. I didn't see Denver in College Station either. 

[OlderWhiskey 953]

This umpiring crew has made a lot of mistakes, both ways.  I understand from reading the recap that we got shafted for a run in the first.  Looing forward to watching it, didn't have time while it was live.  Supposedly a batted ball hit Dowell in foul ground, but the umps called it fair and called Dowell out.

Very proud for Penta that she got her first conference win.  I think she has really needed that.  I like the way Koepke has perked up in this series, also.  This is going to be a much better team at the end of the season than it was at the beginning.  Don't count us out of the conference tournament.

As for the missing players, I wondered about Packer's not playing CF, and figured health issue.  As for College Station, some players may not have made the travel roster, which I think has a limit.

[AUloggerhead 2,229]

30 minutes ago, OlderWhiskey said:

This umpiring crew has made a lot of mistakes, both ways.  I understand from reading the recap that we got shafted for a run in the first.  Looing forward to watching it, didn't have time while it was live.  Supposedly a batted ball hit Dowell in foul ground, but the umps called it fair and called Dowell out.

Very proud for Penta that she got her first conference win.  I think she has really needed that.  I like the way Koepke has perked up in this series, also.  This is going to be a much better team at the end of the season than it was at the beginning.  Don't count us out of the conference tournament.

As for the missing players, I wondered about Packer's not playing CF, and figured health issue.  As for College Station, some players may not have made the travel roster, which I think has a limit.

I saw the play where Dowel was called out for interference.  Correct call by the ump.  In a play like that, the critical element is where the ball is (not the location of the player's feet as Dean was arguing) when contact is made -- if the ball is contacted over fair territory, it's interference, plain & simple.  

[AU1947 157]

2 hours ago, TD1 said:

I was wondering the same thing. I didn't see Denver in College Station either. 

Covid protocol is the word in the stands...

[OlderWhiskey 953]

Speaking of the stands, I thought I saw Makayla Martin there, 5 rows up, slightly to the first base side, with cotton candy hair.  I just watched bot 3 and she wasn't there, but had been earlier.

[Mikey 16,577]

Good win, but it leaves me uneasy. A runner on third should always take their lead well into foul territory, you don't hug the line.. Had Dowell been where she was supposed to be, the ball wouldn't have hit her. That's on both coaching and, at this level, the player.

Bases loaded with one out in the 5th? 6th? Two upperclassmen both strike out and we get nothing. That was a chance to blow the game open and we didn't. There was another inning ending-strikeout with bases loaded earlier as well. With Ky making 5 errors, we should have had a bunch more runs.

Now, it was an important win and I'm happy to get it, but as I said earlier, it leaves me uneasy.

[AUBwins 10,075]

48 minutes ago, Mikey said:

Bases loaded with one out in the 5th? 6th? Two upperclassmen both strike out and we get nothing. That was a chance to blow the game open and we didn't.

This is what bothered me most with the game yesterday.  Alyssa fought on the first strikeout once she got 0-2 and was beaten by an excellent pitch.  She did let two strikes go without swinging to get there though.  She was made to look silly on the 2nd time with them loaded.  Perry is pretty much a ground ball out this year.  Baffles me.  She has so much power but rolled over a weak grounder to end the threat. 

[blakem 296]

Can’t keep leaving the bases loaded like this. But I thought Garcia was ripped on strike two. Looked like the same spot as the 2-2 pitch on Humes that was called a ball.

[saminbama 740]

This umpire crew is like the Keystone Cops.  As strong as this conference is, the SEC needs to invest more money into getting competent officials.  Also looked to me like the first baseman threw her hip into Koepke.  I hope she is OK, but I'm afraid the way she was moving, there may be a serious knee injury.  Hope not.

[blakem 296]

2 hours ago, saminbama said:

This umpire crew is like the Keystone Cops.  As strong as this conference is, the SEC needs to invest more money into getting competent officials.  Also looked to me like the first baseman threw her hip into Koepke.  I hope she is OK, but I'm afraid the way she was moving, there may be a serious knee injury.  Hope not.

I hope not too. It just blows my mind how much money this conference makes Bc of sports yet they don’t take officiating very seriously.

[AUBwins 10,075]

Too bad this didn't happen in one of those RBI situations, but man she blasted this. 

 

[AUBwins 10,075]

2 hours ago, saminbama said:

Also looked to me like the first baseman threw her hip into Koepke. 

Oh she definitely threw the hip.  I wonder if that's what they were discussing with UK coach afterwards. Would that have changed the call? That happened after catching the ball. 

[saminbama 740]

Who knows what they were discussing.  The first base umpire today was the same ump that called obstruction on the UK catcher Friday night.  A similar play occurred today with Tissier, but wasn't called.  Since the first baseman wasn't in the baseline before the runner arrived, I don't think there was obstruction in this case.  Any how, It was dirty.  UK had a third baseman a few years ago name Abbey Cheek and she pushed it a little towards dirty play.  The difference in today's game and the other ones is UK didn't give us anything today.   Shelby is good, but she can't score runs.

[AUBwins 10,075]

1 hour ago, saminbama said:

The difference in today's game and the other ones is UK didn't give us anything today.   Shelby is good, but she can't score runs.

Very true.