SEC Softball Recap, Preview (4/9/17): Game times, TV schedule, live stream

Leading Off...

Tennessee assured themselves a win of their pivotal series against Kentucky on Saturday after taking down the Wildcats 5-2. The Vols pounced early, scoring two runs in the first and four total runs in the first three innings before tacking on their fifth and final tally in the fifth. While UK was able to respond for two runs in the bottom of the sixth, Caylan Arnold and Matty Moss kept the Cats’ bats quiet for the most part. The duo combined to allow just seven hits, struck out six and issued just two combined walks, both being tagged to Moss. The Vols didn’t hit any homers, but Aubrey Leach, Abby Lockman and Katie Weimer all recorded doubles in the victory.

In a matchup featuring the 8th- and 11th-ranked teams in the country, it was the former who bested the latter. LSU pitched a 1-0 shutout against Alabama on Saturday night in a hotly contested affair in Tuscaloosa. The Tigers drew the only ounce of blood in the fifth inning thanks in part to superstar Bailey Landry who recorded her 28th RBI of the season on a single. Sydney Smith was credited with the complete game shutout for the Bayou Bengals, her third in her last three starts. An impressive feat to be sure.

Speaking of shutouts, Florida had one of those against Georgia. The fourth-ranked Gators trounced the 18th-ranked Bulldogs 5-0 to earn their 35th win of the season. Amanda Lorenz, Aleshia Ocasio and Justine McLean were responsible for driving in the runs for the Gators on Saturday and Ocasio also recorded her second triple of the season in the win too. The dub keeps UF at the top of the SEC standings for the moment as they remain one game ahead of Texas A&M in the loss column.

It wasn’t all fun for the ranked teams of the conference though. Two of them fell on Saturday in fact as Mizzou and Auburn each took losses. Missouri had walked into the seventh inning with a 5-3 lead against Arkansas, but the Hogs erased it with a three-run inning in the seventh and final inning. The inning included two singles, a double, a wild pitch and two walks as Missouri saw things slip away before going 1-2-3 in their final chances at the plate.

Auburn’s loss meanwhile wasn’t as deflating as much as they got the wind taken out of them early on. After Ole Miss scored two runs in the second, Auburn retook the lead in the bottom half of the frame with a four-run burst. The Rebels then decided to open the game up by scoring five runs in the ensuing top half of the third. The Rebs batted around and recorded three (!) stolen bases in the inning, all coming from three consecutive hitters who reached safely to start the frame. The big blast of the inning came off the bat of Alyssa Gonzalez who hit her third homer of the year. Sarah Van Schaik also went deep in the contest, getting her fourth longball of the season.

In the only other SEC contest of the day, Mississippi State bested South Carolina 6-4. The Bulldogs went up 4-2 in the third inning and tacked on two additional runs in the fourth which would prove to be all they needed to ensure themselves of a W. The Gamecocks’ woes continue as they’re now 3-10 in SEC play while Mississippi State merely improves to 3-8.

Nonconference action saw Texas A&M win once again over Oklahoma State, this time to the tune of 9-1. Having defeated the Pokes 9-2 on Friday, the Aggies have outscored them 18-3 heading into the series’ final game on Sunday. It was the Aggies’ seventh win in a row and 15th in their last 16 games. During this seven-game win streak, A&M has scored five or more runs in every win, and pulling back to the 15-1 stretch, the Aggies have scored five or more runs in 12 of the 15 wins.

Today’s schedule looks a lot like yesterday’s (because it is, basically). A quick change was made as Texas A&M’s game will not be able to be televised or broadcasted.