North Carolina State University Athletics
Softball Primed for Midweek Tilt at No. 6 Alabama
4/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The NC State softball team will head to Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Wednesday for a midweek contest against the sixth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m. from Rhoads Stadium.
The game will air live on the SEC Network with Mark Neely handling play-by-play duties and Cheri Kempf the analyst.
NC State and Alabama have met twice in the history of the two programs, with the Tide earning a win in both contests held on their home field. The Pack made a visit to Alabama during the 2007 season where it dropped a 3-1 decision in the first game and was defeated 6-0 in the second game.
State was ranked No. 22 at the time and Alabama and Alabama was ranked No. 5 during the Crimson Tide Invitational.
Last Time Out
In its last outing of the season, the Wolfpack shut out the Virginia Cavaliers, 6-0, to clinch the series win. The Cavs edged the Pack in game one, but NC State countered in the next two games to win the series after posting consecutive shutout wins.
Scouting Alabama
Alabama enters the midweek matchup on a four-game winning streak and has won 10 of its last 12 games. At home this season, Bama has a record of 14-6 and defeated Southern Mississippi in its last home contest. The Tide are scheduled to play UAB at home prior to hosting the Wolfpack on Wednesday.
Haylie McCleney leads the Crimson Tide at the plate with a .476 batting average, while Demi Turner has tallied the most hits this season with 58 to her credit. Marisa Runyon provides the power for the squad with a team-leading nine home runs. As a team, Alabama has a batting average of .328 and scores 6.675 runs per game.
In the circle, Alexis Osorio has made the most appearances and started the most games to compile a 12-5 record on the season with a 1.83 earned run average (ERA). Sydney Littlejohn has also seen significant action with a 1.18 ERA and a 13-1 record. The Tide have a team ERA of 1.81 and allows just 2.03 runs per game.
Davis On a Roll
Senior shortstop Renada Davis has been on a tear in recent weeks and has reached base safely in a program-best 31 consecutive games. She broke the record at Georgia Tech on March 29 by reaching for the 22nd straight game to eclipse her previous school record of 21 she set in 2013.
During the span, she has a batting average of .430 with 40 hits, 28 runs scored, 26 RBI, 24 walks, 11 doubles and eight home runs.
Swing & a Miss, Strike Three!
Senior pitcher Emily Weiman has had her way with opposing batters this season and currently leads the ACC with 222 strikeouts. That total also ranks ninth among Division I pitchers in the NCAA. She also has the second-most career strikeouts among active pitchers with 956.
Scoring First
When scoring the first run of a game this season, the Wolfpack has compiled an 21-5 record and in contrast, is just 4-11 when the opponent scores first.
Gimme Five
NC State is 20-2 this season when scoring at least five runs in a game. The Pack is just 5-14 when scoring less than five runs.
Jumping On Them Early
NC State has jumped on opponents early this season, scoring 35 runs in the first inning. The Wolfpack is outscoring opponents, 35-20, in the opening frame and is 15-2 when it scores in the first inning.
Crucial Fourth Inning
When the Pack is leading the game at the end of the fourth inning, it has compiled a 22-2 record this season. State is 0-13 when trailing after the fourth and 3-1 when the score is tied.
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