TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (February 20, 2024) – For the fourth straight season, the University of North Alabama will battle the University of Alabama on the softball diamond. The Lions and No. 10 Crimson Tide will play Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
This will be the first of two games with Alabama this season, as the Lions will battle the Tide again this weekend at the Green & Gold Classic hosted by UAB in Birmingham.
This game will be streamed on SEC Network Plus and is available with an ESPN+ subscription. Live stats will be available via SIDEARM. Tickets can be purchased online for $10 per adult and $5 for youth.
GAMEDAY INFO
North Alabama vs. No. 10 Alabama
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
3 p.m.
Live Video |
Live Stats |
Tickets
NOTES
ABOUT LAST WEEK: The Lions are off to a 7-3 start this season following three wins at the Chattanooga Challenge last weekend. UNA defeated Murray State, WKU and in-state rival Jacksonville State while falling to WKU in a rematch and to host Chattanooga in Sunday's finale.
SCOUTING THE LIONS: UNA is off to a hot start with seven wins against quality opponents, including Troy, Samford and UT Martin last week. As a team, UNA ranks top three in the Atlantic Sun Conference in hitting and pitching with a .272 average and a 2.12 ERA. The Lions have 13 returning letterwinners and 13 newcomers, including 10 transfers.
SCOUTING THE TIDE: Alabama enters ranked as high is No. 10 in the week's national polls with a perfect 10-0 record, including five wins at the Easton Bama Bash this past week in Tuscaloosa. Notable wins so far include Georgia Tech, Virginia, St. Thomas, Villanova and Southern Indiana. Alabama returns 15 letterwinners from last season, including four players who were All-SEC, SEC All-Tournament or NFCA All-Region. There are also seven newcomers, including five transfers.
SERIES HISTORY: Alabama has a 3-0 advantage in the series, dating back to 2020. The first two meetings occurred in Tuscaloosa, while last year's meeting happened at the Florence SportsPlex in front of more than 4,000 fans — the largest attendance for North Alabama softball game in history. All three games were decided by five runs or less, including a 5-2 loss last year where UNA led 1-0 in the fourth inning against the No. 13 team in the nation.
WILKEN WORKING: Junior transfer
Alivia Wilken has been a force in the circle for UNA, owning a 4-1 record and 0.83 ERA over 33.2 innings pitched with 19 strikeouts and five walks. She also picked up a save against Troy, claiming credit for half of UNA's wins this season. She tossed the first perfect game in school history in her UNA debut against Samford and retired 27 straight batters over three games before allowing a hit.
DUSKIN DUO: The Lions have quite a one-two punch in the circle with fellow junior transfer
Cassidy Duskin. The Northeast Mississippi product has a 3-1 record with a 2.21 ERA over 25.1 innings. She has 11 strikeouts and has walked just one batter all season.
HARD HITTERS: The UNA offense is led by three players above a .300 batting average, including senior infielder
Haven Kirby and junior outfielder
Sydney Harris with matching .314 averages on 11 hits apiece. Kirby has a team-high eight RBIs, while Harris ranks second on the team with seven runs scored behind reigning ASUN batting average champion
Felicity Frame.
KEEPING UP WITH JONES: The ASUN named UNA junior second baseman
Hailey Jones the Player of the Week on Monday, marking her first weekly award. Jones went 6-for-17 at the plate for a .353 average, totaling six hits over the first three games of the Chattanooga Challenge. She had a triple and two doubles, while driving home runs against WKU and Jacksonville State. She also had a 1.000 fielding percentage with 12 putouts and nine assists.
FRESH FACES: UNA has both the 2023 Times Daily Large School Player of the Year and 2023 Times Daily Small School Player of the year on the roster in Loretto's
Briley Dover and Mars Hill's
Emma Kate Wright. Dover has started every game at third base this season with a .300 batting average, including nine hits, a triple, a homer, six runs and six RBIs. Wright had her first-career hit in just three at-bats, coming in a pinch hitting situation against WKU.
HOMERS FOR HOMERS: The Lions have had five home runs this season, including two from Kirby against Troy in a 7-4 win two weeks ago. The other homers came from Dover,
Ryleigh Boyett and
McKenzie Patterson. In the circle, UNA has allowed just two home runs in 10 games.
OUT HERE IN THE FIELD: UNA is one of the top 12 teams nationally in field percentage and double plays per game, sporting a .986 fielding percentage. The Lions have committed just four errors compared to 13 by their opponents. UNA also ranks 10th in double plays turned per game with seven on the season, including four involving Kirby and three involving Dover.
ON THE HORIZON: Later this week, the Lions will play four games at the Green & Gold Classic hosted by UAB in Birmingham. Those games will take place against Bradley, Western Carolina, UAB and Alabama.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
